Well, not of course, actually. I didn’t think of it until we exhausted Sorry, Monopoly, and gin rummy. But it did turn out to be a brilliant idea as my father had just received a baking stone for Christmas, and my nephew loves pizza. I told him if he helped me make it I would talk about him on my website and he would be famous. That seemed to get his attention. He thought the dough was “slimy and gross” but he loved picking his own toppings, and the finished product was “awesome”.
My Favorite Pizza Dough Recipe
The following method I patched together from recipes in both Joy of Cooking and Cook’s Illustrated’s The Best Recipe. The pizza dough recipe makes enough dough for two 10 to 12 inch pizzas. Next time I’ll be a bit more patient with stretching out the dough so I can get it even thinner.
The Best Flour for Homemade Pizza Dough
Bread flour is the best flour for homemade pizza dough. You can use all-purpose flour instead of the bread flour called for in the recipe, but bread flour is higher in gluten than all-purpose flour and will make a crispier crust for your pizza.
How To Make Sure Your Yeast Is Active
Pizza dough is a yeasted dough that requires active dry yeast. Make sure the check the expiration date on the yeast package! Yeast that is too old may be dead and won’t work. Also, if the yeast does not begin to foam or bloom within 10 minutes of being added to the water in Step 1 of Making the Pizza Dough, it is probably dead. You’ll need to start over with new, active yeast.
How To Measure Flour for This Pizza Dough Recipe
Cup measurements can vary depending on how you are scooping the flour (we fluff the flour, lightly scoop it, and level with a knife). So I recommend using a kitchen scale to measure out the flour amounts by weight. This is the only way you’ll get a consistently accurate measurement.
Pizzas With Raw Ingredients
There are some toppings that should be cooked first before topping a pizza because they won’t cook fully before the pizza is done cooking. Raw meat should be fully cooked before adding it as a topping. Any vegetables that you don’t want to be raw on the cooked pizza such as onions, peppers, broccoli, or mushrooms should be sautéed first.
Make-Ahead and Freezing Instructions
After the pizza dough has risen, you can freeze it to use later. Divide the dough in half (or the portion sizes you will be using to make your pizzas). Place on parchment paper or a lightly floured dish and place, uncovered, in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the freezer and place in individual freezer bags, removing as much air as you can from the bags. Return to the freezer and store for up to 3 months. Thaw the pizza dough in the refrigerator overnight or for 5 to 6 hours. Then let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before stretching it out in the next steps.
Throw a Pizza Party!
Spicy Sausage Pizza Meat Lovers’ Sheet Pan Pizza Easy Summer Vegetable Pizzas Homemade Pepperoni Pizza Sheet Pan Pizza with Roasted Cauliflower and Greens
1 1/2 cups (355 ml) warm water (105°F-115°F) 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast 3 3/4 cups (490g) bread flour 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (omit if cooking pizza in a wood-fired pizza oven) 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon sugar
For making the pizza and toppings
Extra virgin olive oil Cornmeal (to help slide the pizza onto the pizza stone) Tomato sauce (smooth or pureed) Firm mozzarella cheese, grated Fresh soft mozzarella cheese, separated into small clumps Fontina cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, grated Feta cheese, crumbled Mushrooms, very thinly sliced if raw, otherwise first sautéed Bell peppers, stems and seeds removed, very thinly sliced Italian pepperoncini, thinly sliced Italian sausage, cooked ahead and crumbled Sliced black olives Chopped fresh basil Baby arugula, tossed in a little olive oil, added as pizza comes out of the oven Pesto Pepperoni, thinly sliced Onions, thinly sliced raw or caramelized Ham, thinly sliced
After 5 minutes stir if the yeast hasn’t dissolved completely. The yeast should begin to foam or bloom, indicating that the yeast is still active and alive. (Note that if you are using “instant yeast” instead of “active yeast”, no proofing is required. Just add to the flour in the next step.) Knead the pizza dough on low to medium speed using the dough hook about 7-10 minutes. If you don’t have a mixer, you can mix the ingredients together and knead them by hand. The dough should be a little sticky, or tacky to the touch. If it’s too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour. At this point you can choose how long you want the dough to ferment and rise. A slow fermentation (24 hours in the fridge) will result in more complex flavors in the dough. A quick fermentation (1 1/2 hours in a warm place) will allow the dough to rise sufficiently to work with. Cover the dough with plastic wrap. For a quick rise, place the dough in a warm place (75°F to 85°F) for 1 1/2 hours. For a medium rise, place the dough in a regular room temperature place (your kitchen counter will do fine) for 8 hours. For a longer rise, chill the dough in the refrigerator for 24 hours (no more than 48 hours). The longer the rise (to a point) the better the flavor the crust will have. Form 2 round balls of dough. Place each in its own bowl, cover with plastic and let sit for 15 minutes (or up to 2 hours). About a third a cup each of tomato sauce and cheese would be sufficient for one pizza. One to two mushrooms thinly sliced will cover a pizza. Starting at the center and working outwards, use your fingertips to press the dough to 1/2-inch thick. Turn and stretch the dough until it will not stretch further. Let the dough relax 5 minutes and then continue to stretch it until it reaches the desired diameter—10 to 12 inches. Treat the dough gently! You can also hold up the edges of the dough with your fingers, letting the dough hang and stretch, while working around the edges of the dough. If a hole appears in your dough, place the dough on a floured surface and push the dough back together to seal the hole. Use your palm to flatten the edge of the dough where it is thicker. Pinch the edges if you want to form a lip. Repeat with the second ball of dough. Transfer one prepared flattened dough to the pizza peel. If the dough has lost its shape in the transfer, lightly shape it to the desired dimensions. Slide the pizza off of the peel and onto the baking stone in the oven.
