IT’S A TERRIFIC TUESDAY!
I know, Tuesdays aren’t always so terrific, but every once in a while there’s something terrific happening on a Tuesday.
Today I’m heading on an epically long flight to Australia before traveling around Southeast Asia. I won’t get too much into it now because I’m sure you’ve already read about it and are following along on Instagram, so let’s get straight to it… HOMEMADE PIZZA CRUST!
And let’s keep it short and sweet, you know, cause we’ve got places to go, things to do, people to see.
This is the first pizza dough recipe I’ve made that delivers! It’s thick enough to create the perfect crust, slightly chewy, and crisp enough to hold up to toppings.
This is a yeast dough, so you’ll need to proof the yeast before mixing it with the bread flour.
How to Make Homemade Pizza Crust
BREAD FLOUR – ok, it’s worth it. I know, you’re probably thinking (as I was for so many years), “no, I’m not buying bread flour…what a waste… it can’t be that different…”
It is. Bread flour gives pizza crust that chewy, crispy, springy crust. I think that the lack of bread flour may have been the error of my ways all these years.
If you’re concerned about having too much bread flour around… look at it as the glass half full and make more pizza! 🙂 Good things, right?
Once the yeast has proofed, you’ve mixed together the remaining ingredients, and you’ve kneaded the dough, it will need to sit for a bit to rise. Look at how it almost doubled in size!
Once you begin rolling, it should form the shape of a pizza without hesitation – just be sure you work from the inside out. If it bounces back and resists the “pizza shape”, let it rest for a few more minutes; the gluten just needs to settle a bit more.
It should easily form into a round pizza shape, and will quickly make Tuesday pizza dreams come true.
One last note – the onion powder totally adds a lovely flavor and amps up the “pizza” feel, but if you’re opposed, you could leave it out. Cheers to an epic at home pizza night!
Get the Recipe Homemade Pizza Crust
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 active dry yeast packet, 2 1/4 teaspoons
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 Cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt*
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes; it will begin to foam.
- Meanwhile, combine bread flour, sea salt, and onion powder in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Once the yeast has set (proofed), pour it into the dry ingredients, along with 3 Tablespoons olive oil. Mix until combined and knead together for 3-5 minutes until tacky, but not sticky. Form into a ball. Coat a bowl with a thin layer of olive oil, and place dough in a bowl (you can turn it in the bowl to coat with olive oil). Cover bowl and let sit in a warm area for 1 hour.
- The dough will have doubled in size when done; punch the dough and knead for 5 minutes. Begin to roll out dough from the inside out. If it is springing back, the dough needs a few more minutes of rest time. Roll into the desired shape, creating the crust you desire as well.
- Bake as your recipe calls for, OR: using a fork, poke holes across the inside of the crust. Bake at 475°F for 5-7 minutes, add toppings, and then continue to bake until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown, usually an additional 10-12 minutes.
Delicious
So glad you enjoyed! Thanks, Ruth!