The Best Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
The Best Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
Pizza night at home is always a big hit. Let your family pick out their favorite toppings and let everyone customize a pizza of their very own. Here’s my favorite, easy pizza dough recipe. You can use it the same day but I think the pizza tastes even better if you let the dough sit in the fridge overnight.
WATCH THIS VIDEO FOR STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Use this EASY PIZZA SAUCE RECIPE to top your homemade pizza
BREAD FLOUR
Bread flour has a higher protein content than all purpose flour. That protein forms gluten when mixed with water giving your dough structure and resulting in a chewy pizza crust.
YEAST
I used active dry yeast for this recipe but instant yeast may also be used. Active dry yeast must be hydrated in warm water before using but instant yeast can be added directly to the flour.
SUGAR
A little sugar added to the dough gives the yeast something to eat and also helps the dough to brown. I used white granulated sugar in this recipe but you can experiment with sweeteners. Try honey, agave nectar, brown sugar or raw sugar and see what you prefer.
SALT
Salt enhances the flavor of bread but it also helps with the structure. Choose a salt that dissolves easily, like kosher salt. This article goes more in depth about the function of salt in bread.
WATER
Water brings everything together. Water hydrates the flour and yeast and interacts with the protein in flour to form gluten. Water dissolves the salt and sugar making it possible to disperse evenly through the dough.
When the dough goes into the hot oven water will turn to steam and expand the dough
OIL
Oil in pizza dough helps in a few ways. Oil can make the dough easier to work with. It acts as a lubricant allowing the dough to be stretched without tearing easily. Adding oil to pizza dough makes the crust crispier and slows down moisture absorption from the toppings.
HEAT
Bake your pizza in a very hot oven for a crispy pizza crust that is nice and brown. I use a sheet pan lined with parchment paper but you can use a pizza stone if you like. Crank your oven up to 500 degrees Farenheight and watch the pizza crust closely so the bottom doesn’t burn
The Best Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
How to make the best pizza dough and pizza sauce at home
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast
- 2 cups of warm water about 105-110 degrees Fahrenheit
- 4 cups of bread flour
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar or honey
- 2 tablespoons of oil
Instructions
- Stir the yeast into the warm water and let stand for 5 minutes
- Add bread flour to the bowl of a stand mixer
- Stir in salt and sugar
- Pour water and oil into the flour and knead on low speed for 6-8 minutes
- Divide the dough into 4 balls and let them rise at room temperature for 1 hour
- OR let them rest in the refrigerator overnight. Let them come to room temperature for 1 hour before using
