It is fun to make pizza dough then cover it with toppings. It is always tasty. It is a fun activity to do with kids or friends, too. I haven't made too many homemade pizzas in recent years because of the convenience of pizza delivery or frozen pizza. I made homemade pizza a couple times in recent weeks and doing so reminded me that it is easy to make, doesn't take much time and is fun! It will be awhile before I buy a frozen pizza or use pizza delivery.
I like this recipe because you can make one or two pizzas from it. If you use one 14" round pizza pan, you will have a crust similar to a pan pizza crust. You can split the dough between two round pizza pans and have a thinner crust, which is similar to the thickness of a hand tossed pizza crust. You can also use a cookie sheet, and make a rectangular pizza, which will give you a crust with a thickness similar to a hand tossed pizza crust.
Sometimes, I will add some spices to the pizza dough. A few tablespoons of garlic, onion and Italian seasoning give the crust some extra flavor. You can see the dough in the picture has some green flecks - that is the Italian seasoning. If I do add some spices, I add them at the same time I add the flour. You can get creative with the spices that you add to the crust. I have made crusts with basil and also grated Parmesan cheese.
I hope you enjoy the Pizza Dough recipe!
Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 - 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 package active dry yeast or 2 1/4 teaspoons loose yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon italian seasoning Optional. You can add spices to your crust for added flavor.
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic Optional. You can add spices to your crust for added flavor.
- 1 tablespoon granulated onion Optional. You can add spices to your crust for added flavor.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- In a large bowl, combine about 1 1/2 cups of the flour, plus the yeast and salt. Stir to combine.
- Add warm water and oil. Stir to combine.
- Add 1/4 - 1/2 cup more flour and stir to combine. Continue adding flour until dough is formed and it is no longer sticky. If you would like to add some spices to your crust, add the spices at this step.
- Put dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Kneading can take 5-10 minutes.
- If you are making two pizzas, divide the dough in half. Cover and let rest about 10 minutes.
- Grease the pan(s) you are using for your pizza. Put the dough in the center of the pan.
- Gently spread it out so that it covers the pan and has an edge.
- Add toppings.
- Bake at 375F for 20-30 minutes, or until crust and topping are at your desired level of "done".
