Pizza Dough {Flavia's Fundamentals}
Last May, I wrote a post about my favorite type of pizza, Pizza Margherita. Although I provided some how-to pictures and instructions on how to make pizza dough, they weren't very thorough, so I thought I would dedicate a new post just for the dough-making process from beginning to end. My pizza-making skills have improved over the past year and I have a few new tips to share in addition to the ones I provided in the past post. The biggest improvement: I have figured out how to get the bottom crust of my pizza evenly browned and crisped!
I think a lot of people are still intimidated by making pizza dough from scratch, and it truly couldn't be easier. An electric stand mixer with the dough hook attachment makes quick work of making pizza dough, but it can also be made entirely by hand. I will be showing you the stand mixer method.
The dough recipe that I have been using ever since I started making homemade pizza comes from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Parties cookbook. The proportions of the ingredients yeild enough dough to make two half sheet pan-size pizzas (approx. 18" x 13"). However, you can freeze half of the dough for later use if you don't want to use all the dough at once. You can also make 6 smaller individual-size pizzas from this recipe.
Let's get started!
The ingredient lineup: all-purpose flour, extra-virgin olive oil, honey, active dry yeast, and kosher salt
Before you get started, place the mixer's workbowl in the sink and run hot tap water into it for a minute to warm up the bowl. This helps keep the temperature consistent for the yeast to activate. If you were to pour the warm water in a room temperature bowl, the temperature of the water would drop faster. It's an extra step worth taking. Dry the bowl thoroughly before attaching it back onto the mixer base.
Use an instant-read thermometer to measure the temperature of the water. It should be between 100-110 degrees.
Start by putting the water, yeast, olive oil and honey in the workbowl.
Whisk the ingredients to combine and let them stand for about 5 minutes.
Attach the dough hook and add in 3 cups of the flour. Turn on the mixer to medium-low speed and let the ingredients start incorporating until a soft dough starts to form. It will be a little sticky in texture.
While the mixer is still running, add in the last cup of flour and the salt.
Let the mixer continue kneading the dough on medium-low speed for 10 minutes, until it becomes smooth. If the dough sticks to the workbowl, sprinkle it lightly with small amounts of flour. Tip: You can always add, but you can't take away, so add the smallest amount of extra flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the workbowl. As it kneads and comes together it will start to form into a ball and no longer stick to the sides of the bowl.
Once the dough has finished kneading in the stand mixer, remove it to a lightly floured board. It will be quite dense and feel heavy--this is normal.
Knead the dough by hand 12 times. It should feel smooth and elastic.
Once you are finished kneading the dough by hand, form it into a ball.
Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl (use the same olive oil you used in the dough recipe) and coat the top and sides of the dough with a little more olive oil (about 2 teaspoons).
Cover the dough with a dishcloth and place it in a warm, draft-free area to rise. I like to preheat my oven to 200° and then turn it off. The oven stays just warm enough for the dough to rise. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Ta-daa! Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured board (it will deflate) and form it into a ball again. Divide the dough equally in half.
Form each half into balls and allow them to rest for 10 minutes, covered with the dishcloth. They will continue to rise slightly. After this second rise, either use the dough immediately or wrap well in plastic wrap and freeze.
If you are going to make pizza right away, preheat your oven to 525°. Tip: Make sure your oven is clean before you decide to make pizza. The intense heat combined with a dirty oven will result in a lot of smoke.
In my other post, I gave instructions on stretching out the dough with your fingertips directly on the baking sheet. After doing it that way several times, I realized it was not the best method (for me anyway) to stretch out pizza dough. It never stretched out evenly and I constantly tore holes in it. So I have found that the best way to get an even, thin crust is to roll it out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured board. It doesn't have to be a perfect shape--you can always carefully mold it once you place the dough onto the baking sheet.
While you are rolling out the dough, place the baking sheet(s) in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes. You want them to be really hot before you place the dough on them. Don't do this until you are completely ready to cook the pizzas.
Rub some olive oil on one side of the pizza dough. Carefully remove the hot baking sheet(s) from the oven and place the pizza dough oiled side down onto the hot baking sheet(s). You will hear it hiss and sizzle.
Rub more olive oil on the other side of the pizza dough and spread it out evenly to the edges. Place your favorite toppings on the dough and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the toppings are cooked to your liking. Tip: All ovens are different--some are hotter than others and many ovens have hot and cool "spots", so monitor your pizzas while they are cooking and rotate the baking sheet(s) halfway through the baking time to ensure even cooking.
Remove the cooked pizza to a board, let it rest for about 5 minutes, slice and serve.
Pizza Dough
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties1 1/4 cups warm water (100°-110°)
4 1/2 tsp. (2 packets) active dry yeast (not "rapid rise")
3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 T. honey
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading & flouring the board
2 tsp. kosher saltPlace the workbowl of an electric stand mixer in the sink and run hot tap water into it for a minute. Dry thoroughly before placing it back in the mixer stand.
Preheat the oven to 200°. Once it gets to temperature, turn off the oven and leave the door closed.
Pour the water, yeast, olive oil and honey into the workbowl and whisk gently to combine. Let stand 5 minutes. Tip: Measure out the olive oil before the honey--the olive oil will leave a slick coating on the measuring spoon and the honey will slide right out instead of sticking.
Attach the dough hook and add 3 cups of the flour to the water-yeast mixture. Turn the mixer on the medium-low speed and let the ingredients begin to incorporate. The dough will look uneven and "shaggy" at first. Add the last cup of flour and the salt and continue kneading at medium-low speed for 10 minutes. Sprinkle the dough lightly with flour if it sticks to the workbowl. As the dough kneads, it will begin forming into a solid ball.
After the dough has kneaded for the full 10 minutes, remove it to a lightly floured board and knead it by hand 12 times. It should feel smooth and elastic, but it will be heavy and dense. Form the dough into a ball.
Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl (use the same olive oil you used in the dough recipe) and drizzle a little bit more olive oil over the dough and rub it evenly over the top and sides of the dough. Cover the bowl with a dishcloth and place in the warmed oven. Allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Transfer the risen dough to a lightly floured board and form into a ball (it will deflate when you remove it from the bowl). Divide the dough equally in half and form each half into a ball. Leave each dough ball on the board and cover with the dishcloth. Allow to rise for another 10 minutes.
After the second rise, either use the dough immediately, or wrap well in plastic wrap and freeze.
To thaw frozen pizza dough: Leave the dough out at room temperature (still wrapped) until fully thawed (about 2 hours), then remove the plastic wrap and place it in a well-oiled bowl, cover with a dishcloth and leave at room temperature. It will rise a little bit more as it sits.
Tips for a crisp crust:
- Roll out the dough with a rolling pin so that the dough is even in thickness throughout.
- Once the oven has been preheated to 525°, place the baking sheet(s) in the oven for about 5 minutes to heat through completely. Don't do this until you are completely ready to cook the pizzas.
- Rub a little olive oil on one side of the rolled-out dough and transfer the dough to the hot baking sheet oiled side down. You will hear it hiss and sizzle.
- Rub a little more olive oil on the top crust and spread it out evenly to the edges. Top with your favorite toppings and bake until the crust is golden and toppings are cooked to your liking.
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Can't wait to try! My first batch is rising now! I've heard so many great thinks about BC's pizza dough recipe, but didn't like any of the tutorials. I've already printed yours :) Have you ever tried rolling them out and then flash freezing? I'm just thinking that might save a step when I want to make a pizza... simply pull out the pre-formed dough, let it thaw, add toppings & bake? What do you think?
I love homemade pizza! Great, thorough instructions!