How to make Pizza Dough

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Pizza Dough

  • 750 g (5 cups) all purpose flour
  • 3 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon instant yeast
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 15-16 oz warm water
  • Olive oil

If using a stand mixer, or mixing by hand, start activating the yeast by placing it in the warm water with the sugar.  After it is frothy, add the salt and then the flour, about one cup at a time.  Knead for 5 minutes or until the dough is uniform and smooth.  Divide into 3 sections.  The finished dough will weigh about 1276 g, so if you want perfect-sized crusts weigh out three pieces of dough that are about 420 g each.  Coat the counter generously with olive oil and cover each section of dough with olive oil.   Cover with saran wrap and let rise 1-2 hours.  Dough will be almost double in size.

Note: I mix my dough in a 14-cup Cuisinart food processor.  To do this simply place the flour, sugar, salt and yeast into the bowl of the mixer and pulse.  Next add the water and oil in a slow stream just until a ball of dough is formed.  Kneed by running the food processor for 45 seconds, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

After the dough is mixed, Preheat the oven to 500 F for at least 30 minutes before baking.  Place a pizza stone in the oven before heating.   After the dough has risen, gently flatten each piece.  Cover a fourteen inch pizza pan with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal.  Gently push and pull on the dough to cover the pan.  Be sure it is not sticking to the pan and add additional oil as needed.  Push extra dough to the edge for a crust.   Puncture several times with a fork to prevent large bubbles from forming.  Bake on the cooking sheet for approximately 5 minutes, or until there are just a few light brown spots.  Remove from the oven and add toppings.  Bake for another 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is thoroughly cooked.  This recipe makes three fourteen inch pizzas.

We often make several smaller pizzas for a make-your-own-pizza night.  For convenience make extra dough, bake for five minutes until it is set then wrap each crust tightly in saran wrap and freeze.  This makes for an easy weeknight meal.  If mini-pizza crusts are available in the freezer, teenagers can make heir own pizza with just a few ingredients.  This is a low-cost and healthy alternative to frozen pizzas.

For detailed photos keep reading

This is all I am using today for the pizza dough; all-purpose flour, brown sugar, salt and saf-instant yeast.

Place the flour, brown sugar, yeast and salt into the bowl of a 14-cup food processor.  If you have an 11-cup food processor the recipe must be reduced 50% to 500 g flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast and about 10.5 ounces of water.

Add water in a slow steady stream with the food processor running.  I generally measure 16 ounces of water and only use between 14-15.   The amount of water actually used will depend on humidity, or the dryness of the flour.

Once the dough comes together, keep the food processor running for 45 seconds to knead the dough.  It will look something like the dough above, spinning around the bowl.

The dough will be smooth and elastic.  Coat your hands in olive oil before removing from the food processor.

Today the dough weighed  1276 g total, so I split the dough three ways, with each piece of dough weighing close to 420 g.  This will make 3 fourteen inch crusts. I often make several mini crusts weighing 100 g each.  The weighing takes seconds and ensures that each crust will be the right size.

Cover the counter and each piece of dough generously with olive oil.  Cover with saran wrap and let rest and rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  In my warm kitchen one hour was plenty of time.  Note; you can make the dough a few days in advanced; after kneading coat in olive oil and place in a sealed container.  Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.  In this case, take the dough out 2 hours before you want to use it so there is time for it to warm and rise.  Dough stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days actually has a better flavor than dough that is used immediately.

On hour later.  The dough has risen nicely.

Gently flatten the risen dough.  I have serious lighting issues in my kitchen.  Oh well, I’m getting the point across and don’t have time to correct the colors on each photo.

Coat a 14 inch pizza pan with olive oil and then sprinkle with cornmeal.

Gently push and pull on dough until it covers the entire pan.  Pierce with a fork to prevent large bubbles from forming.

Cook the pizza crust at 500 F until just a few brown spots appear.  At this point the dough is set.  Proceed with toppings.  Bake an additional 4-6 minutes at 500 with the toppings. Or…

I like to prepare extra dough, wrap it tightly in saran wrap and freeze.  With prepared pizza crust a homemade pizza can be ready in just minutes.

Enjoy!  Thanks Emily for this recipe!

Kitchen note:  I have found that the flavor is improved if the pizza dough is mixed one day before it is baked.  Simply follow the steps as outlined, except place the dough in the refrigerator over night to rise slowly.  This improves flavor and texture of the pizza dough.  Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature on a pizza pan as outlined above.  Make sure the dough has plenty of time to warm up, relax, and rise slightly.