When the pizza craving hits you, a frozen pie is normally the solution. Although it will fill you, I find the frozen pizza leaves me extremely unsatisfied. The toppings are scarce, the dough is meh, and there is never enough to feed everyone. However, making my own pizza always seemed complicated, and labor intensive. That is, until now.
Recently I found this basic pizza dough recipe and I absolutely swear by it.
This dough is easy to make, you can freeze it for later, and there is enough to satisfy a family of four with ease.
This recipe takes about 10 minutes to make, 30 minutes to rise, and 20 minutes to bake. So basically an hour from start to finish. I know that seems like forever when your are hungry, but here is the trick. You can make the dough, let it rise, roll it out, add your toppings and then, freeze it for later. Just pop it in the oven and add about 5 minutes to the cooking time. Voila. Easy weekend football game solution.
This is a great cooking activity your kids can get in on the action with. Together you make this dough without causing you any stress at all, and double it up for the impromptu freezer craving. Of course the fun part is kneading it and building your own pizza master piece. The family can have their own custom creations on a whim. It really doesn’t get much better than that.
Pizza cooking tip:
A subtle trick to use when cooking fresh or frozen homemade pizza dough, spray your pan with a non-stick spray and then sprinkle a small amount of corn meal over the entire tray. One tablespoon is more than enough. The corn meal gives the pizza base a “crunch” while also aiding in the prevention of the dough sticking to the pan.
The Ultimate Traditional Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 Tsp traditional yeast
- 1 Tsp sugar
- 1 Cup water
- 2 cups flour
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- Pam spray
- Cornmeal
- Pizza Sauce
- Mozza Cheese
- 2 rectangle cookie trays for 4 pizzas. 2 pizza trays for 2 pizzas.
Instructions
- In a liquid measuring cup, add 1 cup of warm water.
- Add the yeast and the sugar, stir gently, and set aside for approximately 5 minutes. The yeast should begin to foam and rise to the top when ready.
- Using a stand mixer with a dough hook, add the yeast mixture and mix for 10 seconds.
- Add the flour and mix slowly.
- Add the olive oil slowly to the flour while flour is mixing.
- On a medium low speed, mix the dough for approximately 10 minutes. The dough should come together, have pulled from the sides, and kneaded itself into a smooth texture.
- Remove from the mixer bowl, and knead a couple of times to bring the dough together. Fold the dough into a ball, place back in the mixer bowl, cover bowl with a tea cloth or Saran Wrap, and set aside in a warm part of the kitchen for 30 minutes to allow it rise. (double in size)
- Once the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl. Knead it a few times, not too much, and divide it into 4 equal portions.(or two if wanting larger pizzas)
- Prepare you Pizza pan/cookie sheet with non-stick spray and a sprinkle of corn meal.
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- Using the palm of your hand, begin to flatten the pizza dough to form an 8 inch round circle. You may want to lift the dough and using your fingers, stretch the dough to pull it out easier. Be careful not to tear the dough. You just want to gently stretch it.
- Once dough is ready, add two 8 inch circles to your prepared pan. Add the pizza sauce,( about 2 tbsp per pizza), top with mozzarella, add your favourite toppings, a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and place into middle rack of the oven.
- Cook for 20 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
If you intend to freeze this pizza for later, prepare up to the end of step 11. Then place pizza in freezer on the tray until frozen solid. Remove, and place in a freezer safe ziplock bag or vacuum seal it. When ready to eat, remove from packaging, and bake at 400F for approximately 20-25 minutes.
