Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe for Beginners

Ingredients for pizza dough:

• 1/3 cups (320 ml)
• warm water (between 38 and 43 °C, or 100 and 110 °F).
• Two and a quarter teaspoons (7g) Red Star instant yeast Platinum Yeast (one standard packet)*
• One teaspoon (13 grams) of granulated sugar
• Two tablespoons (30ml) olive oil, with more for frying and dough brushing
• One tsp salt
• 3.1/2 cups, or almost 450 grams Unbleached all-purpose flour (ground and spooned), plus more for the hands and a sprinkling of cornmeal on the pan’s surface

Directions for pizza dough

Step 1:

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment, whisk together the warm water, yeast, and granulated sugar. After covering, give it a five-minute rest. *In the following stage, use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to combine the dough in a large mixing basin if you do not have a stand mixer.

Step 2:

Stir in the flour, salt, and olive oil. Beat for two minutes at a low speed

Step 3:

Knead the dough: Continue beating the dough in the mixer for five more minutes, or knead it by hand for five minutes on a surface dusted with flour. To make a soft, somewhat tacky dough, add 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough, the work surface, or the bowl if you’re new to baking bread and the dough gets too sticky during the kneading process. You do not want a dry dough, therefore do not add more flour than is necessary. The dough should feel somewhat soft after kneading. Your dough is ready to rise if you poke it with your finger and it slowly bounces back.

Step 4:

Rise: Use the same large basin that you used for the dough, but lightly coat it with oil or nonstick spray.

Step 5 :

After placing the dough in the basin, turn it over to coat it completely in oil. Use a fresh kitchen towel, plastic wrap, or aluminum foil to cover the bowl. Let the dough rise for 60 to 90 minutes, or until it doubles in size, at room temperature.

Step 6:

Set oven temperature to 475°F (246°C). As you form the pizza, let it heat for at least 15 to 20 minutes. (If you plan to use a pizza stone, warm it in the oven as well.) Apply a thin layer of nonstick spray or olive oil to a baking sheet or pizza pan. Add a small pinch of cornmeal to the crust to give it more taste and crunch.