An easy homemade dough that you can throw in the freezer and use anytime! This is a basic dough recipe that can be used for pizza, breadsticks, or calzones. The possibilities are endless!
I will say that this dough is so easy because of my stand mixer, but it can totally be done by hand as well. Just be ready to get your hands messy! This mixer is easily one of my favorite wedding gifts, and I try to use it as much as I can. I have my eye on those fancy attachments like the spiralizer and pasta maker. But for now, dough is the way to go!
Enjoy!
- 1 1/3 cups warm water
- 1 envelope active dry yeast
- 1 tsp white granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus extra to coat the bowl
- 3 1/2 to 4 cups all purpose flour
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. Add warm water and contents of yeast packet to the bowl of your stand mixer with dough hook attached. Gently stir to combine and let sit for about 5 minutes.
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. Add sugar, salt, and olive oil to the yeast mixture and again stir gently to combine.
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. Add 3 1/2 cups of flour to the water mixture and start to mix on low speed until combined.
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. Increase speed to medium for about 5 minutes to knead the dough. If the dough looks too wet, add 1/4 cup more flour and continue to knead. The dough should bounce back to the touch, and not be sticky.
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. Coat a new bowl with about a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil.
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. Remove dough from dough hook, form into a ball, and transfer to the oiled bowl. Roll the dough ball in the bowl to coat with oil, then set it crease-down in the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
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. Punch down the dough and split into halves.
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. This is the point where you can freeze the dough for future use. Place dough half into freezer safe ziploc bag, removing all of the air, and label with today's date. The dough will last for up to 3 months in the freezer - but I doubt you'll wait that long to use it!
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. To use, remove from the freezer and defrost in the fridge for about 24 hours, then let sit on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour in order to reach room temperature before proceeding with the steps for cooking.
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. Gently knead the dough half and again place in an oiled bowl. Loosely cover the bowl and let rise again for about 30 minutes.
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. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 450F.
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. Lightly coat your pan with nonstick cooking spray. I use a rectangular nonstick 10x15 sheet pan. You could also use a round pizza pan. Whatever the shape, I recommend using nonstick!
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. Transfer your dough half to the pan you'll use to cook, and use your fingers to spread the dough to the edges of the pan. Use your fingertips to press into the dough to prevent too much air in the dough.
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. Let the dough on the pan rest again for another 15 minutes while you gather your toppings!
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. Mix 2 tbsp olive oil with 1 tsp minced garlic and use this to brush the entire crust before adding any toppings. Then add whatever sauce, cheese, or veggies you'd like! (See some of my suggestions in this blog post)
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. Bake your pizza in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Enjoy!
STEP BY STEP PHOTOS:
It’s important that your water is warm – over 100F. I don’t use a thermometer to measure the temperature, I just turn the faucet to warm, and use water that is hot to the touch but not unbearable.
Start by mixing together the warm water and the contents of the yeast packet.
Add the oil, sugar, and salt and give it a whirl to combine.
Add in 3.5 cups of all purpose flour.
Stir on the lowest speed to combine, and you’ll get this shaggy dough.
Then start kneading! Or, really, let your mixer start kneading. Be sure to lock your mixer or it’ll go all over the place. I usually turn it to level 2 or 4 and let it go for about 5 minutes.
Place your dough in an oiled bowl, tossing it around to fully coat in the olive oil.
Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm space to rise for about 2 hours. I put mine on our stove with the surface light on – it acts as a warmer and keeps the dough happy.
It should double in size in about 2 hours or so, depending on your yeast.
Then you’ll punch it down and divide it in half.
Then you can either freeze these dough halves, or move forward with making some homemade pizza!
If freezing, stick in a freezer bag and label with the date. To use, defrost in the fridge for 24 hours, then let come to room temperature for about an hour before using.
When ready to use, gently knead and place in an oiled bowl and let rise again for another 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 450F and lightly spray your pan with nonstick cooking spray. When time is up, use your fingers to spread the dough out onto your baking sheet – I use a 10×15 nonstick sheet pan, but use whatever you have! Gently press into the dough with your fingertips to prevent too much air from being in the dough, and let the dough rest another 15 minutes.
I like to mix together 2 tbsp olive oil with 1 tsp minced garlic, and brush this all over the dough before adding anything else.
Now it’s time for toppings! Get creative – use whatever you’ve got on hand, or whatever your heart desires! This one pictured is my homemade oven roasted tomato sauce and vegan mozzarella shreds and Trader Joe’s.
Here’s some of my favorites:
- Classic Cheese: tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmesan
- Margherita: layer fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, and fresh mozzarella
- Spinach & olive: layer smoked mozzarella, fresh spinach, and black olives
- Pesto & grilled veggies: pesto and your choice of grilled (or roasted) veggies – you won’t miss the cheese! May I suggest zucchini, squash, and broccoli?
Bake your pizza at 450F for 12-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool slightly before slicing.
