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Homemade Pizza Crust is an easy pizza dough that is perfect for beginners. It creates a soft, seasoned, delicious foundation for the best homemade pizza the whole family is sure to love.
I love homemade pizza!
This really isn’t a secret, but I think it stems from my childhood, my dad was not a fan of pizza and so growing up we rarely had it for dinner. Doesn’t that sound about right though? Poor little LaKita was deprived of pizza growing up and so as an adult, pizza is what she wants to indulge in weekly.
But seriously even though I know my way around a good pizza, using active yeast to make homemade dough was so scary to me. It also seemed like way too much work when I could just go to the store and purchase pizza dough from the bakery and it still felt as if it was homemade.
I would find myself looking at homemade pizza recipes and as soon as I saw the words yeast and rise I was stepping away from that recipe with a quickness. All of that changed when a friend showed me how easy it really is to make homemade pizza crust and I have to admit that I cannot believe that I let one little packet of active dry yeast intimidate me for so long.
What ingredients for a pizza crust recipe?
- All-purpose flour
- Active dry yeast
- Warm water
- Salt
- Granulated sugar or honey
- Olive oil
- Italian seasoning
How to make Easy Pizza Dough:
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, pour in the all-purpose flour, salt, and Italian seasoning. Turn the mixer on low speed to combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, stir together the warm water and sugar until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add the active dry yeast and stir just enough to combine with the water sugar mixture.
Slowly pour the yeast mixture into the stand mixer bowl along with the flour mixture. Turn the mixer on the lowest speed possible and once all the ingredients begin to come together add in the olive oil.
Continue to mix everything together on low speed for about 10 minutes. Once the pizza dough begins to come together to stick onto itself and form a loose dough ball, turn off the mixer, it is ready for the next step in the process.
Place the dough on a clean lightly floured surface. With floured hands, knead the dough until it forms a smooth dough ball that springs back when pressed with the finger. The dough will be sticky but should not come apart.
Place the pizza dough into a bowl that is lightly greased with olive oil. Also, lightly coat the outer surface of the pizza dough ball with a little more olive oil. Pizza dough loves olive oil.
Cover loosely with a towel or plastic wrap, place in a warm (draft-free) area, and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
Gently press the air out of the dough. It is ready to use to make pizza!
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Roll the dough out into a 12-inch round or as thick as you prefer.
Press the dough on a heated and lightly greased 12-inch pizza pan or cast-iron skillet. Spread on top of the pizza dough a layer of pizza sauce and all of your favorite toppings.
Place into the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the center of the crust has been fully cooked. Remove pizza from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes before cooking. Serve warm.
Tip to make the best pizza dough:
- Do not add all the all-purpose flour at one time. Add in 2 ½ cups, to begin with, and if you find upon mixing the dough is too wet, add an additional ½ all-purpose flour at a time until the dough is tacky in texture but not wet. Do not add more than 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour in total.
- If the pizza dough appears to be too dry during mixing, add in an additional 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Any kind of olive oil is fine. I prefer to use plain extra virgin olive oil.
- The Italian seasoning adds additional flavor to the pizza crust but may be omitted in this recipe.
- The granulated sugar may be substituted with honey instead in the same unit of measure.
- If you do not have a stand mixer, knead the dough by hand for 10 to 15 minutes.
- This pizza dough recipe makes enough for 4 small pizzas or 2 medium size pizzas. Feel free to divide the dough according to your preference.
Homemade Pizza Crust
Ingredients
- 2 ½ to 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted (plus additional to knead the dough mixture into a ball or form the pizza)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 packet active dry yeast (or 2 ¼ teaspoons)
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar or honey
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus additional to cover dough and bowl during rising)
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning (optional)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, pour in 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and I½ teaspoon Italian seasoning. Turn the mixer on low speed to combine the dry ingredients.
- In a separate small bowl, stir together the 1 cup warm water and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (or honey) until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add the 2 ¼ teaspoons or packet of active dry yeast and stir just enough to combine with the water-sugar mixture.
- Slowly pour the yeast mixture into the stand mixer bowl along with the flour mixture.
- Turn the mixer on the lowest speed possible and once all the ingredients begin to come together add in 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Continue to mix everything together on low speed for about 10 minutes.
- *If the dough appears to be too wet and not sticking together, add in an additional ½ cup all-purpose flour until it is tacky but not wet. Do not add more than 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour in total. If the dough appears to be too dry add an additional 1 tablespoon olive oil to the dough mixture.
- Once the pizza dough begins to come together to stick onto itself and form a loose dough ball, turn off the mixer, it is ready for the next step in the process.
- Place the dough on a clean lightly floured surface. With floured hands, knead the dough until it forms a smooth dough ball that springs back when pressed with the finger. The dough will be sticky but should not come apart.
- Place the pizza dough into a bowl that is lightly greased with olive oil. Also, lightly coat the outer surface of the pizza dough ball with a little more olive oil. Pizza dough loves olive oil.
- Cover loosely with a towel or plastic wrap, place in a warm (draft-free) area, and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
- Gently press the air out of the dough. It is ready to use to make pizza.
- If you are not ready to use the pizza dough immediately, wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap or place into a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator for 24 hours. It will continue to rise and you will have to press the air out once again when ready to use.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Roll the dough out into a 12-inch round or as thick as you prefer.
- Press the dough on a heated and lightly greased 12-inch pizza pan or cast-iron skillet. Spread on top of the pizza dough a layer of pizza sauce and all of your favorite toppings.
- Place into the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the center of the crust has been fully cooked. Remove pizza from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes before cooking. Serve warm.
- Store any leftover pizza in an airtight container or plastic bag in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
Notes
- Do not add all the all-purpose flour at one time. Add in 2 ½ cups, to begin with, and if you find upon mixing the dough is too wet, add an additional ½ all-purpose flour at a time until the dough is tacky in texture but not wet. Do not add more than 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour in total.
- If the pizza dough appears to be too dry during mixing, add in an additional 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Any kind of olive oil is fine. I prefer to use plain extra virgin olive oil.
- The Italian seasoning adds additional flavor to the pizza crust but may be omitted in this recipe.
- The granulated sugar may be substituted with honey instead in the same unit of measure.
- If you do not have a stand mixer, knead the dough by hand for 10 to 15 minutes.
- This pizza dough recipe makes enough for 4 small pizzas or 2 medium size pizzas. Feel free to divide the dough according to your preference.
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Want a few more easy homemade pizza recipes? Try these:
Have any comments, questions, or other delicious ideas for this Homemade Pizza Crust? Please share them in the comments below!
Akaleistar
Homemade pizza is the best, and the crust looks so good!
admin
Thank you...Homemade really is the best 🙂
Tamara
Oh wow - no pizza for your dad! I think homemade is the best.
Your photos are luscious. I'd totally eat that.
admin
Thank you! I know...isn't that terrible. He will eat it now, but only from pizza hut and it has to be meat lovers 😀
Monica
I love this! And you chose minimal cheese + greens. Fairly healthy = my fave! Pinning this for later reference. Thank you! <3
admin
Thank you so much! Yes I tried to keep it fairly healthy 🙂