Pizza Dough. When making homemade pizza, you want a pizza crust that’s easy, one that makes people ooh and ahh with every bite, right? This pizza dough recipe from Rebecca Lindamood’s cookbook, Ready, Set, Dough!, is IT!
Without a doubt, it is the BEST and EASIEST, and MOST DELICIOUS I have ever made. Just 5 ingredients, and simple instructions makes enough dough for THREE pizzas, and it is now the ONLY dough I will use to make my Pepperoni Bread.
This family is always on the hunt for delicious pizza.
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Wherever I’ve lived – Chicago, Phoenix, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, I’ve made it a point, to find the best pizza near me.
I’ve rallied the family to take part as well, but that certainly hasn’t been hard to do. haha
When I was growing up, Pizza Hut was our go-to.
I don’t remember Mom ever making it, but Grandma most certainly did.
I mean, if a woman was baking Italian bread practically every week, then you know she most certainly had a recipe for pizza dough.
Believe me when I say, this one I’m sharing with you today is better!
You might just want it to be pizza night every night of the week, too.
Pair it with strawberry spinach salad, and it will be a dinner the family won’t soon forget.
You might even want to serve a frozen Bahama mama or two with it for the adults and these copycat frosted lemonades for the kids.
SAVE THIS SIMPLE PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!
But now, you can skip the pizza restaurant and make THE best pizza pie at home thanks to Rebecca Lindamood of Foodie with Family, and her cookbook, Ready, Set, Dough! Beginner Breads for All Occasions.
Also, Rebecca has not just one cookbook credit to her name.
She has two!
Her third, The Ultimate Guide to Vegetable Side Dishes set to release October, 20, 2020.
Her first, Not Your Mama’s Canning Book: Modern Canned Goods and What to Make with Them, is a great book for people who are interested in learning to preserve food but don’t know where to start.
So, suffice it to say that Rebecca Lindamood most definitely knows her stuff and her way around the kitchen.
She’s a phenomenal teacher as well, giving clear and easy instructions in ALL of her recipes – whether in her books or on her blog.
I cannot stress this enough, you and everyone you know NEEDS this cookbook!
And I’m not saying that because Rebecca’s a really good friend, or a fellow avid Red Sox fan. She most certainly is both of those, but I’d still be saying it if she wasn’t.
If you like carbs (and I know you do!), and or baking bread, this book is a must-have in every kitchen.
From the World’s Fastest Sandwich Bread, English muffins, to pretzels, bagels and more, this book’s got it!
What are the ingredients do I need to make pizza dough?
- flour
you can use all-purpose flour or “OO” flour which is an Italian-style flour. - kosher salt
- active dry yeast
- lukewarm water
- olive oil
How do you make pizza crust from scratch?
- Whisk together the flour, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl.
- Pour in the water and olive oil.
- Stir together with a sturdy wooden spoon until a shaggy dough is formed.
- Knead for 10 minutes until dough is smooth, elastic and stretchy.
This can be done by hand or in your stand mixer on medium. - Place dough back into bowl, cover and let it rise for 1-2 hours until double in size.
What to make with this dough?
As I said earlier, this recipe is the ONLY one I will use from now on when making my pepperoni bread or spinach pepperoni bread.
It just makes both of these recipes SO much better!
The crust is light, fluffy, and so much more delicious than doughs I’ve used in the past.
It is the perfect pizza crust for her Classic Homestyle Sheet Pan Pizza (page 40).
When making a pizza, how long do I cook it?
- When making a sheet pan pizza, preheat your oven to 425°F, and bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until the crust is set and has golden brown edges.
- When making the 12-inch (30 cm) or 10-inch (25 cm) round pizzas, preheat the oven to 425°F. and bake for 20-25 minutes or until crust is set and is golden around the edges.
I’ve used it to make these Parmesan Bread Bites, and they were delicious! They’re super easy to make once the dough has been made, and lots of fun to pop into your mouth after dipping them in some marinara.
I’ll also be using it for my taco braid, Denver scrambled breakfast braid, and this one, too!
I’m also going to have to use it for the grilled Margherita pizza and grilled spinach, Feta and chicken pizza.
Once we get a grill, that is.
Rebecca suggests using it in other recipes in her book as well, such as the Italian-style Wood-Fired pizza, Stone-Cooked Pizza (page 43) or Cool-Kitchen Grilled Pizza (page 44).
You can also make the Better Than Pizzeria Garlic Knots (page 53) and “Choose Your Own Adventure” Meat-and-Cheese Calzones (page 50).
So, see what I’m telling you?? You NEED this book!
How long does pizza dough last in the fridge?
This dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.
To store: label a zipper-top freezer bag with the size of the pizza. (Use one bag per round of dough you wish to use later.) Drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil in each bag, rub around with your hands to make sure the inside is well coated, and insert one dough ball into each prepared bag.
To use refrigerated dough: place the dough in its bag on the kitchen counter and allow it to come to room temperature and rise for an hour before you want to use it and bake it.
Can I freeze pizza dough?
You most certainly can!
One thing I absolutely LOVE about this recipe is that it makes enough dough for me to use for dinner and then I can freeze the rest to use later.
You can store it in the freezer for up to 3 months before using.
Follow the directions above for storing it in zipper-top freezer bags.
To use frozen dough: transfer the bag of dough to the refrigerator the day before you plan to use it, then onto the counter to come to room temperature and hour before you wish to bake it.
Let’s not delay this any longer. On to the recipe!
Classic Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 8 cups all-purpose flour (1 kg by weight), also *see note
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (12 g)
- 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast (10 g)
- 2 ⅔ cups lukewarm water (630 ml)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml) plus extra for bags if you plan to save dough for later
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast in a large mixing bowl or the work bowl of a stand mixer. Pour in the water and olive oil. Stir together with a sturdy spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Knead with floured hands or by stand mixer for 10 minutes on medium or until the dough is smooth, elastic and stretchy.
- Return the dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean shower cap, plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1-2 hours., or until approximately doubled in size and puffy.
- Divide the dough into your desired size (see note). Use your hands to roll each piece of dough into a tight ball and allow it to rise for 20 more minutes before baking.
- This dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months before using.
- To store: label a zipper-top freezer bag with the size of the pizza. (Use one bag per round of dough you wish to use later.) Drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil in each bag, rub around with your hands to make sure the inside is well coated, and insert one dough ball into each prepared bag.
- To use refrigerated dough: place the dough in its bag on the kitchen counter and allow it to come to room temperature and rise for an hour before you want to use it and bake it.
- To use frozen dough: transfer the bag of dough to the refrigerator the day before you plan to use it, then onto the counter to come to room temperature and hour before you wish to bake it.
Notes
When using the dough for sheet pan pizzas, preheat oven to 425°F, and bake for 25-30 minutes until crust edges are a light golden brown.
This recipe can also be made using 9 ½ cups "OO" flour (1 kg by weight) - an Italian-style flour.
I am so glad you love the book! Thanks so much, Lynne!! Now I need to go make your pepperoni bread!!!
Rebecca, I cannot thank you enough for creating a book of such delicious, easy and straightfoward recipes! This one recipe has seriously changed my pizza game as well as the Pepperoni Bread. I’m so looking forward to incorporating it into many more!
If you want it take it up a notch add a teaspoon of honey. Also after you oil your pan, Sprinkle some cornmeal on it.
Great tips, Anita, thank you!
I always thought you had to add sugar to activate the yeast. NO?
Deanna, I know some bread recipes do require some sugar to proof the yeast, however this one does not, and it’s turned out beautifully the MANY times I’ve made it.
Yum, want this!
Lin, you will absolutely love it!
Can I use a rapid rise yeast and if so how much?
Kim, you can substitute, rapid rise yeast for the active dry yeast in the same amount as called for in the recipe.
I only have the yeast that you have to “activate”. Can I still use it the same way or do I need to do something different?
Rosanna,
First, make sure that you’re using “Active Dry Yeast” and not “cake yeast”. If it is “cake yeast” then you’ll have to Google the equivalent.
Follow the directions as posted in the recipe, mixing it with the salt and flour, no need to activate it and let it rise in water first.
I’m new at this . you didn.t say what temp. to bake at or how long?
If you’re going to be making a sheet pan pizza, in the book, Rebecca says to preheat your oven to 425°F, and bake for about 25-30 minutes.
can i use bread flour
Judith, you can definitely use bread flour (in the same amount) as many people do use it for making pizza dough. Bread flour has a higher gluten content than all-purpose flour, and the dough might be a little more difficult to form because of it, but you’ll get a nice crispy crust on the outside with a good chewiness and texture inside.
Hope you like it, and please let me know how it turns out!
What about Temps and times for the 8″ and 10″ round pizzas?
Jayy, When making the 12-inch (30 cm) or 10-inch (25 cm) round pizzas, preheat the oven to 425°F. and bake for 20-25 minutes or until crust is set and is golden around the edges. 8 and 10 inch pizzas would be the same temp and shorter cooking time as well.
Many pizza recipes call for par-baking. I’m not sure what the reason for that is, but how does this crust do without doing this?
Faye, there is no need to par-bake the crust. It cooks perfectly without doing so.
Thank you for the recipe! Can’t wait to make pizza this weekend!
I made this crust last night and was told this was the best pizza crust I have ever made. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Yay, Catherine! That is so wonderful to hear! I am so very glad you liked it and thanks so much for the rating, too.
Can I use almond or coconut flour to make this please
Julie, I have not used either almond flour or coconut flour to make this recipe, nor has Rebecca Lindamood, the recipe’s creator. That being said, if you’re going to try it, my suggestion would be to either half the recipe or make a third of it so that if it doesn’t work, you haven’t wasted a lot of money on ingredients.
Does the dough still need to rise before storing it in the refrigerator or freezing it?
Yes, you will need to have it rise before storing it in the refrigerator or freezer. Then before use, follow the instructions to let it come to room temperature and thawing before using.
When you say only use 1/3 of the pizza dough for the Parmesan bites is it cut the ingredients to measure down to 1/3 ? Or just make the Pizza dough in its entirety then only use 1/3 of it for the bread bites??
Nora, you’ll make a full recipe of the pizza dough, but then only use one third of the total pizza dough recipe for the Parmesan bites.
I made dough now ..so I can put my pizza sauce right on the unbaked dough right? And than all my other stuff? Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Yes, Esther, the sauce goes right on top of the unbaked dough then the cheese and toppings. Then you’ll put it into the oven to bake following my directions in the post on how long to cook the pizza. Hope you like it!
I cannot wait to try this. Love pizza.
Thanks so much, Peggy! I hope you love it as much as my family does!