Homemade Pizza Dough
Make your own pizza dough from scratch to enjoy a superior taste and customizable options for your homemade pizza.
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 600 g 600g (4 cups) bread flour or pizza flour (or plain/all-purpose) Note 1
- 2 tsp 2 tsp (6g) rapid rise or instant yeast Note 2
- 2.5 tsp 2.5 tsp (15g) salt, kosher/cooking salt Note 3
- 4 tsp 4 tsp (20g) white sugar
- 4 tbsp 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 330 ml 330 ml (1 1/3 cups) warm tap water (330g) Note 4
- 1 tbsp 1 tbsp extra flour
- 2 tsp 2 tsp extra olive oil
Pizza Toppings (per pizza)
- 130 g 130g / 1 1/3 cups mozzarella cheese, freshly grated Note 8
- 1/4 cup 1/4 cup pizza sauce
- To Taste Toppings of choice
Instructions
Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread flour, rapid rise yeast, salt, and sugar. Mix well to incorporate all dry ingredients evenly.
- Add the warm tap water and the extra virgin olive oil to the dry mixture.
- Stir until a soft dough forms, then knead on a floured surface for about 10 minutes or until you achieve a smooth, elastic texture.
Rise #1
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size, approximately 1-2 hours.
Optional Fridge - Flavour Development
- For enhanced flavor, consider letting the dough rise in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Just be sure to remove it about 30 minutes before you plan to use it to come to room temperature.
Form Small Balls
- Once risen, punch the dough down and divide it into smaller portions depending on your pizza size preference. Roll each portion into a ball and set aside to rest for 15-20 minutes.
Rise #2
- After resting, flatten each ball slightly, cover them again, and let rise for another 30 minutes.
Stretch Pizza Base
- Preheat your oven to its highest setting (ideally around 475°F/245°C). On a floured surface, stretch each dough ball into your desired pizza base size and thickness.
Topping / Cooking
- Quickly add your pizza sauce, cheese, and chosen toppings. Transfer to a pizza stone or a baking sheet and bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
Notes
For a crispier crust, pre-bake the dough for 5-7 minutes before adding toppings. You can experiment with different types of flours for varied textures. Make sure your water is warm but not hot; temperatures over 120°F can kill the yeast. Consider using a pizza stone for a crispy bottom crust. You can customize this basic dough recipe by incorporating herbs and spices directly into the mix.