Foolproof & Easy Homemade Pizza Dough
This is not that cardboard crap in a box. This is a really is a Foolproof & Easy Homemade Pizza Dough you can be proud of. It has the right ratio of crisp on the outside to soft on the inside. It’s the closest I’ve been able to create that reminds me of one of our favorite pizza places in Bernalda, Italy. One pizza chef gave me the ingredient list for his pizza dough, but he didn’t tell me how much of each ingredient or any other information. So, while it may not be exactly like his, it makes me really happy.
Don’t I Have to Knead the Dough?
Not if you have a stand mixer with a dough hook. It really does all the work for you in about 5 minutes from mixing to kneading. Otherwise, prepare yourself for a bit of a workout because it’s gonna be a little bit harder the old fashion way.
Do I need a pizza stone?
Not if you have kick ass pizza oven – but otherwise, If you want a really good pizza, then yes. I highly recommend a pizza stone and don’t put this amazing crust that you put so much love into on a cold pizza stone. You will end up with a not so amazing pizza and you will be cussing me and Pepé out and telling us that this dough is not what you expected. Most of my pizza recipes only take five minutes or less in a 500°F/260°C oven and you need the pizza to land on a very hot surface to get the proper crispy crust.
Rise time will make a difference
OK, this pizza dough will get better the longer you let it rise, but I wouldn’t let is rise less than 20 minutes. I prefer to let it rise for 40. Overnight will be even better. I’m not usually patient enough to wait until the next day nor do I rarely plan far enough ahead.
Here are a couple of recipes to get you started
This Extravagant Beef Carpaccio & Truffle Pizza that will knock your socks off – if you like that sort of thing.
This delicious Shrimp & Nettle Pesto Pizza uses a bright green pesto sauce for the base. I made the pesto from Stinging Nettles that I foraged from my back yard. Foraging not your thing? No worries, just use regular Fresh Basil Pesto. Either way, this pizza is one of our favorites and like all my pizzas, they cook in less than 10 minutes.
Duck Pizza with Caramalized Onions and BBQ Sauce. Yes, you read that right. If you have leftover roasted duck, then you’ve got the start of a mind blowing pizza. You can also buy fully cooked duck at some Asian Markets.
Coming Soon…
Sausage & Chanterelle Mushroom Pizza
Foolproof & Easy Homemade Pizza Dough
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook
- Pizza stone
- Pizza Peel
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup Warm Water about 110°F - 118°F
- 1 Teaspoon Honey
- 1 Teaspoon Dry Active Yeast
- 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Cup Bread Flour
Instructions
- If baking right away, start preheating your oven to 500°F with pizza stone in oven. Either way, you'll want the pizza stone at full temp, so it needs to be in there for about 30-45 minutes after the oven has come up to temp.
- Place warm water (110°F - 118°F), honey and yeast to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Let this rest for 5-10 minutes or until it starts to get foamy.
- Mix all other ingredients and knead on low to med low until well blended and when dough pulls away from the bowl (3-5 minutes).
- Cover with kitchen towel and let rest in a warm place for 20-40 minutes.
- After dough has rested and risen, flour a surface, divide dough in half and roll out to about 10 inches at about 1/8” or so thick.
- Place pizza a pizza peel that has been sprinkled heavily with flour or cornmeal.
- Add your toppings and gently slide that pizza onto heated pizza stone. I recommend most meats to be precooked since this will only take about five minutes in the oven.
