Quick Pizza Dough

• 30 ml water
• 10 g fresh baker's yeast (or 4 g dried baker's yeast)
• 0.5 tsp caster sugar (around 2.5 g)
• 500 g 00 flour or pizza flour (W 180-200)
• 10 g olive oil
• 5 g salt (1 tsp)
• 0.5 tsp baking soda (around 2.5 g)
• 80 g extra-fine semolina or spolvero (for dusting)

1. This recipe makes 3 balls of dough weighing around 270 g each (pizzas with a diameter of 30 cm).
2. Warm the water in the microwave to between 38°C and 40°C. Be careful not to let the water get too hot as this may deactivate the yeast. Rehydrate the yeast (fresh or dried) with the water and add the sugar. Mix with a whisk. Leave to rest for 5 minutes. The yeast should be dissolved.
3. Prepare the dough by hand in a bowl or in a food processor fitted with a hook. Knead for around 10 minutes in total.
4. In the food processor: Knead the dough on a slow speed, slowly adding your water/yeast/sugar mixture to your flour. Knead until the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl. Add the olive oil and knead on a medium speed until absorbed (2-3 minutes). Adjust the speed if needed. Finally, add the salt mixed with the bicarbonate of soda. Continue to knead quickly until you can no longer feel the grains of salt on the surface.
5. If you are kneading by hand: place the flour in the large bowl. Gradually stir in your water/yeast/sugar mixture. Rotate the bowl with one hand and, with the other hand, fold the flour from the bottom of the bowl onto the top. When the flour is combined (no more residue on the sides of the bowl), the dough can be kneaded on your work surface.
6. The pizzaiolo’s technique for kneading by hand: roll out the dough, without tearing it, with the palm of your hand. Then turn the ball of dough over and give it a quarter turn, "slamming" it onto the work surface. Repeat these steps as many times as needed until you have a smooth dough.
7. Put the dough back into the bowl. Add the olive oil and knead again. When the oil has been absorbed by the dough, return it to the work surface. Add the salt and the bicarbonate of soda. Knead until you can no longer feel salt grains under the palm of your hand. The dough should be soft, smooth and fairly elastic.
8. Leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes under cling film (or a damp tea towel) at room temperature.
9. Divide the dough into 3 270 g pieces. You can use a dough cutter to help. On your work surface, shape the 3 pieces into balls, making sure that the tops of the balls are smooth. If the balls are a little dry, brush them lightly with water. Store your balls of dough in one or more plastic boxes, making sure they don't touch the edges so they rise evenly. Leave them to rise while your oven preheats. Make sure they are in a draught-free place. You could even place the balls of dough in your domestic oven preheated to 35°C to speed up the rising process.
10. Turn on your oven and let it preheat (30 minutes on the highest setting).
11. While the balls of dough are resting and the oven is preheating, prepare your toppings.
12. Roll out your balls of dough, making sure each one is less than 30 cm in diameter. Use extra fine semolina (or spolvero) to dust your work surface and the underside of the dough. This will stop the dough from sticking and make it easier to move.
13. Dust the pizza peel lightly with extra fine semolina. Carefully slide the peel under the pizza dough or rotate the dough onto the peel.
14. Add the ingredients of your choice to the pizza dough on the peel.
15. Place the pizza in the oven and bake for around 90 seconds, turning regularly with the knob on the side of the oven to ensure it cooks evenly.
16. Using the peel, take the pizza out of the oven and slide it onto a serving plate. Slice, serve and enjoy!

Tips:

• If you're in a hurry, you can buy pre-made pizza dough from your local bakery. Avoid supermarket doughs, as they won't work well in your oven.
• Use fresh products for your toppings, if possible. If they need to be prepared, marinated, for example, do this ahead of time.
• Choose mozzarella over Emmental, as it has a milder taste.
• Don't overload the toppings, as this will lead to more moisture and could cause the pizza to split in the oven.
• If you don't have a thermometer to check the dissolving temperature of the dried yeast, you can dip your finger in the water. If you can keep your finger in the water without discomfort for around ten seconds, the temperature is likely within the desired range. If you have an infrared thermometer, measure the cooking temperature on the rotating stone: 380-430°C.