Basic Pizza Dough
The only homemade pizza dough recipe you'll ever need!
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups (375-500 grams) all-purpose flour , as needed (see Notes)
- 2 ¼ teaspoon (7 grams) active-dry yeast (1 envelope)
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs ,finely chopped or 1 teaspoon dried herbs (optional)
- 1 clove of garlic , minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- 1 cup (227 grams) water
- ⅓ cup (66 grams) olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (21 grams) honey
Equipment
Instructions
Prep pizza dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or in a large bowl if mixing and kneading by hand), combine 2 cups (250 grams) flour, yeast, salt, herbs, and garlic.
- Heat the water, olive oil, and honey in a small saucepan until barely steaming. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes, or until temperature is between 120-130°F (no hotter or you will kill the yeast).
- Add the water mixture to your dry ingredients and mix on low until combined to make a wet dough (You can also use a dough whisk or spatula for this step, it will combine the ingredients faster).
- With the mixer on medium low, add the remaining flour a ¼ cup (about 30 grams) at a time, mixing until incorporated between each addition. Continue adding flour until the dough clears the bowl but is still soft and tacky to the touch.
- Once enough flour has been added, continue to knead with a dough hook or by hand for a few more minutes until smooth and elastic.
Let it rise:
- Shape dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Put in a warm place and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Shape and bake:
- Preheat oven to 500°F.
- Gently push down on the center of the dough to release the gases and knead by hand on a clean surface a few times. Divide dough into 2 and reshape into rounds. Then let them rest for 10 minutes, covering with plastic wrap so they don't dry out. (This rest relaxes the gluten, making it easier to roll out and shape).
- Working with one pizza round at a time, roll out or stretch dough into a rough 10-inch circle. Or shape into a rough rectangle and press into a well-greased baking sheet pan.
- Top dough with desired toppings and bake until crust is golden, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
- I like to use fresh herbs like rosemary, sage, thyme. If I use dried herbs I use Italian seasoning.
- You can substitute 1 tablespoon granulated sugar for the honey if desired. Add with the dry ingredients.
- Why the amount of flour you'll need varies: There are a lot of factors when it comes to making yeast dough, such as the humidity level where you are, the brand of flour you use, or how it's measured. Go by touch and feel, not by the amount. The dough has enough flour when it's bulky enough to clear the sides of your mixer bowl, but still feels very soft and tacky to the touch.
- Storing pizza dough: You can let the pizza dough rise in the fridge slowly if you'd like to prepare it ahead of time. Dough it best if used within 24 hours. You can also freeze the dough, tightly wrapped for up to 1-2 months. Let thaw to room temperature and double in size before using.
- Nutrition facts are for one baked pizza crust without toppings.
Calories: 1307kcal, Carbohydrates: 206g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 40g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Sodium: 1183mg, Potassium: 396mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 168IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 38mg, Iron: 12mg
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