My Easy Pizza Dough Recipe
The method outlined below combines dishes from The Best Recipe and Joy of Cooking, two cookbooks published by Cook’s Illustrated. The pizza dough recipe can be used to create two 10 to 12 inch pizzas.
The next time I stretch the dough out to make it even thinner, I’ll be a little more patient.
The Best Flour for Homemade Pizza Dough
Bread flour works best for handmade pizza dough. Although all-purpose flour can be used in place of the bread flour called for in the recipe, using bread flour will yield a crispier pizza crust because it has more gluten.
Checking Your Yeast Activity: A Guide
To prepare pizza dough, dry, active yeast must be used. Check the expiration date on the yeast packaging! Older yeast may be inefficient and dead.
In addition, if the yeast in Step 1 of Making the Pizza Dough does not begin to froth or bloom within 10 minutes, it is probably dead. To start over, you’ll need new, active yeast.
For this recipe for pizza dough, how much flour should I use?
Cup measurements may vary depending on how the flour is scooped (we fluff the flour, delicately scoop it, and then level with a knife). I thus suggest using a kitchen scale to weigh out the flour proportions. This is the only way to get a measurement that is consistently accurate.
SIMPLY RECIPES
It is good to let the dough rise over night?
Although it’s not necessary, letting your pizza dough rise in the fridge for up to 48 hours can improve its flavor and produce air bubbles that will make the pizza puff out when it’s cooked. (Some people argue over the slices with air bubbles.) Before using the dough, be sure to take it out of the fridge and allow it come to room temperature.
Pizza made with raw ingredients
Since certain toppings won’t be finished cooking until the pizza is, they should be prepared before being added. Raw meat must be completely cooked before being used as a topping. Any vegetables that you don’t want to be raw on the cooked pizza, including onions, peppers, broccoli, or mushrooms, should first be sautéed.
Preparation and Freezing Instructions
Once the pizza dough has risen, you may freeze it and utilize it later. Alternately, divide the dough in half and make the desired number of pizzas. Place uncovered on parchment paper or a dish that has been lightly coated with flour, and then freeze for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from freezer and arrange in individual freezer bags with as little air as possible still present in the bags. Once more, store in the freezer for up to three months.
The pizza dough has to thaw in the refrigerator for at least 5 to 6 hours or overnight. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before stretching it out in the next stages.
Made-at-home pizza and pizza dough
Made-at-home pizza and pizza dough
- READY TIME 30 minutes
- 30 minutes for cooking
- 90 minutes before rising
- AVERAGE TIME 2 hours 30 mins
- SERVINGS: four to six portions
- YIELD 2 pizzas of 10 inches.
Note: The roughly two pounds of dough required to create this pizza can be divided into two balls weighing one pound each.
Pizza dough components
- Warm water between 105°F and 115°F, 1 1/2 cups (355 ml).
- Contains 2 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast each package.
- 490g or 3 3/4 cups of baking flour
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (not to be used if baking the pizza in a wood-fired oven).
- two teaspoons of kosher salt
- 1/8 cup sugar
For making the pizza’s toppings
- extra virgin olive oil
(In order to make sliding the pizza onto the pizza stone simpler) cornmeal - smooth or pureed tomato sauce
- firm, grated mozzarella cheese
- fresh, still-tender mozzarella cheese in clumps.
- Feta cheese, grated Fontina cheese, and crumbled Parmesan cheese
- Sautéed mushrooms first
- Italian pepperoncini that have been finely cut and crumbled,
- a bell pepper without the stalk or seeds,
- and thinly sliced Italian sausage
- black olives, slicedfreshly chopped basil
- As the pizza comes out of the oven, add some baby arugula mix with some olive oil.
- sliced raw or caramelized onions
- thinly sliced pesto pepperoni, and thinly sliced ham
Method
Proofing the yeast for the pizza dough:
- In a powerful stand mixer’s big bowl, add the warm water. After sprinkling the yeast over the heated water, wait five minutes for it to dissolve.
- If the yeast hasn’t fully dissolved after 5 minutes, stir. When the yeast is still active and alive, it should start to froth or bloom.
Note :(Take note that no proofing is necessary if you use “instant yeast” rather than “active yeast.” Add just to the flour in the following step.)
To prepare and knead pizza dough:
- Add the flour, salt, sugar, and olive oil to a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. For one minute, blend at low speed. Next, instead of using the mixing paddle, attach the dough hook.
- Pizza dough should be worked on a low to medium speed for 7 to 10 minutes using a dough hook.
- The ingredients can be combined and kneaded by hand if you don’t have a mixer.
- The dough should have a tacky or sticky feeling to it. If the mixture is too wet, add a little additional flour.
To allow the dough to rise:
- Thinly cover a large bowl with olive oil and lay it aside. To properly apply the oil, place the pizza dough in the basin and flip it over.
- The length of time the dough should ferment and rise is now up to you. The slow fermentation (24 hours in the refrigerator) will give the dough more complex flavors. The dough will rise to the proper working height after a quick fermentation (one and a half hours in a warm environment).
- Wrap the dough in plastic before storing it.
- To get a quick rise, leave the dough in a warm location (75° to 85°F) for 1 1/2 hours.
Preparing the Pizzas
1. Warm up the pizza stone, pan, or baking sheet:
Place a pizza stone on a rack at the bottom of the oven. Heat the oven to 475°F for at least 30 minutes, ideally an hour. If you don’t have a pizza stone, you may use a thick baking sheet or a pizza pan instead since you need something that won’t deform at high temperatures.
2.Form the dough into two balls:
Remove the plastic wrap from the dough. Pressing the dough down with flour-dusted hands should cause a slight deflation of the dough. The dough is split in half.
In a circle, form two dough balls. Place each in a different bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it for 15 minutes (or up to 2 hours).
3. Prepare the garnishes:
Prepare the garnishes of your choosing. You should be aware that adding too many toppings will prevent the crust from becoming crisp.
About a third of a cup of tomato sauce and cheese combined would be required for one pizza. You may add one or two thinly sliced mushrooms to a pizza.
4. After flattening the dough ball, spread it out into a circle:
On a work surface that has been lightly floured, press the dough ball with your hands into a circular. One dough ball at a time should be handled.
Using the tips of your fingers, press the dough to a thickness of 1/2 inch, working your way outward from the center. The dough should be turned and stretched until there is no more room for expansion.
After letting the dough rest for 5 minutes, stretch it until it reaches the necessary diameter, which is 10 to 12 inches.
Treat the dough with care!
You may hold the dough’s edges up with your fingers while you work around them, letting the dough dangle and expand.
Put your dough on a floured surface and push it back together if it starts to form a hole.
Use your palm to flatten the border where the dough is thicker. Use your fingers to squeeze the edges to form a lip.
5.Lightly brush the top of the dough with olive oil.
Make dents in the dough’s surface with your hands to prevent bubbling. Lightly brush the dough with olive oil to prevent the toppings from making it soggy. Allow it to rest for a further 10 to 15 minutes.
Use the second dough ball to continue.
6. After cornmealing the pizza peel, place the flattened dough on top.
On a flat baking sheet or pizza peel, lightly strew cornmeal. In order to help move the pizza from the pizza peel into the oven, the corn flour will act as small ball bearings.
Transfer one prepared, flattened piece of dough on the pizza peel.
If the dough loses its shape during the transfer, gently reshape it to the necessary dimensions.
7. After spreading tomato sauce, garnish with toppings:
On the pizza, include cheese, tomato sauce, and any extra toppings you choose. Remember that too many toppings will result in soggy pizza.
8. Place the pizza in the oven
After scattering some cornmeal on the baking stone (caution: the oven is hot!).
Carefully raise the sides of the pizza and add a bit more cornmeal if the dough is challenging to take from the peel.
Pizza should be transferred from the peel to the oven’s baking stone.
9. Bake:
Bake each pizza individually in a 475°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and the crust has browned. Toward the end of cooking, if you’d like, you may add a little extra cheese.
