Pizza is, hands down, my most requested meal, both from my family and my extended family. In fact, every year we have a “pizza night” reserved during gun deer season, I make pizza for all the hunters and family. Apparently its a hit!
Perfect pizza dough is not that difficult to accomplish. In fact, I can have the dough mixed up and rising faster than it would take me to call in a pizza order. At least I’m pretty sure… out here in the boondocks we don’t have that “luxury” ;).Making pizza is also a great way to get the kids involved in the kitchen! My kids love putting the toppings on or making their own “personal size” pizzas.
The dough is extremely versatile as well. We use it to make breadsticks, garlic knots, calzones, hot pockets… the list goes on and on! With an “average” thickness crust (not too thick, not too thin) this recipe yields one large pizza and one medium pizza. Enough for my hungry family of 5, with a couple leftover slices for Mike’s lunch the next day!
Use whatever toppings your heart desires. My family loves “supreme” type pizzas but we also have experimented with chicken/spinach/alfredo, margharita pizza, and my moms favorite- Wisconsin beer brats, alfredo sauce, and sauerkraut. I’ll be sure to make a post with that recipe :).
When I first started making homemade pizzas I would par-cook the crust but found it really is not necessary. Baking at a high temp ensures the crust is fully cooked when the toppings are done.
Use whatever kind of pizza sauce you want, red or white (alfredo)… not surprising, I use my homemade sauce. It’s the bomb.
I highly recommend taking the time to shred your own cheese. It melts SO much better and takes the taste to the next level, we only buy blocks of cheese and now find that pre-shredded cheese just tastes… off! (Psst… its the stuff they put in it to keep the cheese from clumping up in the bag) Plus, it really does not take that much time to shred your own and it’s a money-saver too.
Do you have any creative ways to use pizza dough? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
More pizza making tips:
*Add seasonings to your crust. 1 tsp of Italian seasoning or garlic gives it a little extra flavor!
*Generously sprinkle corn meal on your baking sheet or stone, it will keep the crust from sticking.
Perfect Pizza Dough
- 2 1/2 to 3 cups all purpose or bread flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar or honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) yeast (regular or fast-acting)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup warm water (120ºF to 130ºF)
- In large bowl, mix 1 cup of flour, the sugar, salt and yeast. Add oil and warm water. Whisk until incorporated and let rest for a minute or two. You will see the mixture start to bubble at the top. This way you know your yeast is activated.
- Stir in enough remaining flour until dough is soft and leaves the side of the bowl. Knead 5-8 minutes, either by hand on a floured surface or on low in your stand mixer (I take the lazy route) until the dough is smooth and springy.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel; let rest 30 minutes or until at least doubled in size.
If making pizza:
- Spray your baking sheet or pizza stone (if not fully seasoned) with a cooking spray or liberally spread with corn meal to prevent pizza from sticking. Divide in two for two generous medium pizzas or make one bigger for a large and a medium pizza.
- Evenly stretch dough out to size of pan/stone. Using a fork, poke a few holes around dough to prevent bubbling.
- Spread on desired sauce and add toppings.
- Bake at 425°F for 12-14 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and browned to desired doneness.
Thank you for your continued support of my blog and YouTube channel!
Until next time,
Melissa
