What makes Top Chef’s Pizza so high-quality? It all comes down to the crust; instead of traditional pizza dough, Top Chef’s Pizza uses something closer to focaccia bread. The naturally flavorful, fluffy, and tender bread is perfect for piling high with rich pizza sauce and melty cheese and… well, whatever you want! There’s no limit to the pizzas you could build with this crust!
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon active dry or instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup warm water, between 100-110 degrees F
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more, to taste, for dusting hands and a work surface, can substitute bread flour
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- pizza sauce, to taste, store-bought or homemade
- pizza toppings, to taste, of your choice, such as mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and basil leaves
Directions
Step 1 –In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the yeast, the sugar, and the warm water and whisk to combine.
Step 2 –Cover the bowl loosely and allow the yeast to rise until foamy and frothy on top, about 5-10 minutes.
Step 3 –Add 2 cups of the flour, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the salt, the garlic, and the Italian seasoning and mix using the stand mixer’s dough hook attachment until combined, about 2 minutes. The dough should be thick yet soft and slightly sticky and tacky. If the dough feels too sticky to handle, add more of the extra flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Step 4 –Using the extra flour, lightly dust a work surface and your hands.
Step 5 –Turn out the dough onto the prepared work surface and knead it until it is slightly soft and slowly bounces back when poked, about 6-8 minutes.
Step 6 –Grease a large bowl with nonstick spray.
Step 7 –Place the dough in the greased bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel, plastic wrap, or aluminum foil.
Step 8 –Allow the bowl to sit at room temperature until slightly risen and well-rested, about 45 minutes.
Step 9 –Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
Step 10 –Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Alternatively, use a pizza stone.
Step 11 –Punch down the dough.
Step 12 –Divide the dough in half.
Step 13 –Turn the dough out onto the prepared work surface and, 1 dough piece at a time, shape and stretch the dough to 1/4-inch thickness.
Step 14 –Poke your fingers all around the surface of the dough.
Step 15 –Brush the dough halves evenly with the remaining 2 teaspoons of the olive oil.
Step 16 –Top the dough halves with the pizza sauce and your preferred toppings.
Step 17 –Bake until the crust and the toppings are browned to your liking, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 18 –Slice and serve warm.
