With my easy, fool proof Pizza Dough Recipe, you’ll learn to make your own homemade pizza right at home with your favorite ingredients. Watch the video to see how it’s all done!
The Best Pizza Dough Recipe
Years ago, hubs and I started making our own pizza dough. I remember being nervous to try it out because I always mistakenly thought it was going to be very difficult. But I’ve never been so glad to be wrong! When I think about all the money I could have saved ordering in I just want to go back in time and share this recipe with my former self. All you need is a handful of ingredients and a craving for some delicious crust! It really is incredibly easy to make. Don’t worry, you don’t need to be a skilled baker to make pizza dough, all you need are a handful of ingredients! I always use all purpose flour, however if you like a chewier crumb use a high protein bread flour. Many times I’ve made the dough and not even let it rise, so I’ll tell you now that it’s really not that important especially if you prefer more of a thin crust.
Ingredients
Water – We use warm water for this recipe as it will allow our yeast to bloom. Sugar – Our yeast needs a little bit of sugar to bloom. Yeast – Look for active dry yeast and be sure to check its expiration date. Flour – I used all purpose as stated above. If you’d like to use gluten free flour then be sure to include 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum per 1 1/2 cups of gluten free flour. Salt – So important in this recipe, as we need flavor and seasoning. Olive oil – We’re going to use this olive oil in our dough itself as it will flavor our pizza dough nicely. See below for why oil is needed in pizza dough.
How To Make Pizza Dough
Prepare the yeast: In a small bowl whisk the water, sugar and yeast together. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. If the yeast is good, it will start to froth up. Form the dough: In the bowl of your mixer, add the flour, salt, olive oil and yeast mixture. Mix everything together using the dough hook for about 5 minutes or until the dough is soft and elastic. When it’s done it will come clean from the side of the bowl. Finish your pizza dough: Shape the dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl, rubbing oil on the dough as well, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. You can freeze the dough if you aren’t planning on using it right away. Roll it out on the counter when it’s ready and feel free to have some fun!
Why do I need olive oil
Oil is truly important when it comes to pizza dough and it’s a multi-functional ingredient when it comes to pizza dough production. Adding oil to your pizza can affect everything from the crispiness to flavor of the crust, as well as the way the dough handles during shaping. Other oils can be used as well, such as canola, sunflower or soybean, however, but they won’t add the same flavor as olive oil does. In the end it comes down to what you’re using your pizza dough for. If you’re going the savory route, I recommend using olive oil, however if you want to make a dessert pizza try a sunflower or canola oil.
How to stretch pizza dough
I remember as a kid I used to walk by the great pizza restaurant and in the window I would always see these master pizza makers that would just stretch pizza dough by hands. They’d throw it in the air, twirl it around and out comes this beautifully stretched pizza dough. All I can say is that I was enamoured. Needless to say I never learned to do that, however, it does not matter. Here are some tricks that will make you a pro at stretching out your pizza dough.
What can I do with my Dough?
The sky is the limit. This is why it’s always best to make your pizza at home, you can put whatever you like on it! Hubs and I like our pizzas completely different, which is great because I can load mine up with prosciutto and lots of veggies and he can load his up with tuna and anchovies. Don’t ask. Here’s some fun ideas:
Margherita: tomato sauce, mozzarella, and fresh basil. Shakshuka: Harissa sauce, cheese, onions, and eggs cracked right on top before being put in the oven. BBQ Chicken: Chicken, BBQ sauce, cheese, onions, and bell peppers. Italian: Passata, artichoke, pepperoni, and fresh Parmesan cheese. BST: Bacon, spinach, and tomato over cheese. Butter chicken: My butter chicken sauce, caramelized onions, and fresh arugula.
How do I bake pizza?
Preheat your oven to its highest temperature, mine goes to 550 F. You can use a pizza stone or a baking sheet just make sure you spray some cooking spray over the baking sheet. If using a pizza stone, heat it up first. Once you top your pizza, bake it for 8 to 10 minutes or until the crust is golden to dark brown.
Leftover dough
Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. This will ensure the dough keeps for up to 2 days in the fridge. You can also freeze this dough nicely! Wrap the dough in individual balls with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat just allow it to thaw at room temperature.
More great recipes to try:
Breakfast Pizza Honey Rolls Pie Crust No Knead Skillet Bread Paczki (Polish Donuts) Fast and Easy No Knead Bread Hawaiian Sweet Rolls Soft Buttermilk Dinner Rolls Parker House Rolls Texas Roadhouse Rolls Beignets
title: “Pizza Dough Recipe” ShowToc: true date: “2024-11-08” author: “Diane Benevides”
Be sure to try this with my Buffalo Chicken Pizza or Hawaiian Pizza recipes!
Pizza Dough Recipe
Knowing how to make your own Pizza Dough is such a handy skill to have! It’s so fun to be able to make restaurant-quality pizza (or stromboli) right at home any night of the week! (Nothing beats homemade pizza night!) This dough recipe never fails! And I have some handy tricks to make sure it rises every time, no matter what the weather is doing. Be sure to check out my PRO tips below!
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions. Add the yeast to a small bowl with sugar and warm water (105-115°). Cover with saran wrap and let it sit for 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, add half of the flour, salt, and garlic powder. Stir to combine. Add the yeast mixture, oil, and gradually mix in remaining flour.
Knead for 3-5 minutes and transfer to a clean bowl. Cover with saran wrap.
Let rise until doubled by half, (30-60+ minutes), or overnight in the fridge. Gently punch it down and knead 5 times. Form into a ball and store for later (see below for make-ahead information), or proceed with making homemade pizza or stromboli!
Make-Ahead Method
Prepare the dough as outlined in the recipe. Instead of rolling it out for baking, shape into a ball and lightly spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then place it in a Ziploc freezer bag. Refrigerate for 3-4 days or freeze for 3-4 months.
How to Thaw Frozen Pizza Dough
Let frozen dough thaw in the fridge for about 8 hours or overnight. Let it sit out for 30 minutes, then prepare pizza as outlined.
If Your Dough Isn’t Rising
A warm, moist environment is needed for dough to activate and rise. If you need a little boost of warm air, try these tricks:
Oven: This trick works great! Heat your oven to 200° for 2 minutes, then shut the heat off. Cover the bowl of dough with a dish towel (no plastic wrap in the oven), and shut the door to trap the warm air inside. Let it rise! Microwave: Fill a glass measuring cup with 1 cup of water and microwave for 2 minutes, until boiling. Remove the water and replace it with your covered bowl of dough. Close the door right away. The residual heat will allow your dough to rise. Warm Dish Towel: Place a kitchen towel in the dryer until it’s nice and warm, place it over the saran wrap on top of the bowl and let it hang over the sides. Repeat as needed. Outside: If it’s warm outside, place your dough outside to rise! (Even better if it’s a little humid.)
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Tried This Recipe?
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Kitchen Scale– Weigh flour when baking whenever possible, this can ensure your finished product comes out as expected! Mixing Bowls– These 3 sizes are perfect for the bowls needed in this recipe! Wooden Spoon– Nice and sturdy for mixing! Rolling Pin– My preferred tool for rolling out the dough.
