How To: Basic Pizza Dough

Everyone should know how to make a basic pizza dough.

Don’t go and buy it from a can. Please. Dough is superbly easy, and I bet anything you have the ingredients already in your kitchen.

I borrowed/stole this recipe from my friend Brandi, from Bran Appetit. She and I had a Johnsonville Pizza Party a few months ago, and since then, I can’t seem to change to any other dough recipe…it’s just too simple.

Feel free to add all the herbs and spices you like – nothing is wrong. Some rosemary, garlic, onion powder, red pepper flake – anything would be great. Or, if you are wanting to make a sweet dessert pizza, maybe add a little powdered sugar or cocoa, some cardamom or orange zest and ginger. Yum. Now I need to make a dessert pizza!

You can certainly make this dough without a mixer, kneading it by hand, however, I use my KitchenAid 7 Quart Stand Mixer. I do like the feel of kneading dough by hand, but the KitchenAid is a beast and does the job in a blink. While it’s kneading, I can be cleaning up the kitchen or surfing the net. I often make a batch in my 5 Quart mixer, but I adore making it with the powerful 7 quart. Why? Well, it’s big enough that I can double the recipe and have plenty of dough for dinner plus enough to freeze or refrigerate for later. That, I like.

I’m one of those people that makes dinner decisions on the fly, and being able to grab a bag of prepared dough from the fridge and throw some cheese and fresh veggies on it is a true life saver. I’ve kept this dough in a ziploc bag in the refrigerator for 10 days and honestly, it was every bit as good (or better) the later I ate it. It rolls out like a dream, and it bakes up thin and crispy but chewy. Plus, and maybe best, the kiddos can help! Seven loves assisting me in the kitchen, and measuring out the flour is one of his favorite chores.

Give it a try!

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 tsp yeast (one package of active dry yeast)
• 2 cups warm water
• 5 cups All Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp salt
• Oil, to coat bowl

Instructions

1. In the bowl of the stand mixer, dissolve yeast in warm water and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes or until creamy.
2. Combine the flour and salt in a medium sized bowl. Add half to the yeast mixture. Use the dough hook, and mix until combined. Add in remaining flour a bit at a time, until dough is smooth and pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
3. Remove dough from bowl, wiping out if necessary, and coat with just enough oil to cover the bowl. Return dough to bowl and cover with a loose towel. Allow to rise until double in size, about 2 hours.
4. Punch down and divide into 2 to 3 balls, depending on desired pizza size.
5. Cover the dough again and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling out.
6. Bake at 475-500 degrees for 12-15 minutes with desired toppings.

Notes

Have a great day!