Simple Pizza Dough Recipe

Why pay for a delivery pizza when you can easily make one yourself. A simple to make pizza base and add the toppings of your own choice. This recipe will yield 2 medium sized Pizzas or 4 small individual pizzas.
There’s something quite satisfying about making your own homemade Pizza dough and then topping it with any filling you desire and with how much, instead of relying on the local Pizza takeaway.

Making the dough isn’t that difficult and using ingredients that won’t cost a fortune and the good thing is, that if you happen to make to much just wrap it and pop it in the freezer for another day. Pizza dough freezes well! (See notes at the bottom of the recipe card)

Pizza Dough Ingredients

All pizza dough starts with the same basic ingredients: flour, yeast, water, salt, and olive oil. 

Yeast: The easiest and simplest yeast to use is Active dry yeast. The yeast normally comes in 7g packets, which is ideal for your Homemade Pizza Dough.

Water:  The water must just be lukewarm to activate the yeast. If the water is hotter than 130ºF it will kill the yeast and you will not get any rise in your Pizza Dough.

Flour: The two types of flour used for Pizza dough are all-purpose flour and bread flour. 
All-purpose flour is great for making a thin pizza crust. Because it doesn’t contain as much gluten as other types of flour it doesn’t rise quite as high as dough that contains a lot of gluten.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can use All purpose flour as gluten-free, it isn’t and will cause problems for people that are on a gluten-free diet.

Bread flour is the other type of flour used for making the dough. It contains a high amount of gluten, which will allow the dough to rise a lot more, making for a thicker,  softer, and fluffier dough, giving your pizza a chewier crust. Ideal for a deep pan pizza.

Oil: Extra virgin olive oil adds wonderful flavour to the Pizza dough.  To prevent the tomato sauce from seeping down and making the dough soggy, brush the dough with olive oil before adding the toppings.

Salt: Salt is needed just to add flavour.

Sugar:  Increases the yeast’s activity and acts to tenderise the dough. 
Cornmeal: A little Cornmeal dusting on the baking tray before the Pizza dough is laid on, will give the pizza crust a little extra flavour and crispness when baked. Active

How to make and form the Dough:

Making Homemade Pizza Dough is fairly simple and straight forward, but there are a couple of pointers to look out for.

Kneading the dough until it is smooth and elastic, will give much better finished Pizza.

Allow the dough to rise in a lightly oiled bowl (make sure to turn the dough in the bowl so it gets covered lightly in oil, this stops the dough from forming a skin), cover the bowl with a clean large Tea-towel

The bowl should be placed in a warm draft-free area to allow the dough to rise until doubled in size.
Never use anything other than olive oil.

FAQs

Is it possible to create pizza dough in advance?

Absolutely! In fact, creating the dough ahead of time and letting it ferment for a day or two in the fridge might enhance the flavour. Just keep in mind to remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to thaw before using.

How thin or thick can I make the crust?

The adaptability of handmade pizza dough is what makes it so lovely. Depending on your desire, you can form it into thin, crispy crusts or thick, doughy ones. Rolling or stretching is often necessary for thinner crusts, while shaping thicker ones may call for a kinder touch.

Can pizza dough be frozen?

Yes, pizza dough can be frozen. Divide the dough into portions once it has been kneaded and given time to rise, then tightly wrap each portion in plastic wrap. For up to three months, freeze them in a freezer-safe bag. Before using, let the dough defrost overnight in the fridge.

What if my dough doesn’t rise?

If your dough doesn’t rise as you had hoped, it can be because the yeast was old, the water was too hot, or there was a draught. Activate your yeast in warm (not boiling) water to ensure it is fresh. The dough can rise properly by being placed in a warm, draft-free environment.

Can I experiment with different flours?

Absolutely! While all-purpose flour is frequently used, other varieties of flour, such as whole wheat, bread flour, and even gluten-free choices, can be tried. Remember that the water ratio may need to be adjusted depending on the type of flour being used.

With the help of these ideas and advice about making pizza dough, start your quest for pizza excellence. Whether you want to make a traditional Margherita or a daring gourmet innovation, a homemade pizza dough will improve your dishes.