Family Pizza Time

I told him if he helped me make it, I would talk about him on my website, and he would be famous. That seemed to get his attention. He thought the dough was “slimy and gross,” but he loved picking his own toppings, and the finished product was “awesome”.

My Favorite Pizza Dough Recipe

The following method I patched together from recipes in both Joy of Cooking and Cook’s Illustrated’s The Best Recipe. The pizza dough recipe makes enough dough for two 10 to 12-inch pizzas.

Next time, I’ll be a bit more patient with stretching out the dough so I can get it even thinner.

The Best Flour for Homemade Pizza Dough

Bread flour is the best flour for homemade pizza dough. You can use all-purpose flour instead of the bread flour called for in the recipe, but bread flour is higher in gluten than all-purpose flour and will make a crispier crust for your pizza.

How To Make Sure Your Yeast Is Active

Pizza dough is a yeasted dough that requires active dry yeast. Make sure the check the expiration date on the yeast package! Yeast that is too old may be dead and won’t work.

Also, if the yeast does not begin to foam or bloom within 10 minutes of being added to the water in Step 1 of Making the Pizza Dough, it is probably dead. You’ll need to start over with new, active yeast.

How To Measure Flour for This Pizza Dough Recipe

Cup measurements can vary depending on how you are scooping the flour (we fluff the flour, lightly scoop it, and level with a knife). So I recommend using a kitchen scale to measure out the flour amounts by weight. This is the only way you’ll get a consistently accurate measurement.

Ingridients

• 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 (490g) 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 Making 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, otherwise first sautéed
• 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 a little olive oil, added as pizza comes out of the oven
• Pesto
• Pepperoni, thinly sliced
• Onions, thinly sliced raw or caramelized
• Ham, thinly sliced

Video-Enjoy homemade Chicken Fajita Thin Crust Pizza

Simply Recipes provides a homemade pizza recipe emphasizing a high-quality dough using bread flour for a crispier crust. The method involves proofing active dry yeast and kneading it with flour, salt, and olive oil, with an optional 24-hour cold ferment for enhanced flavor. Baking involves preheating a pizza stone or baking sheet at 475^°F for at least 30 minutes, stretching the dough by hand, and topping with pre-cooked ingredients before baking for 10–15 minutes. You can find the full recipe and details on the Simply Recipes website. (Link to the Home Page)