I recently purchased a Pizza Oven with the intent of making my own pizza dough so I always have a supply on hand for pizza night. What I love about this recipe is that I can make a batch of dough and freeze some for the next time.
If you are gluten intolerant, we’ve got you covered with our Gluten-Free Pizza Dough recipe. Just as easy to make using simple ingredients you most likely already have on hand.
Recipe Tips
- You can use a couple of teaspoons of honey instead of the white sugar
- If you decide to use regular all purpose flour you may need a little more water as it absorbs liquid differently compared to pizza flour
- Ideally the water should be between 105°F-110°F before adding the yeast. Water above 120°F will kill the yeast.
Instant Yeast vs Active Dry Yeast
Instant Yeast Does not need to be dissolved in water before use and can be mixed directly into the dry ingredients. On the other hand, Active Dry Yeast has to be dissolved in warm water with a bit of sugar before use to ensure it’s alive.
Does Yeast Go Bad?
Active Dry Yeast can go bad since it’s a living organism. It typically has a shelf life of 1–2 years when stored properly. To check if your yeast is still active, dissolve 1 teaspoon of sugar in ¼ cup of warm water. Add 1 packet of active dry yeast, stir, and wait for 5–10 minutes. If the mixture becomes frothy and bubbly, the yeast is still good. If not, it’s time to replace it.
Instant Yeast has a longer shelf life than active dry yeast but can still go bad. To test it, Dissolve ½ teaspoon of sugar in ¼ cup of warm water. Stir in 1 teaspoon of instant yeast. Wait 5-10 minutes. If the mixture foams and bubbles, the yeast is still active. If nothing happens, it’s time to replace it.
Recommended Pizza Sauce
If you want to make your own pizza sauce instead of the store-bought stuff (nothing wrong with it), here are a few options: No-Cook Pizza Sauce, Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce, White Garlic Pizza Sauce or my Little Caesar’s Pizza Sauce recipe.
Freezing Tips
Unless you are going to use all the dough at the same time, chances are you are going to want to freeze some for later use. I make this dough in batches so I always have some on hand for pizza night.
I like to use a vacuum sealer to get all the air out of the bag and stick them in the freezer. When the time comes, let them thaw out at room temperature for a few hours, remove the dough from the bag, roughly shape your pizza and continue to let it sit at room temperature so you can easily stretch the pizza dough.
If you don’t have a vacuum sealer you can put the dough in freezer bags but try to get as much of the air out as possible before putting them in the freezer.
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Buy Now → Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Homemade Pizza Dough recipe. For ingredient amounts please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Water – to warm up the water microwave it for about 1 minute
- White Sugar – you can substitute for a couple of teaspoons of honey
- Active Dry Yeast – make sure it hasn’t expired as you won’t get the desired results
- Pizza Flour – I like to use King Arthur ’00’ Pizza Flour but you can use regular all purpose flour as well
- Kosher Salt – regular salt will work as well
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – try to use the best quality olive oil you can
How to Make Homemade Pizza Dough
- In a small bowl, combine the water, sugar and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the pizza flour and salt.
- Pour the yeast mixture into the flour mixture and knead on low speed for about 10 minutes.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a cloth and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Remove the dough from the bowl to a lightly floured surface. Punch the dough down and divide into 3 balls. Cover the dough balls completely with plastic wrap. Let rise another 45 minutes.
- When ready to use, take each dough ball and using your fingers, pat it out from the center to the edge, leaving the outer edge a bit thick.
- Top with your favorite toppings and bake using your preferred method.
Printable Recipe Card
Homemade Pizza Dough
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Ingredients
- 1 Cup Warm Water
- 1 Tbsp White Sugar
- 2 ¼ Tsp Active Dry Yeast
- 3 ½ Cups Pizza Flour
- 1 Tsp Kosher Salt
- 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the water, sugar and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the pizza flour and salt.
- Pour the yeast mixture into the flour mixture and knead on low speed for about 10 minutes.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a cloth and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Remove the dough from the bowl to a lightly floured surface. Punch the dough down and divide into 3 balls. Cover the dough balls completely with plastic wrap. Let rise another 45 minutes.
- When ready to use, take each dough ball and using your fingers, pat it out from the center to the edge, leaving the outer edge a bit thick.
- Top with your favorite toppings and bake using your preferred method.
Notes
