Totally unhealthy post this time! Made this pizza awhile ago with homemade pizza dough and waited this long to share it. I figured since pizza is a warm, comforting food, it is perfect for any season. I do have to say that this is a wonderful homemade dough, that captures the dough-chewiness to normal pizza, like Round Table or Little Caesars. I sometimes like a little chew and dough to my pizza – it isn’t always about the NY Style ya know (although I do love it and will post on it later). Pizza dough is very easy to make – only 4 ingredients. I wish I did have a stone oven/stone pan where I can emulate more of the slight crunch on the outside and doughy on the inside texture. But this will do. And I have to say I loved it!

Ingredients (2 pizza doughs/2 12in. pizzas)

Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker

1/2 cup warm water (not hot to touch)

1 envelope instant yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp)

1 1/4 cups water, room temp

2 tbsp olive oil

4 cups bread flour (high-gluten)

1 1/2 tsp salt

1. Place the warm water in a bowl, and sprinkle the yeast over. Let stand for 5 min, until foamy. If it isn’t foamy, then the water might be too warm, killing the yeast, or the yeast is bad. ***(If you know that your yeast is good, then you can skip this step and go straight to Step 2, mixing the dry yeast with the flour). 

2. In a stand-mixer bowl, use a dough hook, on low speed, to mix together the flour and salt.

3. In a small bowl, mix together room temp water and oil.

4. On med-low speed, slowly pour in the liquid ingredients into the flour/salt.

5. Let the dough hook work its magic by kneading the dough until the dough forms a round cohesive ball that slaps the side of the bowl.

6. Oil a large mixing bowl, and place the pizza dough in it. Cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise for 1.5-2 hours, until doubled in size.

7. Once doubled in size, press the dough to deflate it.

8. If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven. Heat the oven to 475 deg. ***I don’t have a pizza stone, so I placed my large cookie pan inside, upside down so the surface on top is all flat.

9. On your work space, place a large sheet of parchment paper on it and lightly flour it. Place your pizza dough on the surface, and cut it in half. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, and let rest at least 10 min, but no more than 30 min.

10. Stretch the pizza dough until you have a round-ish circle, or a rectangle, whatever you want. Make sure you keep the other half of the dough covered.

11. Top with your toppings. Then, use a separate flat pan to shovel the pizza underneath to place it in the oven.

12. Bake for 8-12 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and brown on some areas.

13. Bake or freeze the other half of dough!