Description
This homemade pizza dough recipe yields a light, chewy crust perfect for your favorite toppings. Made with simple ingredients like active dry yeast, flour, olive oil, and sugar, it is easy to prepare with step-by-step instructions to achieve a pizzeria-quality pizza at home. The dough rises twice to develop flavor and texture before baking on a hot pizza stone for a crispy golden crust with bubbly melted cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 1 (0.25-ounce) packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Topping Preparation
- Yellow cornmeal (for dusting)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for topping pizza dough)
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- Various pizza toppings of your choice
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella or pizza blend cheese
Instructions
- Dissolve Yeast: In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, dissolve the active dry yeast in lukewarm water. Stir gently to combine.
- Mix Ingredients: Add granulated sugar and 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the yeast mixture. Whisk together with a wire whisk to blend the ingredients.
- Add Flour and Salt: Attach dough hook to stand mixer. Gradually add 3 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon salt to the wet mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts pulling away from the bowl sides. Add up to 1/2 cup additional flour if needed for a smooth dough.
- Knead Dough: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for about 5-6 minutes until smooth. Use a curved bench scraper to help remove dough from the bowl if needed.
- First Rise: Lightly grease the mixing bowl with cooking spray or olive oil. Place the dough back in the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch Down and Second Rise: Punch down the risen dough to release air. Cover and let rise again, until doubled, approximately another 1 hour.
- Divide Dough: Turn dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 4 equal rounds. Store any unused dough in cooking spray–coated plastic bags; refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 1 month.
- Final Rise: For dough you plan to use immediately, cover the rounds loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled, around 30 minutes.
- Preheat Oven: Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 550°F (288°C) to ensure it is very hot for baking.
- Roll Out Dough: Roll each dough round into a 12–14-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle a wooden pizza paddle with yellow cornmeal and place the rolled dough on top. Gently pull paddle back and forth to prevent sticking.
- Add Oil and Sauce: Using the back of a tablespoon, spread 1 tablespoon olive oil over the dough, leaving 1 to 1 1/2 inches of crust without oil. Repeat by spreading marinara sauce over the oiled dough, again pulling the paddle carefully to avoid sticking.
- Add Toppings and Bake: Arrange your favorite toppings and sprinkle cheese evenly on top. Quickly slide the assembled pizza from the paddle onto the hot pizza stone in the oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the crust is golden and cheese is bubbly and melted.
Notes
- The second rise is essential for developing the dough’s flavor and texture.
- If you don’t have a pizza stone, use an inverted baking sheet preheated in the oven.
- Adjust flour amount as needed for dough consistency; it should be slightly tacky but not sticky.
- Use a warm spot for dough rising, like near a radiator or oven light, to ensure proper yeast activation.
- Store extra dough properly to maintain freshness—freeze if not using within 2 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: pizza dough, homemade pizza, pizza crust, Italian pizza, pizza recipe
