Simple. Fool proof. Fast. These are all qualities I look for in pain killers, automobiles, and pizza dough recipes. This recipe is wonderful because of its ability to work with both glutenous bread flour AND pure, gluten free 1 to 1 flour.
Enjoy the simplicity. Revel in the flavor.
LET’S GET COOKIN’
Ingredients
- bread flour or GF flour
- yeast
- sugar
- olive oil
First you have to activate you yeast. It’s like finding your keys. Without activated yeast, you’re not going anywhere.
LUKEWARM water, yeast and sugar go in measuring cup before a quick stir.
Top Tip: Use the inside of your wrist against the water. That’ll give you a better gauge of what is too hot and what is pleasantly warm.
While you wait for that to start frothing, sift your salt and flour together. If you don’t have a sifter, just give the flour and salt a good stirring with a fork. Same same.
Get a large bowl and dump in your frothy yeast water… it’s kinda icky, and yet strangely magical all at the same time.
Begin stirring in your cups of flour mixture. Also, dump in your oil (I’ve forgotten the oil more that once [good news, the dough still works without the oil, but it’s not as good. {the shame of forgetting makes everything taste terrible}]).
Once you can handle the dough, flop it on a countertop and begin kneading it. If it is sticking to your fingers, add a little more flour and work it through. Still sticking? A little more flour.
Top Tip: The dough should be moist, not dry. Dry dough won’t knead. Dough that sticks to your fingers ALSO won’t knead. It’s a sweet spot.
When you’ve kneaded so long that you start perspiring, you’re done! Cut the dough in half, oil a few bowls, and set the dough in them. Oil the dough as well.
Top Tip: What you don’t oil WILL STICK TO THE BOWL AND MAKE A HORRIBLY DEPRESSING MESS. I may have done that a few times. Stop judging me!
Once they’ve proofed, push the air out of them with your fist and press them out into your pizza pan of choice! This video has some tips!
EQUIPMENT
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PIZZA DOUGH
Can I make this ahead of time?
You can. Instead of going through the first proofing, just make your dough, separate into halves, then wrap in plastic and throw in the fridge. About an hour before you want to bake your pizza, take your dough out of the fridge, unwrap it, and proof it as you would have the first time around (place it in a bowl, cover it with a damp towel, and set that in a warm room for 40-minutes).
Can I make this gluten free?
Absolutely! It’s actually faster to make because you don’t have to knead your dough. I use 1 to 1 flour and it comes out crispy on the bottom with a nice chew in the center.
WHAT TO MAKE WITH THIS PIZZA DOUGH
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Pizza Dough
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 2 (pizza crusts) 1x
Description
Foolproof [ish] Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 1 packet (7 grams) active dry yeast
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) sugar
- 1 1/2 cup (360 ml) lukewarm water
- 1 tsp (5 ml) table salt
- 3 cups (720 ml) bread flour
- 2 1/2 TBS (45 ml) olive oil
Instructions
- Activate your yeast by placing your LUKEWARM water, yeast and sugar in measuring cup. Stir, and then let sit in a warm place for 10-minutes. See Top Tip above or reference the video for more help.
- Sift your flour and salt together.
- When that’s got a nice head on it, pour in a bowl and start adding your flour mixture. After some stirring add your olive oil.
- Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until it becomes dry enough to knead by hand. Transfer to countertop and knead for ten minutes.
- It hasn’t been ten minutes yet.
- Keep kneading.
- You’ve got this.
- Cut dough into two halves and coat two bowls with a tablespoon of olive oil. Use your hands to slather olive oil all over your dough. Now, cover your oily dough with a damp cloth and set it in a warm room to proof for 40-minutes.
- When the dough has doubled in size, you’ve arrived at a wonderful place! It’s now ready for you to push it down with your fist (think super slow motion punch!).
- Press out into a pizza pan, and enjoy!
EQUIPMENT
Notes
Warm room = anything warmer than 70*F (21*C)
Another idea:
You can start your oven on the lowest setting and when it reaches temp (usually 200*F [93*C], then turn it off. Open the oven for a few minutes, until the air inside feels “warm” on your face. Place covered bowls with oiled dough inside the oven and shut the door.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Category: Basics
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Pizza dough, homemade pizza dough, homemade dough
