Homemade Pizza Crust and Suggested Toppings
This is a no-fail crust for your next homemade pizza night experience with your friends + family. Be sure to read the bottom tips!
Ingredients
3 cups lukewarm water
2.5 Tbsp. dry yeast
1 cup olive oil
5 tsp. sugar
7.5 cups flour
Suggested Toppings to Go w/ the Menu Provided in Post:
- Tomato sauce
- Pepperoni
- Sausage
- Salami
- Mozarella
- Provolone
- Parmesan
- Gorgonzola
- Goat cheese
- Fresh basil
- Cherry tomatoes
- Dates
- Balsamic reduction sauce (I like Trader Joe’s)
- Spinach
- Artichoke hearts
- Kalmata olives
- Crimini mushrooms
- Red onions
- Olive oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, add the water and sprinkle the yeast and sugar to the top. Let the yeast activate. Add the olive oil and salt.
Stir in the flour one cup at a time (I use my KitchenAid with my dough hook) but you can also do this in a large bowl. Mix well until it gets to be an ear lobe consistency – see tip at the bottom.
Cover the dough with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise one hour.
Punch it down with a fist in the middle after rising.
Give everyone a small round of dough and let them roll it out using extra flour and rolling pins.
Place the pizza crust on a pizza paddle sprinkled with cornmeal and top. When finished, slide the crust onto a hot baking stone or baking sheet.
Bake for 8 minutes at 500 degrees.
Notes
TIP #1: Here is the secret to perfect dough – when it’s all mixed together it should feel like an ear lobe. I know that sounds weird, but watch – it works. If you need to add more flour to get to that state, do it! You can always add more flour but it’s hard to take it away, so start with less and add as you knead the dough.
TIP #2: I turn on my oven to 200 degrees and then turn it off after it reaches that temp. When the dough is ready to rise, I put the large bowl in the warmed oven (but make sure it has been cooled a little – you don’t want to cook the dough).
Tip #3: A pizza paddle is helpful when making your own pizzas. After rolling out the dough, place the round on a pizza paddle sprinkled with corn meal. Top the crust while it is on the paddle. Slide the crust onto a hot baking sheet or pizza stone and cook (the corn meal will help it slide off easily).