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Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe

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4.5 from 84 reviews

This homemade pizza dough recipe is a simple and classic way to create a soft, chewy crust perfect for your favorite pizzas. Made with basic ingredients like active dry yeast, flour, olive oil, and salt, this dough rises beautifully to provide the perfect base for baking at home.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water (not boiling)
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Activate Yeast: Sprinkle the active dry yeast over the warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes until it becomes foamy, indicating the yeast is alive and active.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and sea salt thoroughly to ensure even seasoning throughout the dough.
  3. Add Olive Oil: While stirring the flour mixture, slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil until fully combined; the mixture will be crumbly but well mixed.
  4. Combine Yeast and Flour Mixtures: Pour the foamy yeast water into the flour mixture and stir until the dough starts to come together in a ball.
  5. Knead Dough: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for 5 to 10 minutes, until it becomes less sticky and develops elasticity indicating good gluten development.
  6. First Rise: Shape the kneaded dough into a ball and place it into a large bowl coated with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm spot to rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until it doubles in size.
  7. Punch Down Dough: Gently punch down the risen dough to release the trapped air bubbles from the fermentation process.
  8. Divide and Store: Divide the dough into 3 equal portions, place each in a Ziploc bag, and refrigerate for up to 5 days until ready to use.
  9. Bring to Room Temperature and Shape: Remove the dough from the refrigerator, let it come to room temperature, then press into a large round shape on a baking surface. Brush with olive oil and add your preferred sauce and toppings.
  10. Bake Pizza: Bake the prepared pizza in a preheated oven at 500°F (260°C) for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the crust is cooked through and golden brown.

Notes

  • Make sure the water is warm but not boiling to avoid killing the yeast.
  • Kneading is crucial to develop gluten, which gives the dough structure and chewiness.
  • Allow the dough to rise in a warm place to speed up the fermentation.
  • Refrigeration improves flavor and texture but bring dough back to room temperature before baking.
  • Adjust baking time based on oven variances and thickness of the dough.

Keywords: homemade pizza dough, pizza crust recipe, easy pizza dough, classic pizza base, Italian pizza dough

Find it online: https://kitchenbyrita.com/homemade-pizza-dough-recipe/