I love making pizza at home and I do it all the time. It is cheap, easy, and satisfying. If you have some yeast, flour, honey, and olive oil on hand a perfect pizza crust is only an hour away. Great for last minute dinner parties, group parties (everyone bring a topping), or just a feel-good meal for yourself.
Last night was one for cleaning out the fridge. I found some arugula pesto, a 2lb. bag of miniature sweet peppers, and an abundance of cheese (mozzarella, feta, goat, and parmesan). All signs pointed to pizza, so I whipped up a batch of dough. I adore this recipe because there is nothing to measure (you’ll find that I detest measuring). In the recipe below I have included measurements, but once you make this dough once you will probably never have to measure while making it again.
Recipe (the long version, short version at bottom of post): I start by rinsing a medium stainless-steel mixing bowl in hot water. The metal holds heat (or cold) for quite awhile and by warming it up you’ll find that you have happier yeast (and quicker rise times). Add about 1 cup of warm to hot water to the bowl…the water should be warm enough that the yeast will be active but not hot enough to kill them. Add a packet of yeast, a dollop (1 tbsp.) of olive oil, a squirt (2 tsp.) of honey, and a pinch of salt to the water. Stir briefly to combine with a fork and let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes.
Above: It's alive!!!! Happy yeast, primed and ready to go!
Once the mixture is foaming, add 2 cups of flour and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. At this point I add in a spice blend if I choose to use one. There is nothing wrong with plain pizza dough, but last night I decided to take advantage of the fresh oregano and thyme I received from my weekly CSA, along with some garlic and crushed red pepper, to make herbed dough. The resulting smell that came out of the oven was reward enough to sell me on using herbs more often!
Above: Spice blend. Clockwise from top: thyme, garlic, crushed red pepper, and oregano.
Add the remainder of the flour about 1/3 cup (or handful) at a time…I find that the total amount of flour I use varies a bit with the type of flour I use. Knead the dough with your hands for about 5 minutes. You’ll know you’ve reached the right consistency when your dough is smooth, elastic, and just a tiny bit tacky on your hands. Warm another stainless steel bowl and pour a tablespoon of olive oil into the bottom. Plop your ball of dough into the bowl and roll it until both the bowl and the dough are thinly coated. Cover the bowl with a warm damp cloth or greased cling wrap and allow the dough to rise for an hour, or until the dough has roughly doubled. What to do in this hour of wait time? Walk the dog, drink a glass of wine, and prepare your pizza toppings!
Before After
Once the dough has risen, preheat your oven to 425F. Stretch the dough with your hands or roll it with a rolling pin into whatever size and shape you desire. I usually make 4 personal sized pizzas or one cookie-sheet sized pizza. Place the rolled out dough on a greased cookie sheet and smother it with toppings. Bake the pizza for about 15 minutes or until the bottom is nicely browned. This crust is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, just as pizza dough is meant to be.
Last night I made 2 small pizzas and froze the other half of the dough. One pizza had an arugula pesto sauce and was topped with thinly sliced onions, sundried tomatoes, chive blossoms, goat cheese, parmesan cheese, and fresh ground pepper. The other was sauced lightly with olive oil and then covered with thinly sliced mini peppers, roma tomatoes, chopped oregano, feta, mozzarella, and black pepper.
Ahhh the smell that wafted out of the oven as the pizzas baked! Sheeba (my dog) wandered in and out of the kitchen as if she was wondering what masterpiece was hiding in the oven! The pizzas came out beautifully, all of the flavors and colors melding together just as I had hoped. The herbed dough was a great change from the norm and made me feel like I had turned my balcony into a gourmet bistro!
I hope you enjoy this pizza dough recipe and use it to construct something delicious! Leave a comment and let me know how it turns out!
Brittany
A note on using leftovers in pizza construction:
Usually, my pizzas are a vessel for using up soon to be expired leftovers and produce. Don’t be afraid to experiment with your pizzas! Some delicious combinations have come out of this kitchen on “clean out the fridge” day. Here are some of the more unlikely champions:
Leftover pork pizza
Sauce: light spreading of BBQ sauce
Toppings: leftover pulled pork, cilantro, cheddar cheese
Leftover chicken pizza:
Sauce: I used cilantro pesto, but olive oil and garlic would also work
Toppings: cubed cooked chicken breast, cranberries, mozzarella, fresh ground pepper
Bruised apple pizza: (thanks, Mariah!)
Sauce: olive oil and microplaned garlic
Toppings: thinly sliced apple (fuji, braeburn, and gala all work well), gorgonzola cheese, sprinkle of mozzarella across the top
Perfect Pizza Dough (the short version)
Ingredients:
1 cup warm-hot water
2 1/4 tsp. (or 1 packet) active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt (or less, depending on saltiness of toppings)
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. honey
2 2/3 – 3 cups flour (I use whole wheat)
Spice Blend (optional):
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
Mix first 5 ingredients in a warm bowl and let sit for 5-10 minutes, or until the yeast is active. Add flour (gradually toward the end) and spice blend and knead for 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour. After rise is complete, stretch or roll out dough into size and shape of interest. Place dough on a greased cookie sheet, cover with toppings, and bake for ~15 minutes at 425F.
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