A thick, golden, sizzling pizza hot from your oven that requires minimal work. You will never want to buy those frozen pizzas from the grocery store ever again. All you need for this homemade dough: flour, salt, sugar, instant yeast, warm water, & olive oil.
Pizza Dough Ingredients:
- 4 cups of all-purpose flour + more if needed
- 2 teaspoons of instant yeast, not regular dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- 2 teaspoons of fine salt (or 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt)
- 1 2/3 cups of warm water
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- To make the pizza dough: Mix the flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the olive oil and warm water.
- Stir the ingredients.
- Flour your hands and knead the dough in the bowl, shaping into a ball. You want the consistency of the dough to become smooth and no longer sticky to the touch; add more flour by the tablespoon if necessary for the dough to lose the stickiness. I often find that the dough needs several additional tablespoons of flour. The dough is extremely forgiving and smells heavenly! You will need to spend only a few minutes mixing and kneading.
- Shape the dough into a smooth ball, then set in a second large bowl with olive oil brushed all over the inside. Turn the dough over in the olive oil to coat it completely.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel.
- Set the bowl somewhere warm for an hour and a half to allow the dough to rise and double in size.
- To make the pizza: For two small pizzas, around 9″ x 13″ in size, divide the dough into two balls. (This is where I like to freeze one for future pizza at my fingertips). For one large pizza, use the entire dough recipe, which is enough for a 16″ x 16″ baking sheet, otherwise known as a Sicilian pizza pan.
- Brush the bottom of a baking sheet with a generous amount of oil to achieve a golden crust. Flatten and stretch out the pizza dough on the baking sheet into the desired shape with your hands.
- Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Place the pizza dough in a warm spot to rise a second time for 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes prior to baking. The oven needs to be hot enough for the crust.
- After the second rise, top the pizza with a light amount of marinara sauce. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes.
- Top with the rest of the sauce, cheese, and other desired toppings. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the crust is beautifully golden and the cheese is bubbling and melted.
- Allow the pizza to rest for 5 minutes. Cut into squares and enjoy. The bottom of the pizza should have a deep golden color, reminiscent of the Pizza Hut personal pan pizza.
Other Pizza Ingredients:
- Marinara sauce (homemade or a jar of your favorite sauce)
- Grated mozzarella cheese
- Pepperoni (?)
- Basil, hot pepper flakes, and Parmesan cheese for extra
This pizza is so good and easy to make, perfect for a pizza party night. I have experimented with a number of recipes over the years, and this one is a keeper.
