Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
Par-cooked pizza dough is the secret to easy weeknight pizza, without resorting to frozen or takeout. You'll be enjoying the old world flavor or a rustic Italian pizza in no time!
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Servings: 12 individual rounds
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups warm water (120-130 degrees)
- 2 tablespoons granulated organic cane sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (purchased in bulk OR 1 envelope)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 4 cups unbleached organic all-purpose flour (can substitute up to 2 cups with wheat or spelt flour if you like)
Instructions
Make the pizza dough:
- In a mixer: Mix together all ingredients except the flour in the bowl of your mixer. Let sit for five minutes to let the yeast start to work.1 1/2 cups warm water, 2 tablespoons granulated organic cane sugar, 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Add flour and mix, using the dough hook. The dough will come together to form a ball and pull away from the side of the bowl. It should feel tacky, but not stick to your fingers.4 cups unbleached organic all-purpose flour
- By hand: Mix all of the ingredients except the flour in a large bowl. Let sit for five minutes to let the yeast start to work.
- Add flour and mix, using a heavy wooden spoon. When the dough starts to get too stiff to stir with the spoon, put the dough on a floured flat surface and use your hands to work the dough into a nice ball. Add a sprinkling of flour if the dough gets terribly sticky.
- Set the dough aside to rise for 45 minutes or so. To rise the dough in a bowl, grease a large bowl and transfer the dough into it, flipping it over once to coat the dough. This prevents sticking. To rise individually, divide the dough into portions (this recipe will make 10-12 individual rounds) and set balls of dough on a lightly floured baking sheet.
Roll the dough:
- Divide dough in half and transfer dough to a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Press the dough into a flat disc with your hands. Drizzle the dough with a bit of olive oil and continue using your hands to press the dough into a round.
- Alternatively, for a really thin pizza crust, sprinkle flour on a smooth rolling surface. Pull off a piece of dough larger than the size of a golf ball, but smaller than the size of a tennis ball. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out on your floured surface, creating a nice thin round. Turn the dough over frequently as you roll, adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Add about a tablespoon of flour to your surface for each new ball of dough.
Par bake the dough (this is the secret to making it FAST):
- When the dough is rolled to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to a hot griddle or cast iron frying pan (dry, no oil). Cook for a minute or two, until bubbles start to form on the surface. Flip (I use my hands) and cook the second side for another minute. Alternatively, bake in a 400ºF oven for about five minutes, until the dough begins to get a bit puffy and lightly browned.
- Cool on a wire rack.
- At this point, you can either proceed with making pizza or -- here's my hot tip -- stack the precooked dough rounds and freeze for later. Having par-baked pizza dough in the freezer means it's probably just as quick to bake your own as it would be to head out for takeout.
Make the pizza:
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. If you have a pizza stone, put it in the oven as it heats. You want them nice and hot, so you'll get a crispy crust.
- Top the precooked pizza dough with pizza sauce (perhaps homemade from your garden?), cheese, and toppings, then slide it onto the hot pizza stone. If you're not using a stone, just make your pizza(s) on a cookie sheet and put them in the hot oven. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Notes
- **To make a double batch, measure the ingredients for a single batch except for the flour into your mixing bowl. At the same time, measure the same ingredients into another bowl. (A mixer won't accommodate a double batch all at once. Probably, your arm and a wooden spoon won't either.) Add the flour to the mixing bowl and mix as directed above. Once the dough is complete, transfer it to an oiled bowl. Pour the extra bowl of measured ingredients into the mixing bowl (and goodness, don't worry about washing the mixing bowl!) and add flour. Mix as directed above.
- Nutrition information is for one entire 6-8" pizza crust.
Nutrition
Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 2mg
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