Simple pizza dough (makes 8 bases)

Method

1. Put the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the olive oil and tepid water. Mix to form a rough dough, then tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes, adding a little more flour if needed. When the dough is smooth and elastic (the surface shouldn’t look bumpy), shape it into a rough ball and put it in a large oiled bowl. If you don’t have any very large bowls, you might find it easier to divide the dough in two to let it rise. Cover with oiled cling film.
2. Leave the dough to rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes or until doubled in size, then knock it back (see Know-how) and give it a quick knead. Divide the dough in half, then divide each half into 4 equal parts to give 8 balls of dough. Put the balls on a lightly floured work surface and cover each with an upturned mixing bowl, a damp cloth or foil and leave to rest for 15-20 minutes.
3. When the dough balls have rested and are soft to the touch but not too springy, they are ready. On a lightly floured surface, roll and/or stretch each ball into a thin pizza base. Make sure the surface underneath stays floury, or the dough will stick. Don’t worry about getting perfectly round bases – the misshapen ones look just as beautiful! Spread each base thinly with perfect pizza sauce and scatter over your choice of toppings.
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4. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 220ŒC/fan200ŒC/gas 7. Have some floured baking sheets ready to transfer the pizzas onto. When they’re ready to go in the oven, slide them onto the baking sheets (a couple of fish slices or spatulas work well here), and cook for 10-12 minutes until crisp.