Easy Homemade Pizza Dough

By Sprig Originals ✓ · with credit

Adapted from sallysbakingaddiction.com

A soft, chewy pizza dough that comes together with pantry staples and bakes into a crisp, golden crust. It makes two 12-inch pizzas, so you can bake both or freeze half for a fast dinner later — and kids love shaping and topping their own.

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups warm water (about 110°F/43°C)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 standard packet)
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing and brushing
• 1 teaspoon salt

• cornmeal, for dusting the pan
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
• 1 cup pizza sauce
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or a large mixing bowl), whisk together the warm water, sugar and yeast. Cover and let it sit for 5 minutes — it should look foamy and smell yeasty.
2. Add 3 1/2 cups of the flour, the 2 tablespoons olive oil and the salt. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes, until the dough gathers into a mass and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If you're mixing by hand, stir it together with a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula.
3. Knead for a full 5 minutes, either in the mixer on medium speed or by hand on a lightly floured surface. Add flour only 1 teaspoon at a time if the dough sticks badly — you want it soft and just slightly tacky, never dry. It's ready when you poke it and the dent slowly springs back, or when a golfball-size piece stretches thin enough to see light through it without tearing.
4. Shape the dough into a ball, set it in a lightly oiled bowl, turn it once to coat, then cover and let it rise in a warm spot for 60 to 90 minutes, until doubled in size.
5. Heat the oven to 475°F (245°C) and let it preheat for a good 20 minutes. Punch the risen dough down and divide it in two (freeze one half now if you only want one pizza). Dust a baking sheet or pizza pan with cornmeal, then stretch and press one piece of dough into a 12-inch round, working from the centre outward and building up a slight rim. Brush the dough lightly with olive oil and scatter over the minced garlic, if using, then prick it a few times with a fork.
6. Spread about 1/2 cup of pizza sauce over the base, leaving the rim bare, and cover with 2 cups of mozzarella. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling and lightly browned. Let it rest 5 minutes before slicing, and repeat with the second piece of dough.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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