Pizza Dough Recipe

This Pizza Dough recipe uses basic ingredients like flour, yeast, olive oil, and salt. This fail proof dough makes for a chewy pizza crust with just the right amount of crispiness.

PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE

I’ll be honest, Friday is our pizza night and we usually just order pizza for delivery. Lately though, we’ve had a lot of time on our hands and have been making pizza more often. So often, that I realized I haven’t shared this recipe with you.

This pizza dough recipe has a soft yet chewy crust and uses everyday ingredients. Some pizza dough calls for ’00’ flour which leads to a softer dough but quite frankly I never have it on hand.

INSTANT YEAST VERSUS ACTIVE YEAST 

Instant yeast is used in this recipe but active yeast can be substituted 1:1. If you use active yeast the rise time will be about double.

WHY DO I DISSOLVE THE INSTANT YEAST?

Although instant yeast does not have to be “proofed” or activated in liquid like active dry yeast, dissolving instant yeast in liquid with sugar which feeds the yeast gives it a good start in rising.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY YEAST ISN’T WORKING?

Another good reason to start the yeast in a liquid is to see if the yeast is active. If it’s not foamy it is probably old, killed, or not activated correctly. If your water is too cold it won’t activate and if it’s too hot it will kit it. 

WHAT KIND OF FLOUR DO I USE?

This recipe calls for all-purpose flour but bread flour can be used for an even chewier crust.

HOW DO I GET MY DOUGH TO RISE?

If your house is as cold as mine, you’ll need a warm place for your dough to rise. I usually heat the oven and set the bowl on top of the counter above the oven. The heat rising up is usually enough. You can also turn the oven on for a few minutes then turn it off and let the dough rise in the oven. 

Once the dough has risen in a warm place, divide it in half. Each round of dough will make approximately a 12-inch pizza. 

Roll dough into whatever shape and thickness you want.

Add your sauce. White sauce, alfredo, pesto…the possibilities are endless.

Lots of cheese is always good.

TOPPINGS:

Topping options are endless. Here are a few:

• Pepperoni
• Cooked sausage
• Peppers
• Olives
• Sauteed mushrooms
• Canadian bacon
• Pineapple
• Onions
• Fresh tomatoes

Bake in a very hot oven (475-500 degrees) for 8-10 minutes.

CAN I FREEZE THIS DOUGH?

Yes. After the dough has risen and has been divided in half, place in a resealable plastic bag and freeze. To use, thaw in the fridge overnight and let sit at room temperature for about an hour before using.

OTHER PIZZA RECIPES:

• Pepperoni Pizza Twist
• Bloomin’ Pizza Bread
• Pizza Pasta Salad
• Pizza Rolls
• Taco Pizza Rolls
• Bloomin’ Pizza Bread
• Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza 

Pizza Dough Recipe

4.19 from 11 votes

This Pizza Dough recipe uses basic ingredients like flour, yeast, olive oil, and salt. This fail proof dough makes for a chewy pizza crust with just the right amount of crispiness.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Rising Time: 1 hour hr

Servings: 2 (12-inch) pizza crusts

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups warm water, (around 110 degrees F)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 packet), (active yeast can also be used - see Note)
• 3 cups flour, (bread flour can also be used - see Note)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the water, sugar, and yeast. Cover with a towel and let mixture foam for 5 minutes.
• Add the flour, olive oil, and salt. Mix with together. It should be a little sticky but forming somewhat of a shape. You can add a little flour if needed at this point to do so. Knead dough for 4-5 minutes with the dough hook or by hand on a floured surface. Dough should bounce back when pressed.
• Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour.
• To bake, preheat oven to 475-500 degrees F and place a pizza stone inside to preheat with it for about 30 minutes.
• Punch down dough and divide into two portions. Each portion will make a 12-inch pizza. You can refrigerate at this point for up to four hours. Before using, just let the dough sit at room temperature for about an 30-60 minutes. This makes it more workable. On parchment paper sprinkled with flour, roll, press, and stretch dough into a circle or desired shape and thickness.
• Top with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and desired toppings. We also like to sprinkle the pizza with some garlic powder or garlic salt. Transfer to the preheated stone in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until desired doneness.

Notes

Active yeast can also be used instead of instant yeast. The rise time will be about double.

Although instant yeast does not have to be "proofed" in liquid like active dry yeast, dissolving it in liquid with sugar which feeds the yeast gives it a good start.

Bread flour can be used for an even chewier crust.

CAN I FREEZE THIS DOUGH?

Yes. After the dough has risen and has been divided in half, place in a resealable plastic bag and freeze. To use, thaw in the fridge overnight and let sit at room temperature for about an hour before using.

Cuisine: Italian

Course: All Recipes

Author: Christy Denney

Christy Denney

Christy is the voice behind The Girl Who Who Ate Everything! She is no stranger to making meals that kids and adults will love. She grew up in Mesa, Arizona as the youngest of ten kids. She can always be found in her kitchen with music playing and cooking with her kids. She published her first cookbook in 2014. She loves party food that gets the conversations going!

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