Pizza Dough

Elevate your homemade pizzas with this simple and delicious pizza dough, made with just five ingredients.

Take your homemade pizzas to the next level with this easy and delicious pizza dough recipe, made with only five simple ingredients.

For a perfect crust on your homemade pizza, stromboli, or calzones, making your own pizza dough is the best choice. This simple process requires just five key ingredients: flour, salt, yeast, oil, and water. The dough takes only 10 minutes to mix and knead. Once combined, let the dough rise for at least 90 minutes in a warm, draft-free area before using it. This recipe yields 2 pounds of dough, enough for two large pizzas, four individual pizzas, two stromboli, or four calzones. You can prepare the dough up to two days ahead of time, and it also freezes well for later use.

What you’ll need to make pizza dough

  • Olive Oil: Adds richness to the dough and helps it crisp up beautifully in the oven.
  • Salt: Provides essential flavor for the dough.
  • Cornmeal: Used to dust the baking sheet, preventing the dough from sticking while baking, and adds a bit of extra crispiness and flavor to the crust.
  • Yeast: Essential for making the dough rise. Instant yeast (also known as rapid-rise, quick-rise, or bread machine yeast) works best, though active dry yeast can also be used. If using active dry yeast, expect the rising time to take about 50% longer. You can activate it by rehydrating it in liquid before use (see the recipe for detailed instructions).

Step-By-Step Instructions

Mix the Dough

  • To begin, combine the flour, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.

  • Stir with a spoon to combine, and then add the oil and warm water.

  • Stir until the dough comes together into a shaggy mass.

Knead the Dough

  • Fit the mixer with the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. (Alternatively, you can knead the dough by hand.)

Let the Dough Rise

  • Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled large bowl.

  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel, and let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
  • There are a number of options that will work as places to let your dough rise: a sunny spot in your house, next to a heating vent (during colder months), or even on top of a kitchen appliance that generates a bit of heat as it runs (like your fridge). If you’re lucky enough to have a proof setting in your oven, use that. If not, but you’d like to use your oven, switch on the oven’s internal light; it will generate enough warmth to provide a good environment for the dough to rise.

  • After the dough has risen, punch it down.

  • Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in half and roll each piece into a ball. If you’re not using the pizza dough right away, lightly coat the dough ball(s) with olive oil. Place into freezer bag(s) and seal shut, squeezing out all the air. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to use, let the dough sit out on the countertop for 30 minutes to warm up before stretching.

  • Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

  • As you can see, it will rise a bit.

Shape the Dough

  • When it comes time to shape the pizza dough for baking, you can stretch it into any shape, size, or thickness you like (just keep in mind that a thicker crust will take longer to bake). Simply press and stretch the dough using your hands, dusting with more flour if necessary.

 

General Baking Instructions

Every pizza recipe is a little different, but as a general guideline:

  1. Preheat the oven to 500°F and set an oven rack in the bottom position. Dust a 13×18-inch baking sheet lightly with cornmeal.
  2. Place the stretched dough on the baking sheet, and gently stretch it out again so that it maintains its shape.
  3. Spread your sauce over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until the crust is partially cooked. Remove from the oven and scatter the cheese and toppings over the sauce. Slide the pan back into the oven and cook until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbling, 4 to 6 minutes more.

To Refrigerate or Freeze The Pizza Dough

  • If you’re not using the pizza dough right away, follow these steps for storing it. After the initial rise, lightly coat the dough ball(s) with olive oil. Place the dough into freezer bag(s), seal them shut, and remove as much air as possible. You can store the dough in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When you're ready to use it, let the dough sit out on the countertop for about 30 minutes to warm up before stretching.
  • For longer storage, the dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. To use frozen dough, simply defrost it in the refrigerator overnight (or for at least 12 hours). After defrosting, let it sit on the countertop for about 30 minutes to warm up before stretching and continuing with your pizza recipe.

 

Note: This recipe was updated in January 2022 to make a slightly larger quantity. To see the original recipe, click here

Please find the original link here – Pizza Dough.


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