Basic Pizza Dough
Reviewers say this basic pizza dough recipe makes the best crust they've ever eaten. So the next time you're in the mood for pizza, make your own. Use the crust recipe as is or add mix-ins to customize it. Don't worry about rolling the dough into a perfect circle.
How to Make It
Step 1
Dissolve the honey and yeast in 3/4 cup warm water in a large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes or until bubbly. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 2 cups flour and salt to yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 6 minutes); add enough of the remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel slightly sticky).
Step 2
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 30 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If the indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.)
Step 3
Roll dough into a 12-inch circle (about 1/4 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface. Place dough on a rimless baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim. Lightly spray surface of dough with cooking spray, and cover with plastic wrap. Place the dough in refrigerator for up to 30 minutes. Bake according to recipe directions.
Step 4
Wheat Germ Dough: Replace 1/4 cup all-purpose flour with 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ.
Step 5
Asian Dough: Add 2 teaspoons raw sesame seeds.
Step 6
Herb Dough: Add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (use a mix of herbs or just one, such as basil or oregano).
Step 7
Nutty Dough: Add 2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts or pecans.
Step 8
Cheese Dough: Add 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan, fontina, or other cheese.
Step 9
Pepper Dough: Add 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper.
Step 10
Note: Nutritional analysis is for 1 (12-inch) pizza crust.
lukinball's Review
Really good pizza dough, and easy to pull together.
wordswork's Review
I don't know what I did wrong, but the dough turned out a bit tough for me.
avivaleah's Review
Very good and easy. I tripled the recipe and got 8-five ounce pieces and 1-almost eight ounce piece so I could have kids make individual pizzas for my daughter's birthday party. The dough puffs up a lot while baking, so roll the dough as thin as possible without breaking. Also, I made the dough in the morning and put it in the refrigerator after rising.
mikoprice's Review
N/A
JulieKendall's Review
Second time making this. This time I am making two pizza's instead of one because my son and husband liked it sooo much, one wasn't enough. They looked at me like where is the second one? It's a little time consuming but well worth the effort!
radiohigh's Review
This pizza dough is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! So delicious, in fact, we said it tastes better than the pizza we ate in Italy two weeks ago! My mother-in-law raved about it all throughout dinner.
We doubled the recipe to make an extra large, square pizza, and used a fraction of the dough to make garlic cheese breadsticks.
Now that some of the relatives are back from Scotland, we're making this pizza again tomorrow night! Mmmmm!
erinkirk's Review
I have tried many different recipes for pizza dough and this one is absolutely the BEST!! It is also easier than all the other ones I've tried. The only change was that I used instant yeast in stead of active dry yeast and bread flour instead of all purpose. As soon as the dough had risen, I patted and stretched it out, added the toppings and baked it on a stone at 425 degrees. Looking forward to having pizza more often!!
tompsfamily4's Review
I use this recipe every time I go to make pizza. You can make the dough the night before to save time.
Cristy's Review
I used this recipe and ended up w/ the best pizza I think I have ever eaten! Next time I will try adding some cheese and herbs.
chicago84's Review