How to Make Pizza Dough Step by Step

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Make Your Own Pizza

Learn how easy it can be to make your own pizza right at home. I've included step-by-step instructions to help you make a tasty pizza crust. Making your own pizza is not only satisfying; it saves you a lot of money, too. Ingredients for pizza are much less expensive than your local pizzeria would have you believe.

Roll up your sleeves and get ready to learn the basics of How to Make the Best Pizza Dough.

The Basic Pizza Dough Recipe 

Use more flour if necessary to get a soft dough.

Photo courtesy of Flickr and Sarah and Jason

The following ingredients are the basis for most standard white-flour dough/crust recipes. Some people like to use olive oil. You can put lots of other things into the dough too. Try herbs like basil, oregano, or rosemary. Put in some minced garlic or garlic powder, but be a little careful here; too much garlic can retard the action of the yeast (pamper that yeast). I'll bet some chopped sun-dried tomatoes would be yummy.




1 package active dry yeast (2 teaspoons)
1 cup warm water (105° to 115°, no more)
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
(optional) 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little for coating



Step 1: The Yeast 

Photo courtesy of Diamond-Mind

Dissolve the yeast in warm water (this takes about five minutes). You'll know it's working if it bubbles up like the picture here. It doesn't have to bubble quite so much, but you want at least a few bubbles.

Make sure your water is not too hot. You want it quite warm, but not hot. High temperatures will kill the yeast. Too much garlic or too much salt will also mess it up. Yeast is such a pansy.



How does yeast work?
What's the difference between dry yeast and cake yeast?
What's the difference between regular yeast and rapid-rise?

Step 2: Mixing Your Dough 

Photo courtesy of Flickr and Life on Mars

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and liquid.

If making your dough by hand, stir until the mixture forms a ball, using a little more flour or water to get a ball that holds together but is soft and sticky. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for about five minutes.

If you have a mixer with a dough hook, knead the ingredients on low for about five minutes with the dough hook.

Why do I have to knead the dough, anyway?


Step 3: Kneading the Dough 

Rather than reading about the kneading process, watch this video.

The dough is really soft and somewhat sticky before the kneading process. Notice how the texture changes.

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curated content from YouTube

Step 4: Wait 

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap........

Photo courtesy of Shelli Akers

Once the dough has been kneaded enough to be really smooth and stretchy, it needs to rest (you would need a rest too, if you had just been through that). Place the dough ball into a greased bowl, cover it with a towel, and let it sit in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in volume. This may take one to two hours.



What should I do if the dough doesn't rise?
Where should I put the dough to get the best rise?
What if I have to leave before the dough is finished rising?
Can I make a pizza crust that I don't have to knead?


Step 5: Rolling The Dough Into Shape 

Photo courtesy of Flickr and Benjamin Harrison


Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and move it, by hand or with a rolling pin, into the desired shape and thickness. You'll need to keep your hands a little floury to keep them from sticking to the dough. If you're rolling out the dough, sprinkle it with a bit of flour as it begins to get too sticky to work. Make sure your edges are a little thicker than the rest of the pie crust.

Watch this Video to Learn How to Roll Out the Dough 

Includes a yummy recipes for a thin-crust pizza.

This is a great quick and easy pizza recipe. You don't have to wait hours and hours for your culinary gratification. That's worth a lot to me.

Runtime:
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Comments:

curated content from YouTube

Step 6: Transform the Dough into a Pizza 

This is the best part.

Photo courtesy of Flickr and Jeezuz84

Sprinkle a little cornmeal onto your baking sheet or pizza stone. Transfer carefully to baking sheet or stone and add the desired toppings. Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is melted and lightly browned.

When you pull it out of the oven, transfer the pizza from the baking sheet to a rack for a few minutes. This helps to keep the bottom from getting soggy (we all hate soggy bottoms).

How do you use a pizza stone?

Pizza Books on Amazon 

Great choices for expanding your pizza repertoire.

Pizza on the Grill: 100 Feisty Fire-Roasted Recipes for Pizza & More

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $10.88 (as of 11/17/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $16.00

The Art of Pizza Making: Trade Secrets and Recipes

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $12.95 (as of 11/17/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $12.95

The Ultimate Pizza Manual: Make Pizza Like the Pros... Used To!

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $13.45 (as of 11/17/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $14.95

How to Bake: Complete Guide to Perfect Cakes, Cookies, Pies, Tarts, Breads, Pizzas, Muffins,

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $24.75 (as of 11/17/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $37.50

I Recommend These Two Books in Particular 

The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread

Amazon Price: $23.10 (as of 11/17/2009)Buy Now
List Price: $35.00

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

 

American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza

Amazon Price: $18.45 (as of 11/17/2009)Buy Now
List Price: $27.95

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

 

Gas

More Recipes for Pizza Dough 

Using the same technique, you can make wonderful variations.

Thin Crust Dough
Crispy, crunchy.
Whole Wheat Dough
Has more protein, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. Healthy and tasty, too!
New York Style Dough
Thick edges and very thin middle. Yummo!
Sicilian Crust Dough
Toppings are baked right into the dough.
Cornmeal Crust
Stronger flavor and great for bold toppings. Try it as a Mexican pizza.
Mitch's Basic Pizza Dough
With a big spoonful of honey.
Quick Pizza Dough Recipes
Lots of quick and easy recipes from Cooks.com.

Thick or Thin? 

I'm not talking about your waist after you eat pizza.

People seem to have some strong opinions about their pizza crusts. Vote for your favorite type of crust in this extremely official, scientific poll. Make your favorite crust the most popular.

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Learn How to Make Your Pizza Crust Even Better! 

Secrets for the perfect pizza crust

Pizza Stones on Amazon 

Pizza stones are absolutely worth having.

Old Stone Oven 14-Inch by 16-Inch Baking Stone

Amazon Price: $37.99 (as of 11/17/2009) Buy Now

Bialetti 4-Piece Pizza Stone Set

Amazon Price: $24.99 (as of 11/17/2009) Buy Now

Good Cook 14.75 Inch Pizza Stone with Rack

Amazon Price: $15.86 (as of 11/17/2009) Buy Now

Sassafras Rectangular Baking Stone

Amazon Price: $27.57 (as of 11/17/2009) Buy Now

What's Your Favorite Pizza Topping? 

Pepperoni

6 points

Veggies

and lots of black olives and garlic.5 points

Mushrooms

4 points

Sausage

2 points

Ham and Pineapple

2 points

Artichoke Hearts

1 point

Combination

1 point

Black Olives0 points

Pizza Stuff on eBay 

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Blogging About Pizza Dough 

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