Best Pizza Dough Recipe
Pizza is a meal that spells Fun! Over the years I have bought from fresh to frozen pizzas and when I have the time I prefer to make the pizza dough from scratch. I have worked on various dough recipes and used different flours, all in the quest to find THE pizza dough recipe. And may I say this is the one I keep referring back to.
When my children were younger I would have them mix the dough and knead, it is excellent for their fine motor skills and teaches them patience, while waiting for the dough to rise. Now that they are young adults I pop everything in the Kenwood and leave the dough hook to work its magic.Mixing for 10 minutes or until the dough looks smooth and allowing the dough to rise for 45 minutes.
I perfected the twice baked pizza base in lockdown and it was purely by accident, you know when you call your young adult downstairs to eat and they take a little longer than you had hoped to come and build their pizzas. While waiting I baked the baked pizza dough blind, it is a game changer Read more here
- 800g flour
- 14g yeast (1 tablespoon of sugar and ½ cup warm water to activate)
- 2/12 - 3 cups warm water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Mixer Method:
- With a dough hook, add the flour and oil and mix for a few rotations until you can't see the oil.
- Add the yeast and allow that to be worked into the flour, just for a few rotations.
- Then add the remaining water, in three additions and keep back the water if the dough looks too wet.
- You are looking for a soft sticky dough.
- Allow the machine to now mix until the dough is smooth about 7-10 minutes.
- By hand method
- Follow the method as above and knead on a floured board until the dough is smooth but still sticky.
- This will be a messy job keep lightly flouring your hands.
- Add the dough into a greased bowl that is ⅔ larger than the dough as it doubles in size.
- Cover and rest for 45 minutes or until the pizza dough has doubled.
- To make the pizzas break off tennis ball sized dough pieces and roll them out on floured board to your desired thickness and size.
- I make 4 pizzas and two focaccia bases (30cm x 20cm) for lunches in the week.
- You can halve the recipe if needed.
- To bake set the oven to 240 degrees C, while the oven is heating add upside down trays or your pizza stones.
- Cook the bases without any toppings, until the dough starts to crust over but does not take colour.
- Remove the bases from the oven and cool for a few minutes.
- Then top with your favourite pizza toppings and bake again until the cheese melts and bubbles.
Another top tip is not to crowd the oven, cook a couple at a time they only take 10 minutes or so for the second bake and this really gives them a crispier finish.
Enjoy making your homemade pizzas.
