This pizza dough makes the best pizza, a chewy homemade dough that can be prepped ahead for the refrigerator a day ahead for pizza night. You can also use this recipe as the base dough for many other recipes.
Ingredients
1teaspoonsugar
1cupwarm waterdivided, should be warm to the touch but not hot
2 1/4teaspoonsactive dry yeastone packet
2 ½cupsflour
1teaspoonsalt
1tablespoonItalian seasoningoptional
4tablespoonsolive oildivided
1/4cupcornmealoptional
Instructions
Proofing The Yeast
In a bowl add the sugar, ½ cup of warm water and one packet of active dry yeast and stir. This can be done right in the base of a stand mixer or in a separate bowl. The water you use should be warm to the touch, but not super hot or you may kill the yeast.
Allow the yeast to set for 10 minutes. This is called proofing, and allows the yeast to begin to grow and expand. Your mixture should turn frothy looking on top, and should smell a bit earthy. If the yeast doesn’t have frothy bubbles on the top after 10 minutes, you may need to try again with new yeast.
Mixing The Pizza Dough
Mix together the flour, salt and Italian seasoning blend (optional) until combined. Add the flour mixture to the yeast mixture. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and an additional ½ cup of warm water on top to the dough mixture.
Start the mixer or food processor with the dough attachment. Mix until the flour combines, about a minute. Turn the speed up on the mixer to medium high and mix for a full five minutes. The dough should pull away from the bowl and be stretchy when you are done. See notes if mixing by hand.
Letting The Dough Rise
Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a heatproof bowl. With a silicone brush, brush the oil in a thin layer all over the inside of the bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Place the dough in a warm place near the stove as it warms up, and allow it to rise for 30 minutes.
Stretching The Dough
Add a light handful of flour to a clean surfacem your rolling pin, and a sprinkle of flour to the dough. Kneed the dough just a few times by gently stretching the dough, folding it in half and then digging the heels of your hand into the dough. Just a couple of quick kneads will help you start stretching the dough and adding flour if it is too sticky. Then start rolling and streching the dough to use with your favorite recipe.
To Make Pizza
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Oil the pan or add a handful of cornmeal evenly to the pan for a crunchy bottom that doesn't stick to the pan.
With your hands or a floured rolling pin, begin to stretch the dough. Keep stretching the dough until it is about 12 inches across. If a hole develops you can pinch the dough back together, or even reroll it into a ball and try to stretch the dough again until you have a 12 inch wide circle.
Cover with toppings then bake for 10-12 minutes or until the pizza is golden brown on the outside and fully cooked in the center.
Notes
This recipe makes one 12 inch pizza but can also be used for a variety of recipes. Once you've made the dough you can follow my instructions for making homemade pepperoni pizza here.
If you are unsure about the temperature of your water, think of the water being about the same temperature as a warm bath when you touch it. If you’re checking your water with a thermometer, it should be about 110 degrees.
If you don't have a stand mixer or food processor with a dough attachment, you can mix the dough by hand but it takes longer. Expect when mixing in the flour mixture into the dough to knead the dough for at least five to seven minutes. This ensures that the flour is fully combined and the dough becomes stretchy and elastic. If the dough feels too sticky after kneading for several minutes you can add a little more flour, usually between a teaspoon and a tablespoon at a time.
When you’re letting the dough rise, if you are mixing in a stand mixer you can let the dough rise right in the bowl. Remove the pizza dough from the stand mixer after mixing, oil the bowl with olive oil, then add the dough back to the bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
After that 30 minute rise, you can cover with plastic wrap or put it in a zip top bag to store in the fridge if you are prepping ahead.
I don’t recommend cooking on parchment paper for this recipe. This pizza cooks at 450 degrees, and most parchment paper is safe to cook with up to 425 degrees.
You can add a handful of cornmeal to a pan making oil unnecessary, or oil the pan using a high-temperature oil like canola oil, avocado oil or sunflower oil.