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Brian Sunter

Pizza Dough

Classic homemade pizza dough, enough for 3 to 4 pizzas.

20 minutes cook 20 minutes prep 2 hours 30 minutes total 4 servings
bread pizza dough italian homemade
Scale
Units

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp active dry yeast
  • 1 tbsp table salt
  • 2 cups lukewarm water
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 5.50 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp pizza dough flavor
  • — pizza sauce
  • — cheese

Equipment

  • bowl
  • rolling pin
  • pizza pan
  • pizza pans
  • baking sheets
  • pizza stone
  • parchment paper
  • oven
  • cooling rack

Instructions

Dough

1

Dissolve the 1 tbsp granulated sugar , 1 tbsp active dry yeast , and 1 tbsp table salt in 2 cups lukewarm water . Add the 2 tbsp olive oil if using.

2

Add 5.50 cups all-purpose flour , starting with 5.5 cups and adding more as necessary to make a soft, smooth dough. If using 2 tbsp pizza dough flavor , add it now.

3

Knead the dough with your hands, a mixer, or a bread machine set on the dough cycle until smooth and elastic, about 7 minutes to 10 minutes .

4

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl , cover it, and let it rise 1 hour to 2 hours .

Shape

5

Gently deflate the dough and divide it into four pieces for medium-crust pizza or three pieces for thicker crusts. Use a rolling pin to roll each piece on a lightly greased surface into a circle to fit a 12-inch pizza pan . Let the dough rest several times to relax it and make it more cooperative. If you prefer a more artisan look with scattered air pockets, hand-stretch the dough to size.

6

Place the rounds on pizza pans , baking sheets , or if you have a pizza stone in your oven, on parchment paper .

Bake

7

Preheat your oven to 450F. While it is heating, prepare your toppings.

8

Brush each crust with a bit of 1 tbsp olive oil . Spread pizza sauce lightly over the surface and add your favorite toppings. Sprinkle with cheese .

9

Bake the pizzas for 15 minutes to 20 minutes until golden brown, the toppings are hot and bubbly, and the cheese is melted.

10

Immediately transfer pizzas to a cooling rack so their bottoms do not get soggy. After about 10 minutes to allow the toppings to set, slice and serve.

View Cooklang Source
recipe.cook 
---
title: Pizza Dough
description: "Classic homemade pizza dough, enough for 3 to 4 pizzas."
servings: 4
total time: 2 hours 30 minutes
prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 20 minutes
tags: [pizza, dough, bread, italian, homemade]
cuisine: Italian
difficulty: easy
---

== Dough ==

Dissolve the @granulated sugar{1%tbsp}, @active dry yeast{1%tbsp}, and @table salt{1%tbsp} in @lukewarm water{2%cups}. Add the @olive oil{2%tbsp} if using.

Add @all-purpose flour{5.5%cups}, starting with 5.5 cups and adding more as necessary to make a soft, smooth dough. If using @pizza dough flavor{2%tbsp}, add it now.

Knead the dough with your hands, a mixer, or a bread machine set on the dough cycle until smooth and elastic, about ~{7%minutes} to ~{10%minutes}.

Place the dough in a lightly greased #bowl{}, cover it, and let it rise ~{1%hour} to ~{2%hours}.

== Shape ==

Gently deflate the dough and divide it into four pieces for medium-crust pizza or three pieces for thicker crusts. Use a #rolling pin{} to roll each piece on a lightly greased surface into a circle to fit a 12-inch #pizza pan{}. Let the dough rest several times to relax it and make it more cooperative. If you prefer a more artisan look with scattered air pockets, hand-stretch the dough to size.

Place the rounds on #pizza pans{}, #baking sheets{}, or if you have a #pizza stone{} in your oven, on #parchment paper{}.

== Bake ==

Preheat your #oven{} to 450F. While it is heating, prepare your toppings.

Brush each crust with a bit of @olive oil{1%tbsp}. Spread @pizza sauce{} lightly over the surface and add your favorite toppings. Sprinkle with @cheese{}.

> Want to experiment with different cheeses beyond standard mozzarella? Choose those that melt well: Fontina, cheddar, Jack, provolone, brick, Gouda, and Muenster are all good candidates.

Bake the pizzas for ~{15%minutes} to ~{20%minutes} until golden brown, the toppings are hot and bubbly, and the cheese is melted.

Immediately transfer pizzas to a #cooling rack{} so their bottoms do not get soggy. After about ~{10%minutes} to allow the toppings to set, slice and serve.

> To add flexibility to your schedule, let the dough rise once at room temperature, gently deflate it, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Next day, remove the dough from the fridge and stretch it into its pan. Let it rest and warm up until slightly puffy, then proceed with the recipe as written.

> To freeze partially baked pizza crust: Bake the crust on the lower oven rack until it looks and feels set and is just beginning to brown around the edge, but is still pale on top. About 8 minutes for thin-crust, 10 to 12 minutes for medium thickness, and 12 to 14 minutes for thick-crust. Remove from the oven, cool to room temperature, wrap well, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw at room temperature, top, and bake in a preheated 450F oven until golden brown and toppings are fully cooked.