Description
This homemade pizza recipe guides you through making flavorful pizza dough from scratch and assembling delicious pizzas with your favorite toppings. The dough is easy to prepare, leveraging active dry yeast to create a chewy, crisp crust after baking in a hot oven on a pizza stone. The recipe includes tips for proofing, kneading, rising, and stretching the dough, plus suggestions for classic toppings like mozzarella, Italian sausage, mushrooms, and fresh basil. Ideal for a family meal, this pizza recipe yields two 10-inch pizzas with a balance of crispy crust and melty cheese.
Ingredients
For the Pizza Dough
- 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) warm water (105°F-115°F)
- 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 3 3/4 cups (490 g) bread flour
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (omit if cooking pizza in a wood-fired pizza oven)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
For the Pizza and Toppings
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Cornmeal (to help slide the pizza onto the pizza stone)
- Tomato sauce (smooth or pureed)
- Firm mozzarella cheese, grated
- Fresh soft mozzarella cheese, separated into small clumps
- Fontina cheese, grated
- Parmesan cheese, grated
- Feta cheese, crumbled
- Mushrooms, very thinly sliced if raw or sautéed beforehand
- Bell peppers, stems and seeds removed, very thinly sliced
- Italian pepperoncini, thinly sliced
- Italian sausage, cooked ahead and crumbled
- Sliced black olives
- Chopped fresh basil
- Baby arugula, tossed in olive oil, added after baking
- Pesto
- Pepperoni, thinly sliced
- Onions, thinly sliced raw or caramelized
Instructions
- Proof the yeast: Pour the warm water into the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer. Sprinkle the active dry yeast over the water and let sit for 5 minutes until dissolved and foamy, indicating active yeast.
- Mix and knead the dough: Add bread flour, salt, sugar, and olive oil to the bowl. Mix on low speed for 1 minute with a paddle attachment. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low to medium speed for 7 to 10 minutes until the dough is a little sticky but manageable. If kneading by hand, mix ingredients thoroughly and knead until dough is elastic and tacky.
- Let the dough rise: Lightly oil a large bowl with olive oil. Transfer dough to the bowl, turning to coat all sides with oil. Cover with plastic wrap. For a quick rise, place in a warm spot (75°F to 85°F) for 1 1/2 hours. For medium rise, let dough rise at room temperature for 8 hours. For best flavor, refrigerate dough for 24 to 48 hours for slow fermentation.
- Preheat the oven and pizza stone: Place a pizza stone in the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 475°F for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour to ensure stone is thoroughly heated. If no pizza stone is available, use a sturdy pizza pan or thick baking sheet that won’t warp at high heat.
- Divide and rest the dough: Remove plastic wrap and gently press down dough to deflate it. Divide dough into two equal balls (~1 pound each). Place each ball in its own lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic, and let rest for 15 minutes up to 2 hours for easier stretching.
- Prepare toppings: Assemble your choice of pizza toppings, using moderate amounts to keep crust crisp. Approximately 1/3 cup tomato sauce and cheese per pizza, plus thin slices of vegetables and meats as desired.
- Stretch the dough balls: On a floured surface, flatten one dough ball with your hands. Press from the center outward with fingertips to about 1/2 inch thick. Turn and stretch dough gently until it won’t stretch further, about 10 to 12 inches in diameter. Let rest 5 minutes if resistant, then continue stretching. Patch any tears by pressing dough back together. Form a rim by flattening edges and pinching to create a lip if desired.
- Assemble the pizza: Sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza peel or baking sheet to prevent sticking. Transfer stretched dough onto this surface. Brush dough lightly with olive oil. Spread tomato sauce evenly, add cheese and selected toppings.
- Bake the pizza: Slide pizza onto the preheated pizza stone or place baking sheet in the oven. Bake at 475°F for about 10 to 12 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Finish and serve: Remove pizza from oven. Add fresh toppings like baby arugula tossed in olive oil or fresh basil. Slice and serve immediately for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Proofing active dry yeast is necessary to confirm yeast is active unless using instant yeast, which can be added directly to flour.
- Slow fermentation in the fridge (24 hours) greatly enhances dough flavor and texture.
- Use moderate amounts of toppings to maintain a crisp crust; too many toppings can make the crust soggy.
- If holes appear when stretching dough, patch gently to avoid tearing during baking.
- Preheating the pizza stone adequately is essential to achieve a crisp, well-cooked crust.
- The dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to 48 hours if not using immediately.
- Olive oil in the dough adds flavor and tenderness but can be omitted for wood-fired oven baking.
- For gluten-free or dietary specific needs, alternative flours and ingredients would be required as this dough uses bread flour.