Homemade Pizza Dough
One of our favourite recipes that have been perfected through years of disappointment on take-out pizza is this dough. The steps might look overwhelming at first but I promise you, they are not; and they are worth every second it. Once you make this dough 2 or 3 times, it will become your second nature whenever you are craving pizza.
Pre-heat the oven on the lowest setting it can go to make the top of it warm enough for the dough to proof.
To start, sift the flour and salt through a mesh strainer into a large bowl and make a well in the middle of it. This will make it easier to blend the dry and wet ingredients on the next steps.
In a separate container, mix 2 cups of warm water and 2 tablespoons of instant yeast and let it rest for a minute. The yeast will blob and rise to the top as it activates, that`s what is supposed to happen.
Tip: The water should be lukewarm – If you are not sure, test it like a baby`s bath water, you should be able to keep your hand in it without burning. – Water too hot will kill the yeast, water too cold will not activate it. Don`t be scared of this step, the range in which this works is pretty big.
Slowly pour 1.5 cups of the water mixture into the dough, making sure you get most of the yeast from the top. Start mixing it slowly in the middle and bringing the sides of flour in slowly. Add the rest of the water 1 tablespoon at a time as necessary until the dry ingredients and the wet ones are fully combined. The dough should be fairly wet but you should be able to remove it from the bowl in one piece. If the dough is too sticky and getting stuck to the bowl, add more flour in small increments. If the dough feels too tough, add more water in very small increments.
Place the dough in a sanitized and well-floured surface. Start kneading it slowly with the ball of your hands. This will smooth the dough mixture until all the flour is blended together. I do not recommend using a mixer to make this recipe as it will overwork the dough and make it tough and thick. Only your hand will me able to find out the texture of your dough and whether it needs more water or flour. Once the ball of dough is smooth enough to the touch, press your thumb lightly in the middle of it. The dough should lightly spring back but still leave a little imprint where you pressed it.
Add 2 tsps of olive oil to a large bowl (at least twice the size of your dough) and coat all sides. Cover it with a kitchen towel and place it on top of the stovetop on your warm oven. Let it rest for 40 minutes.
The dough should have risen to twice the size it was initially. If it`s not doubled yet, rest it for another 10-15 minutes.
Remove the dough from the bowl and lay it on a well-floured surface. Knead it one more time lightly removing the air that is now inside the dough. This time, it shouldn`t take more than 2 minutes. Separate the dough into 3 or 4 equal sized doughs, form them into balls and flour the outside.
Preheat your oven to 490F.
If you have ziplock or portion bags, add each dough in an individual bag with flour, remove the air and close it tightly. You can also use seran or cling wrap; Cut a large square, flour it lightly, place each dough in the middle, close and tighten the top. Place all the doughs in a baking dish with a weighted plate on top and place it in the fridge to rest for a few minutes.
Tip: You can keep in the fridge up to three days if you have leftovers.
When you have the sauce and all your toppings cut and ready, take the dough out of the fridge and carefully peel it off the bag onto a (again) floured surface.
Flatten the dough ball if your hands slightly, you can either press it down with little taps or spread it with both your hands while holding it. If you decide to hold it, rotate it in your hands pressing it slowly as you go around, let gravity help you stretch it.
Place it back onto the surface once you have a ½ -inch thick dough. Flour your rolling pin – or if you don`t have one use a wine bottle, - and start opening your dough. Use the rule: open up and down 2-3 times, flip the dough and open it 2-3 time left and right. Repeat these steps as many times as necessary until you reach your desired thickness. Keep in mind the dough will be thicker once it cooks.
Oil and Flour/Cornmeal lightly your pizza baking sheet, pizza crisper or skillet and carefully place your dough on it. If you want a raised pizza crust, fold the outer layer to double the thickness of the raised crust. If you want to spruce it up, add cheese and other fillings to it and then fold it in.
You’re now ready to start adding your toppings! Start with your tomato sauce, cheese sauce, pesto or even just olive oil, add half the cheese, your vegetables and meats and then the other half of the cheese. You`ll probably use about a 2oz scoop of sauce for a pizza this size. Don`t add too much sauce otherwise your dough might become soggy instead of crispy.
Bake it at 490F for 7 minutes and turn it 90 degrees. Cook for another 7-12 minutes or until the crust starts becoming more tan and it is crispier to the touch.
Tip: You can carefully remove the pizza from the baking sheet at 7 minutes and place it straight onto the oven rack to finish cooking so you can start your next pizza in the same pan.
Let us know what toppings are your favourites!
Homemade Pizza Dough
Servings: 4 Medium-Large Thin Crusts or 3 Medium-Large Regular Crusts
Time: 30 minutes (prep), 40-60 minutes (resting), 14-20 minutes (cooking).
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
4 Cups AP Flour (more for dusting)
2 Tbsp Instant Yeast
1 ½ - 2 Cups Warm (not hot) water
2 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
Step by Step
Pizza Dough
1. Turn your oven on in the lowest setting. Sift 4 cups of flour and salt through a mesh strainer into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. In another container, mix the warm water and the yeast with a spoon and let it sit for 1 minute (It will clump up on top).
2. Pour 1.5 cups of the water mix into the flour mix and start combining the two slowly. Add the other half cup as necessary if the dough is becoming too tough. Make sure to get most of the yeast added to the water into the dough if you don`t use all two cups.
3. Once the dough is solid enough to start forming a ball (if it is too sticky, add a little more flour) remove it from the bowl and lay it on a well-floured clean surface. Start kneading it with your palms until the dough can form a smooth ball. If you lightly press a thumb on it, the dough should spring back slightly.
4. Flour the outside of the dough and place in a bowl coated with olive oil that is at least twice the size of your dough. Place it on top of the warmed-up oven (you don`t want to cook it but the dough has to rise in a warm location) and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel.
5. Wait about 40 minutes , your dough should have doubled in size. If you are not sure, leave it resting up to one hour.
6. Carefully remove the dough from the oiled bowl and place it on a floured surface one more time. Knead it lightly to remove most of the air and divide the dough into 3 or 4 parts depending on how thick your crust will be.
7. Knead them into separate balls and flour the outside lightly.
- If you are ready to cook the pizza, move on to the next step. If not, follow these instructions first.
- Place each dough in a separate floured sealable bag (or tight cling wrap pockets,) remove all the air and close them tightly. Place them in the fridge in a container with a weight on top so they don`t continue to proof too much, they will still grow slightly. The dough can be kept in the fridge like that up to 3 days.
8. Pre-heat the oven to 490F. Oil and sprinkle flour or corn meal to a very large skillet or pizza tray/crisper.
9. Re-flour the surface and start opening the dough with a floured rolling pin or a wine bottle. Use this rule to get a better circle: open it up and down 2-3 times, flip the dough and open left and right 2-3 times. Continue to do so back and forth until you achieve your desired thickness, adding flour as necessary for it not to stick. (keep in mind the dough will be thicker once cooked)
10. Place the opened dough in your prepared cooking tray and add your topping as you wish. Do not add too much sauce if you want your dough to be crispy.
11. Once prepared, cook for about 7 minutes at 490F. Rotate it 180 degrees to cook it evenly, and then cook for another 7 to 12 minutes or until the crust starts getting a little tan and is crispy to the touch.
Tip: When you rotate it, you can choose to remove it from the tray and place it directly on the oven rack so you can start using the same tray to cook your next pizza. Just be careful and use two spatulas to remove it from the tray.
12. Let it cool for about 5 minutes before cutting and enjoy your pizzas!
Extra Recipe!
Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
1 Can Whole Tomatoes
½ Tbsp Mallia Seasoning (or your Italian Seasoning of choice)
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
¼ Cup Grated Parmesan (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Step by Step
1. Pour all the contents of the can of tomatoes into a medium pot with the Mallia Seasoning, 2 teaspoons of salt, 3 teaspoons of black pepper, the baking soda, onion and garlic powder. Use a hand mixer to break down the tomatoes and form a uniform sauce.
2. Add ½ cup of water, mix it, cover with a lid and let it cook for about 40 minutes on medium heat.
3. Once the sauce is thickened (if it is still watery, let it reduce without the lid on low-medium heat for another 10-15 minutes,) add your parmesan (optional) and taste it. Add more salt and pepper if you wish at this point.
4. Put the pot in a bowl of iced water to cool off. Be careful to not let the water into the sauce. Once the sauce is not burning at the touch, you can add it to the pizza dough. Leftover sauce can be used in every possible way!!