Easy homemade pizza dough is made from wheat flour, warm water, fresh yeast, olive oil, and salt, kneaded for 10 minutes, risen for 45 minutes to an hour, and stretched into two pizza bases that are prebaked for 3 to 4 minutes before adding the toppings. It takes 90 minutes of preparation and about 10 minutes of baking, and serves 4.
Making pizza dough at home is easy, but it needs planning, both to have the ingredients ready and to respect the fermentation times. For the best flavor, let it ferment in the fridge for at least 12 hours.
How to Make Pizza Dough?
Use bread flour and extra virgin olive oil for the best result. The yeast is dissolved in warm water and mixed into the flour, the oil and salt are added, and the dough is kneaded vigorously until elastic, then left to rise before it is divided, stretched, and baked.
Nutritional Information
Each serving of pizza dough contains approximately 410 kcal, 9 g of protein, 10 g of fat (1.5 g of saturated fat), 0 mg of cholesterol, 70 g of carbohydrates, 0.5 g of sugars, and 790 mg of sodium. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.
Easy Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
Preparation: 90 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes
Servings: 4 (2 pizza bases)
Ingredients
- 400 g (3⅓ cups) of wheat flour
- 200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tablespoon) of warm water
- 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of olive oil
- 15 g (½ oz) of fresh yeast
- 1½ teaspoons of salt
Instructions
- In a cup, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let it rest in a warm place for about 5 minutes. Sift the flour into a large bowl and set about 30 g aside. Make a well in the center, add the dissolved yeast, and mix with a wooden spoon from the inside out, little by little, until combined.
- Add the olive oil and the salt and mix until you get a sticky but firm dough. Turn it out onto a smooth, floured surface and work it vigorously by hand for about 10 minutes, stretching and twisting it several times, until elastic and smooth.
- Add the reserved flour little by little until the dough no longer sticks to your hands. Shape it into a ball, place it in a floured bowl, cover with a clean towel, and let it rise for 45 minutes to an hour, or until it springs back when pressed with a finger. Ideally, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it ferment in the fridge for at least 12 hours.
- Divide the dough in two and stretch each half on a pizza pan or baking tray to the thickness you like, then let it rest 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F) for about 10 minutes with top and bottom heat. Brush the bases with olive oil for a white pizza, or with tomato sauce. Bake for 3 to 4 minutes, take them out, add your toppings, and return them to the oven until the cheese melts.
Additional Tips
Choose the flour
Use high quality wheat flour, ideally type 00, for a tastier, more elastic dough.
Prefer fresh yeast
Fresh yeast gives a better texture and flavor. If you use dry yeast, make sure it is fresh and active.
Watch the temperatures
Use water at about 40°C (104°F) to activate the yeast, then keep the dough at a room temperature of about 22°C (72°F).
| Original ingredient | Substitute | Ratio | Flavor note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh yeast | Dry yeast | 5 g | Dissolve the same way |
| Wheat flour | Type 00 flour | 400 g | More elastic dough |
| Olive oil | Sunflower oil | 30 ml | Neutral flavor |
| Room temperature rise | Cold rise in the fridge | 12 hours or more | Deeper flavor |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Why does the dough shrink back when I stretch it?
The gluten is too tight. Cover the dough and let it rest 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature, which relaxes it and makes it easy to stretch.
2. Can I replace the olive oil with another fat?
Technically you can use sunflower oil, but extra virgin olive oil adds an authentic Mediterranean flavor and improves the stretch of the dough and the texture of the crumb.
3. What happens if I mix the salt directly with the yeast?
Avoid direct contact. Salt draws water out of the yeast cells and can weaken them before they start working, so add it once the flour and yeast are already combined.
4. Do I need to prebake the base before adding toppings?
With very moist toppings, such as a lot of tomato sauce or vegetables that release water, a 3 to 4 minute prebake keeps the base crisp.
5. Can I freeze raw pizza dough?
Yes. Do it after the first rise: shape individual balls, coat them with a little oil, and store them in airtight bags. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using.
History of Pizza
The roots of flatbreads like pizza go back to ancient Egypt and Greece, and in Italy similar breads were already made about 2,000 years ago. Italy is where the recipe and its varieties took shape and won worldwide fame.
Did You Know?
The first written record of the word pizza appears in a Latin document from 997 AD in Gaeta, Italy, which set an annual payment of twelve pizzas to the local bishop.
How to adapt this recipe to a vegan or vegetarian version?
How to adapt this recipe to a gluten-free version?
How to adapt this recipe to a keto (ketogenic) version?
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