Easy Pizza Crust Recipe

Large sized baked pizza with cheese and pepperoni. Pizza cutter sitting just above the pizza.

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This easy pizza crust recipe makes homemade dough that tastes so much better than takeout! Here's a step-by-step through the whole easy process! Makes 2 12-inch pizzas.

Prep Time22

Cook Time8

Total Time30

Course: Dinner Recipes

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings:

Calories: 2222kcal

Author: Samantha Erb

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup water
2 teaspoons sugar
2 packets active dry yeast .5 ounces total
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup olive oil + 3 teaspoons
2 tablespoons cornmeal

Instructions

Place a pizza stone in the oven. Set the oven to its lowest setting and allow it to fully warm up for 5-8 minutes. Now turn off the heat and keep the door closed until needed.
Meanwhile, heat water in a measuring cup until it reaches a temperature between 110° - 115 degrees F. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Stir in the packets of yeast and let the mixture sit undisturbed for 5 minutes or until it is foamy.
Combine the flour and salt in a stand mixer bowl with the dough hook attachment.
Slowly add the yeast mixture and ¼ cup of olive oil. Mix on low speed for 2 minutes and then increase to high for 5 minutes. At this point, the dough should feel soft and smooth with a bit of elasticity.
Grease a work surface or clean counter with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and divide the dough in two. Shape each piece into a ball. Wrap one of the dough balls in plastic wrap and freeze it for use later.
Grease an oven-safe bowl with 1 teaspoon of oil and place the dough ball in it. Cover the bowl with a tea towel or regular towel and place it in the warmed oven for 10 minutes to let the dough rise. It should double in size.
Set the oven to its maximum heat setting; 500 degrees F or as high as 550 degrees F is better.
Stretch the dough out to the size of the pizza pan. Sprinkle the cornmeal on the pizza pan (or peel if using), then transfer the dough to it.
Brush the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil along the top edges of the crust then top the pizza with sauce, cheese, and toppings. Now is the time to transfer the pizza from the peel to the stone if using one.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the crust is golden-brown and the cheese is bubbling hot. Let it sit for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Yeast will die at a water temp of 140 degrees F.
The dough should be soft and a bit sticky. If it is too wet, add a tablespoon or more flour and continue mixing. Likewise, if the dough is too dry, add a tablespoon of water and continue mixing until you have reached the perfect consistency.
This recipe makes enough dough for two balls. Freeze the second dough ball and let it thaw on the counter the morning before you want to make pizza.
Don’t use a rolling pin when shaping your circle; doing so will cause all the bubbles (created during the rise) to burst, resulting in a flat & dense pizza.

Nutrition