Easy Pizza Dough

Written by CUBBin the Kitchen Published on July 11, 2021 in Dinner, Fakeaway Recipes, Lunch, Recipes

My Easy Pizza Dough is an absolute staple in my kitchen. This recipe makes enough dough for two 12 inch pizzas. Which means I freeze one portion of dough so I’m never too far away from homemade pizza. This is one of those people pleasing recipes that I make time and time again. The easy decision is deciding to make this pizza dough the hard decision is what to top it with!

Now I know there’s a reason I have called this my Easy Pizza Dough and not a Perfect Pizza Dough. That is because everyone has their own perfect pizza is it a bouncy, bready deep base? A thin crispy base? A chewy base with plenty of bubbles? You see there are so many choices. This recipe is a safe middle ground – a thin centre with a puffy, pillowy outer crust, perfect for dipping.

I always use my stand mixer to knead this pizza dough and then finish with my hands. So a once the dough is starting to look bouncy and elastic I will knead on a lightly floured surface. Now to talk about proofing. Where you proof the dough does make a difference. If it is draft and cold then it will take much longer to rise. In the winter I tuck mine on the floor under a radiator for an hour. In the summer it rises best in the bathroom away from an draughts from open windows and doors. If you can’t find anywhere then you can place it into the oven to rise either turned off or on the lowest you can heat it to.

Now the secret to my Easy Pizza Dough is using Garlic Infused Olive Oil. Not only does the oil keep the interior soft and pillowy. But it also adds flavour, you really miss the flavour if you don’t use Garlic Oil. However if you rally don’t want to used Garlic Oil or don’t want to buy it just for this recipe then I will say use Olive Oil. The flavour adds to the base, using a flavourless oil would be ok but it is worth using Olive Oil or even better Garlic Infused Olive Oil. I also use a drizzle of the Oil in the bowl whilst the dough rises and proofs adding another layer of flavour.

The great thing about this recipe is it makes enough that you can have two! I always freeze one portion for later. To thaw it out from frozen ideally place it overnight in the fridge then at room temp for 30 mins before stretching. If you try and stretch out your pizza whilst it is still fridge cold it will rip and you won’t get the size you want. So make sure it has reached room temp first. I always stretch by hand rather than using a rolling pin. A rolling pin will knock a lot of the air out and lead to denser crust.

Making fakeaway recipes is one of my favourite things to do. Have a look at some of my other Fakeaway Recipes:
Halloumi Curry
Crispy Chilli Beef
Lamb Burgers with Cheats Mint Mayo
Chicken with Cashew Nuts
Fish & Chips Traybake
Orange Chicken
Chinese Pork Buns

Let me know what you think of this Easy Pizza Dough in the comments below. If you have a go share your pictures with me, tag me on social media use the hashtag #CUBBintheKitchen to be featured in my stories.

Happy Eating!

Easy Pizza Dough

This gives you a pillowy crust with a crisp thin base

2 . 25 tsp Yeast
1 tbsp Sugar
320 ml Warm Water
470 grams Strong White Bread Flour
0 . 75 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Garlic infused Olive Oil (plus a little more to grease a bowl)

In the bowl of a stand mixer, with dough hook attachment, place the Sugar, Yeast and Water and give is a quick mix then let sit for 10 minutes until foamy.
If you have no stand mixer you can of coursedo this in a large bowl.
Once foamy add the rest of the ingredients, the Flour, Salt & Garlic Oil and mix.
This will need kneading you can use the stand mixer or your hands. You will need 10 minutes in the stand mixer or 15 by hand. The dough will still feel slightly sticky after this but that is ok.
Place the kneaded dough in a bowl greased with Garlic Oil and allow to double in size.
(Place it in a draft free warm place)
Preheat the oven to 180°C
Divide the dough in two (you can freeze one if you wish).
Take a pizza tray or large baking tray and sprinkle lightly with flour or if you have any semolina. Now stretch the dough out. You want the base to be nice and thin and to get a great puffy pillowy crust I roll the edges over towards the centre.
Once you have the dough shaped you can top with whatever you wish.
Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden and piping hot.

Leftovers Tip

Of course this recipe makes enough dough for two large pizzas. I always freeze one of them and defrost when pizza is required.
However if you find yourself with leftover pizza that you aren’t just going to eat cold the how about cutting into fries and making loaded pizza fries. or cube and bake in the oven until crisp to make pizza croutons for soup or salads.

Baking, Main Course, Party Food

Italian

Bread, Cheese, Comfort Food, Crispy, Crust, Dough, Fakeaway, Family, Home, Home Baking, Home Cooking, Homemade, Italian, Lunch, Party, Party Food, Pizza, Takeaway