Making homemade pizza dough is a snap when enlisting the help of a food processor or stand mixer. Here’s a dough recipe I use to make Neopolitan style pizzas at home and they always turn out much better than anything from a local pizza joint. Try this dough with our Breakfast Pizza recipe.
Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus more for lubricating the bowl
- 1 ¼ cups warm water between 100 and 110 degrees — any hotter will kill the yeast
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Step 1
- In a 2 cup capacity measuring cup (a spout makes pouring easier later), stir the yeast, sugar and olive oil into the warm water.
- Let the yeast mixture sit for 3 - 5 minutes until it bubbles.
- Choose one of the following steps for mixing the dough (stand mixer or food processor - but not both)
Step 2 (option A - stand mixer with dough hook)
- Place the flour and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Here's the stand mixer we use and recommend.
- Mix the flour and salt on low speed to distribute the salt.
- Pour in the yeast mixture and mix at medium speed until a rough, sticky ball of dough comes together — about 1 minute.
- Let dough rest five minutes in the mixer.
- Mix on low speed for another 1 minute — until the dough is no longer sticky.
- Oil your hands with olive oil, transfer the dough to a kneading surface, and knead about 30 seconds.
- Proceed to step 3 — the proof.
Step 2 (option B - food processor)
- Place the flour and salt in a food processor. Here's the food processor we use and recommend.
- Pulse the flour several times to distribute the salt.
- Turn on the processor to continuously run.
- Slowly pour the yeast mixture through the tube —a couple of tablespoons at a time — pausing briefly between pouring to allow the flour to absorb the liquid.
- After all the yeast liquid has been added, continue to process until the dough forms a ball and cleans the side of the processor bowl.
- Continue to run the processor for 1 additional minute to knead the dough.
- Proceed to step 3 — the proof.
Step 3 — Proofing
- Coat a large bowl with olive oil.
- Place the dough in the oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Take care not to cut yourself on the food processor blade if you used option B.
- For a quick proof, set the oven to warm (lowest setting or proof setting if available) and let the dough rise for 1 hour in the oven until doubled in size.
- — OR —
- For a slow proof (better flavor and texture), allow the dough to rise on it’s own in a warm place for 1 ½ - 2 hours until doubled in size.
- Divide dough into four equal parts and use in your favorite pizza recipes.
Notes
To prevent dough from sticking to surfaces when rolling out, scatter corn meal on the rolling surface and apply corn meal to the rolling pin.