I have been looking for years for the perfect homemade pizza crust recipe. I've tried so many, and I've never been impressed. Really, they all tasted too... homemade.
I just wanted something... more, you know? Something you would get in a real pizzeria. Something to be excited about, not just satisfied with!
Well, I finally found it!!
Here are the three most important things I have learned through this search and process...
1. Bread flour is vital.
2. You must have a pizza stone!
3. Bake at a HIGH temperature... (500ºF to be exact!!).
Oh and like I said in my bagel recipe a few days ago... This is another one of those if-you've-never-made-bread-before-don't-rush-into-this-without-preparing things.
I love this recipe. It is simple and perfect in every way for me. That said... I never use only 4 cups of flour. Sometimes I need an extra 1/2 cup or more to get the right dough consistency. But that's basically because I don't have a scale to measure my ingredients.
Make sure you click on over to Annie's Eats original recipe of this before you make it. She's got some great step-by-step photos and tips!
Perfect Homemade Restaurant-Quality Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
adapted from Annie's Eats
makes 2 large pizzas, serving 6-8 people
Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water (105ºF)
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
4 cups bread flour (plus a bit more)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 cup water, room temperature
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:
In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the 1/2 cup warm water; Set aside.
In the bowl of your mixer, stir together the 4 cups flour and salt. Measure the remaining 1 1/4 cups water into the bowl with the yeast & warm water mixture.
With the regular beater blade and the mixer on low, pour in the water/yeast mixture and the olive oil until the dough starts to come together.
Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough on LOW speed for about 5 minutes, adding more flour a tiny bit at a time if needed, and kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Transfer the dough to a large bowl that has been lightly oiled and turn the dough once to coat it. Cover the bowl with oiled plastic wrap or a tightly fitting lid and then place in a warm place to rise for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, until doubled in size.
Gently punch down the dough to deflate it. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, separate into 2 halves and form each half into a round.
(At this point, if you are not going to use them right away, or if you are only going to make one pizza, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and then place it in a ziploc freezer bag in the freezer. When you are going to use it, take it out of the freezer in the morning and place it in the fridge to thaw. When you preheat your oven for dinner, take the dough out to rest and come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before proceeding.)
Cover the dough rounds with a damp towel and let them rest on the counter for 10-30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 500ºF with a baking stone on the lower rack.
Place a piece of parchment paper on a cutting board (or use a pizza peel if you have one!) and dust it lightly with flour. Gently stretch and shape the dough to the size you'd like with floured hands.
Brush a bit of olive oil (garlic infused if you have it!) on the outside crust, then spread your favorite sauce, cheese and toppings all over the center.
Use the cutting board to transfer the parchment and the pizza to the baking stone and bake for 8-12 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
