Nothing beats a good slice of pizza. So simple at times, so surprising at others. Always irresistible, from classic pepperoni to new combinations that you haven’t yet tried – chilaquiles, hamburger, or grasshopper pizza, anyone?
Let’s face it, many of us wish we could make our own pizza when that uncontrollable craving hits but don’t have the patience or time to even try. For those who fall into this category, here is a quick and easy recipe for the best homemade pizza dough to customize and enjoy calmly on a night at home with a glass of wine.
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water (110° F / 45° C)
- 1 package (0.25 ounces / 7.08 grams) active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 2 ½ cups bread flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Steps
- Gather all ingredients. Preheat oven to 450° F / 230° C, and lightly grease a pizza pan.
- Place the warm water in a container, add the yeast and sugar. Mix and let sit until creamy, about 10 minutes.
- Add flour, oil and salt to the yeast mixture and beat until smooth. You can do this by hand or use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook to make it easier.
- Let dough rest for 5 minutes.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and pat or roll out into a 12-inch circle.
- Transfer to a prepared pizza sheet.
- Spread the crust with sauce and toppings of your choice.
- Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown (15-20 minutes). Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
How to stretch pizza dough
For one of the most difficult processes when making a pizza, the All Recipes page has given us instructions to achieve it in an easy and practical way.
To shape the dough
Make sure the dough reaches room temperature. Once you are done mixing the ingredients, let it rest for about 30 minutes. This will allow the gluten to relax, making it much easier to stretch and shape. Cold dough is much more difficult to work with.
Prepare your surface with oil
You can prepare your work surface with a handful of flour to prevent the dough from sticking. This is a useful step, however, too much flour can cause it to become tough. Instead, rub the surface (and your hands) with a few tablespoons of olive oil and maybe a little flour. This will prevent sticking, encourage a crisp texture, and ensure a beautiful golden color.
Shape the dough
You have a few options when it comes to shaping the dough: stretch it in the air, use a rolling pin, or pat it with your hands. Whichever method you choose, make sure not to overwork the dough. Kneading it too much will make the dough turn tough. When rolled out you should have an even circle that is about 10 to 12 inches wide (25 to 30 centimeters) and about ⅓ inch thick (just under 1 centimeter). If you get too thin, the crust may tear when sauce and toppings are added.
Finally, we leave you with our wine recommendations to pair with your pizza.
- For cheese: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from Casalfarneto
- For pepperoni: cabernet franc from Romepcabeza
- For margherita: rosé from Gallo Family
- For sausage: sparkling rosé syrah from Lavista
