Everyone loves pizza night! Pizza is so much fun to make, and it’s a breeze to customize to everyone’s specific tastes. Bread, cheese, sauce, and endless toppings—is it just us or is it the perfect food? Yeah, we didn’t think we were alone on that one!
Well, if you’re hoping to have your own pizza night complete with homemade pizzas, then you’ve come to the right place to get started! Today we’re sharing Paula’s super easy homemade pizza dough recipe that can serve as the base of any homemade pizza.
While this recipe is for a classic pizza dough recipe, Paula has some healthier options too, like a Whole Wheat Pizza Dough recipe and a Cauliflower Crust Pizza recipe.
First, you’ll need to gather the following tools & ingredients:
- 1¾ cups warm water
- 1¼-oz package active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4½ cups bread flour, plus more for kneading
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- food processor
- wood board
- greased bowl
- measuring cup
- plastic wrap or tea towel
Now that you’ve got it all together, it’s time for the fun part—making that wonderful homemade pizza dough! Sprinkle the yeast on top of the warm water, which should be pleasantly warm on your wrist and not scalding hot, and allow the yeast to activate. This will take about 10 minutes.
Next, pour the salt and 2 cups of the flour into your food processor, pulsing 5 times to ensure it’s blended. Pour in the yeast and water, and pulse 5 more times. Now add in the olive oil and the remaining flour, a cup at a time, pulsing until it’s well blended. Be sure to periodically scrape the sides of the bowl at this time to ensure everything is thoroughly combined.
Once it’s well mixed, dump the dough onto a well-floured board. Knead it for 15 turns—be sure not to over-mix it! By the time you’re finished, the dough should be smooth and elastic-like.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides of the dough in the grease, then cover it with plastic wrap or a tea towel before placing the bowl in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes. The dough should double in size. Lastly, punch down the dough. Voila! Homemade pizza dough in no time!
This recipe yields enough for two 12-inch pizzas, so divide the dough in half before using it. If you’re not making two pizzas, it freezes well in a re-sealable freezer bag. Next time you’re ready for homemade pizza, let it thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours. You’ll want to roll the dough while cold, but be sure you let it reach room temperature before adding your sauce, cheese, and other toppings.
It’s easier than you thought to make pizza dough from scratch, isn’t it? The hardest part is just waiting for it to rise, but with a little patience, your pizza will be even more delicious.
If you’re looking for great pizza recipes for using your dough, we’ve included a few below—we hope you enjoy them!
Do you have tips for making pizza dough? Let us know in the comments below!
