I recreated my favorite local pizza this week, and I cannot wait to share that recipe with you! My family raves about this pizza, and I am so happy that I can now make it anytime at home. I will post that recipe soon, but I figured I may as well start with the dough so you can get going with your own favorite pizza combinations!
Homemade pizza dough is so easy to make. I always use my stand mixer with the dough hook for ease, but it isn’t necessary. You can also make this dough kneading by hand. Another fast option is to use your food processor if it is large enough. I know it sounds strange, but it works wonderfully.
Homemade pizza dough is great in that you can make several batches when you have some extra time, then freeze them for later. This pizza dough will store well in the freezer for several months. You only have to deal with one mess, and you are prepared for several delicious pizzas that make for super easy weeknight dinners.
Freezing Pizza Dough
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and pop it in the freezer after it has finished rising.
- On pizza night, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it rest on the counter for two to three hours until it reaches room temperature.
- Shape your dough and pop it in the oven with your favorite sauce and toppings!
Pizzas are so fast for a weeknight when you have dough on hand, and my little one loves to help with assembly. I try to keep a homemade pizza dough in the freezer at all times. It is rare that we don’t already have everything we need to turn out a great pizza at any given time, so it is also a great option when you are running behind on getting to the grocery store. Homemade pizza is perfect for hectic weeks.
I have never owned a pizza stone, but I imagine it makes all the difference in creating a beautiful crust. I have had my eye on this one for some time, but I have an ever growing list of kitchen desires and have to prioritize. I’ll buy it eventually, but until then my regular old sheet pan does the job! This is the reason that I always make a rectangular pizza. It is just easier to fit in my sheet pan, it is super fast, and I don’t mind having some center pieces without the crust!
I’ve found the key to the best homemade pizza is a high oven temperature. I’ve even turned it all the way up to 550 degrees F! I think 450 does the trick, and that is what I recommend for this recipe. Cooking the pizza at a high temperature makes for a crisper crust which I prefer, and does a better job of cooking the toppings through and getting the cheese nice and golden! Don’t forget to brush the edges of your crust with some olive oil.
Stay tuned for a copycat of one of my all time favorite pizza combinations from Asheville Brewing Company. Thanks for reading! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try by leaving a rating and review!
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Easy Homemade Pizza Dough
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 pizza dough 1x
Description
Easy to make homemade pizza dough that yields a perfectly crunchy bite and soft, chewy crust every single time! Made with only five ingredients, this recipe is great for making ahead and freezing.
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup lukewarm water
Instructions
- Combine flour, salt, and dry yeast in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or a medium sized mixing bowl. Turn the speed to low or mix by hand and slowly add the olive oil then water until fully incorporated.
- Mix until a sticky dough ball forms. Turn the stand mixer speed to medium and knead for 3 minutes in the mixer or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 4 minutes. You may need to add a little more flour or water (see notes section below).
- Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and allow to rise on the counter for at least 20 minutes and up to several hours (the longer the better).
- Shape into a pizza, brush the edges with olive oil, top with sauce, cheese and your favorite toppings and cook at 450 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes or until the pizza is done to your liking!
Notes
- If your dough is too sticky, add a little more flour (a tablespoon at a time) until it reaches the proper consistency. Likewise if the dough is dry, add a little water (a tablespoon at a time). The dough should be slightly sticky and very elastic.
- Make sure your cooking surface is greased with olive oil. If using a sheet pan, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of cornmeal to keep your pizza from sticking.
- If you plan to use the pizza dough the next day, you can cover and allow to rise in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Breads
- Method: Kneaded
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: pizza dough, homemade, knead
Enjoyed this delicious pizza crust topped with all our favorites! Have have made pizza dough from scratch in the bread maker, but excited to have a new easy option, especially after discovering we had a dough hook for the mixer. Added about an additional 3 tablespoonfuls of flour. Happy there are no “tossing” steps (never got the hang of it), and next time will roll it out a little thinner to make a crispier crust. Thank you for another great recipe!
★★★★★
★★★★★
I’m so glad you liked it! I’ve been using the dough hook more and more lately. I’m glad you found one. Thanks for making the pizza, and for all the helpful feedback!! ????