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1. Pour the water into a medium-sized mixing bowl and sprinkle in the
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yeast. Stir gently with a fork until the yeast has dissolved and the
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liquid turns light beige in color.
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2. Add 1 cup of the flour and the salt. Mix thoroughly with a wooden
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spoon. Add a second cup of flour to the bowl and mix well. After the
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second cup of flour has been mixed in, the dough should start coming
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away from the sides of the bowl and should begin to form a
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soft,sticky mass.
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3. Measure out the third cup of flour. Sprinkle some over the work
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surface and flour your hands generously. Remove all of the dough from
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the bowl and begin to work the mass by kneading the additional flour
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in a bit at a time.
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4. To knead the dough, use the heel of your hands to push the dough
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across the floured work surface in one sweep. Clench the dough in
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your fist and twist and fold it over. Use the dough scraper to help
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gather the wet dough that sticks to the work surface into a ball
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while kneading. Repeat this action over and over again, adding only
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as much flour as it takes to keep the dough from sticking to your
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hands. Work quickly and don't be delicate. Slap and push the dough
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around to develop its gluten and to facilitate its rolling out.
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(Kneading pizza dough is a great way to relieve pent-up aggression!)
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5. When the dough no longer feels sticky, push the heel of your hand
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down into it and hold it there for 10 seconds. This will test its
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readiness;if your hand comes up clean, the dough is done. If it
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sticks, a bit more kneading will be necessary. Once the dough is no
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longer sticky, do not overwork it by adding more flour. Continue
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kneading only until the dough is smooth and elastic (it should spring
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back when pressed) and no lines of raw white flour show. The whole
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process should take 5 to 10 minutes.
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6. Lightly oil a 2 quart bowl with vegetable oil. Roll the ball of
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dough around in the bowl to coat it with a thin film of oil. Tightly
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seal the bowl with plastic wrap to trap in the moisture and heat from
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the yeast's carbon dioxide gases. This will help the dough rise
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faster.
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7. Place the bowl in a warm, draft-free place. Let the dough rise
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for 30 to 45 minutes.
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8. Once the dough has doubled in bulk, punch it down by pushing your
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fist into it. All of the gases will quickly escape, and the dough
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will collapse. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead it again for
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about 1 minute.
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9. The dough is now ready to be patted and rolled into pizza, or to
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undergo additional rising.
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10. To raise dough a second time, add a bit more oil to the bowl and
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repeat the procedure indicated for the first rising. Then the dough
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is ready to be shaped.
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Source: The Pizza Book by Evelyne Slomon posted by Linda Davis
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