| 1 | Pour the water into a medium-sized mixing bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. |
| 2 | Stir gently with a fork until the yeast has dissolved and the liquid turns light beige in color. |
| 3 | Add 2 cups of the flour, the olive oil, and the salt. |
| 4 | Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon. |
| 5 | Add a third cup of flour to the bowl and mix well. |
| 6 | After the third cup of flour has been mixed in, the dough should start coming away from the sides of the bowl and should begin to form a soft,sticky mass. |
| 7 | Measure out the fourth cup of flour. |
| 8 | Sprinkle some over the work surface and flour your hands generously. |
| 9 | Remove all of the dough from the bowl and begin to work the mass by kneading the additional flour in a bit at a time. |
| 10 | To knead the dough, use the heel of your hands to push the dough across the floured work surface in one sweep. |
| 11 | Clench the dough in your fist and twist and fold it over. |
| 12 | Use the dough scraper to help gather the wet dough that sticks to the work surface into a ball while kneading. |
| 13 | Repeat this action over and over again, adding only as much flour as it takes to keep the dough from sticking to your hands. |
| 14 | Work quickly and don"t be delicate. |
| 15 | Slap and push the dough around to develop its gluten and to facilitate its rolling out. |
| 16 | (kneading pizza dough is a great way to relieve pent-up aggression!) |
| 17 | When the dough no longer feels sticky, push the heel of your hand down into it and hold it there for 10 seconds. |
| 18 | This will test its readiness;if your hand comes up clean, the dough is done. |
| 19 | If it sticks, a bit more kneading will be necessary. |
| 20 | Once the dough is no longer sticky, do not overwork it by adding more flour. |
| 21 | Continue kneading only until the dough is smooth and elastic (it should spring back when pressed) and no lines of raw white flour show. |
| 22 | The whole process should take 5 to 10 minutes. |
| 23 | Lightly oil a 2 quart bowl with vegetable oil. |
| 24 | Roll the ball of dough around in the bowl to coat it with a thin film of oil. |
| 25 | Tightly seal the bowl with plastic wrap to trap in the moisture and heat from the yeast"s carbon dioxide gases. |
| 26 | This will help the dough rise faster. |
| 27 | Place the bowl in a warm, draft-free place. |
| 28 | Let the dough rise for 30 to 45 minutes. |
| 29 | Once the dough has doubled in bulk, punch it down by pushing your fist into it. |
| 30 | All of the gases will quickly escape, and the dough will collapse. |
| 31 | Remove the dough from the bowl and knead it again for about 1 minute. |
| 32 | The dough is now ready to be patted and rolled into pizza, or to undergo additional rising. |
| 33 | 10. |
| 34 | To raise dough a second time, add a bit more oil to the bowl and repeat the procedure indicated for the first rising. |
| 35 | Then the dough is ready to be shaped. |
