Pizza dough base:
Makes 4-6 inch pizzas, about 1/2 inch thick.
2 tsp active dry or instant yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 and 1/2 cup/200 ml warm water
4 cups/350g maida/ all-purpose flour, plus more for surface dusting
1 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil, plus more to brush the dough
Instructions
Add sugar into warm water and let it dissolve. Sprinkle yeast over it and stir lightly. Let it sit in a warm place to bloom.
After about 10 minutes, the yeast would have tripled in quantity. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add flour, salt and oil. Combine.
Pour the yeast water into this dough and knead the flour into a soft pliable dough. Oh did I mention, you gotta knead till your arms fall off, about 15-20 minutes. You can also use a dough machine to do the kneading for you.
Tuck the dough into a ball and place into a greased bowl. Cover with a cloth and let sit in a warm place for an hour or two. It should double in size.
Once the dough has risen, punch it down and knead on a floured surface. Divide the dough into 4 balls. You may store the pizza dough at this stage in the fridge for a day or two.
On a lightly floured surface with floured hands and working with one dough piece at a time, begin shaping and stretching the dough until it is 1/4 inch thick. You can use a rolling pin for this brush each with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil. Top it with any sauce of your choice. I have used a homemade marinara sauce. Recipe here.
You may need about a cup of sauce, and a cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Finally, toppings of veggies and meat of your choice.
Bake in a preheated oven, at 450 F or 250 C for 15-20 minutes or until the crust and toppings are browned to your liking. Remove, slice and serve hot. Enjoy!
Note: You may use the same dough to make flatbread pizzas, artisan bread, bagels or focaccia.