This Homemade Pizza Dough was touted as the “best” (with lots ‘o exclamation marks!!) from Food Republic, so of course I had to try it. I’d be very sorry if I didn’t try the best pizza dough recipe out there, now wouldn’t I?
I have to say, it’s better than the homemade dough I’ve used in the past. Easy to throw together with the normal amount of proofing time, then rolled out (or tossed in the air if you’re a pizza-dough-tosser extraordinaire), slap your favorite toppings on, and bake.
The crust came out great – crispy brown on the bottom and flavorful, it was able to stand up to the toppings with just the right amount of pizza bend. Pizza bend = hold up a piece of pizza and it should bend downward at the tip and about halfway up the slice.
I used Prego, our favorite store-bought spaghetti sauce, but use your favorite. We put pepperoni and mushrooms on it too, along with a nice sprinkle of mozzarella cheese.
Pizza is on the very top of my favorite foods list (i.e., would eat it 2 to 3 times a week if I could talk Bret into it). I was impressed with this crust and will use it in the future unless someone comes up with a “better than the best” homemade pizza dough recipe.
****Makes dough for 1 thicker 12" crusts or 2 thinner 12" crusts. Great pizza dough. Slightly adapted from Food Republic.
- 1 C warm water (about 110°)
- 1 pkg Rapid Rise Yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra for the proofing bowl and edges of crust
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3 C all-purpose flour, plus a little more for dusting your work surface
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In a stand mixer bowl, combine the warm water (not too hot or it will kill the yeast - warm to the touch), yeast, sugar, oil, and salt. Attach a dough hook and mix on low.
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While mixing on low, slowly add the flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, until a dough forms. Clean off the dough hook once or twice while mixing. Keep mixing on medium for 3-4 minutes.
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Lightly dust a work surface and dump the dough onto it. Knead with your hands for a minute and form a smooth ball.
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Brush a large bowl with olive olive and add the dough ball into the bowl, rolling it a little around the bowl, making sure the ball is slightly oiled.
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Cover bowl with a clean dish towel or plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place for about an hour, until doubled. After the rise, you can either use the dough as is for one thicker crust or cut the dough in half for a thinner pizza and freeze half of it for later.
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Preheat the oven to 425° degrees with your pizza stone in it (this will make a nice bottom crust). Shape the dough into a 12" round, place on hot stone and put your ingredients on top. Brush the edges of the pizza lightly with olive oil.
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Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden brown. Take out of the oven (carefully!) and let it sit for 2-3 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!
Tips and Stuff:
To freeze the second dough ball (if you half it), wrap it in saran wrap, then put in a freezer bag with the air squeezed out of it. It should keep quite awhile in the freezer.
If you use regular Active Dry Yeast, let it sit in the warm water for a few minutes until bubbly, then add the oil, sugar, and salt.