Make perfect pizza at home with this pizza recipe, including an easy pizza dough recipe.
What to do when your 8-year old nephew comes to visit?
Make pizza, of course!
Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker
Well, not of course, actually.
I didn’t think of it until we exhausted Sorry, Monopoly, and gin rummy.
That seemed to get his attention.
Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker
The pizza dough recipe makes enough dough for two 10 to 12 inch pizzas.
The Best Flour for Homemade Pizza Dough
Bread flour is the best flour for homemade pizza dough.
confirm the check the expiration date on the yeast package!
Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker
Yeast that is too old may be dead and won’t work.
You’ll need to start over with new, active yeast.
So I recommend using a kitchen scale to measure out the flour amounts by weight.
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This is the only way you’ll get a consistently accurate measurement.
Is It Better To Let the Dough Rise Overnight?
(Some people fight over the slices with air bubbles.)
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Raw meat should be fully cooked before adding it as a topping.
Divide the dough in half (or the portion sizes you will be using to make your pizzas).
Return to the freezer and store for up to 3 months.
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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!
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Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is dissolved.
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.
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Just add to the flour in the next step.)
Then replace the mixing paddle with the dough hook attachment.
Knead the pizza dough on low to medium speed using the dough hook about 7-10 minutes.
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If you don’t have a mixer, you could 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.
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Spread a thin layer of olive oil over the inside of a large bowl.
Place the pizza dough in the bowl and turn it around so that it gets coated with the oil.
At this point you’re free to choose how long you want the dough to ferment and rise.
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A slow fermentation (24 hours in the fridge) will result in more complex flavors in the dough.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap.
The longer the rise (to a point) the better the flavor the crust will have.
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Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of your oven.
Preheat the oven to 475F for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.
Remove the plastic cover from the dough.
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Dust your hands with flour and push the dough down so it deflates a bit.
Divide the dough in half.
Form 2 round balls of dough.
Prepare your desired toppings.
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.
Treat the dough gently!
Use your palm to flatten the edge of the dough where it is thicker.
Pinch the edges if you want to form a lip.
Use your fingertips to press down and make dents along the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling.
Let rest another 10 to 15 minutes.
Repeat with the second ball of dough.
Lightly sprinkle your pizza peel (or flat baking sheet) with cornmeal.
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.
Spoon on the tomato sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and place your desired toppings on the pizza.
Be careful not to overload the pizza with too many toppings, or your pizza will be soggy.
Slide the pizza off of the peel and onto the baking stone in the oven.
If you want, toward the end of the cooking time you could sprinkle on a little more cheese.
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