Quick and Easy Pizza Dough Recipe

Friday pizza nights are a family staple and our favorite pizza to have is homemade. A few years ago I looked into why my homemade pizza dough always ended up feeling thick, heavy, and doughy. I wanted that light crumb texture you get when going to a restaurant.

I learned that the key was using the right flour. First I switched from All Purpose to Bread Flour, and that worked for a while. The pizzas were a lot lighter an chewier, much closer to restaurant quality.

Then I learned about 00 Flour. This flour changed the game!

It’s the key to getting that thin crust that still has structure and support for all your toppings. It bakes up perfectly crispy even when used in the simplest of dough recipes.

There are a few pizza dough recipes I’ve used over the years. From simple to more involved ones where you are weighing everything out. And I’ve gotta say, in this season of life, simple is better for me.

I can whip up a batch of pizza dough around 2pm and have it ready to bake by 5. Perfect for those weeks where I’ve forgotten to prep dinner but don’t want to order out.

A few tips I’ve learned from working with this dough:

Knead it well before letting it rise, then don’t knead it again! Dough made with 00 flour is light and stretchy. If you knead it too much, you’ll lose that stretchiness and it will have some strong snapback.
Use only the smallest amount of flour for your work surface. Once risen, when you go to divide the dough, you only need a small amount of flour to keep it from sticking. Too much and it impacts the dough.
Avoid using rolling pin. This will push the air bubbles out of the dough and limit the stretch.
Stretch it right over your pan and stretch it slowly. If you stretch it too quickly it will rip. If that happens, no worries, you can pinch it together.

A good pizza pan makes all the difference. I don’t grease or prep these pans at all. They are naturally non-stick and our pizzas slide right off. Just wash them gently with light soap and water when done.

Want to stretch your 00 Flour? You can make this recipe with 1/2 00 Flour and 1/2 Bread Flour and it still creates a delicious dough. Don’t have 00 Flour yet? Just use bread flour!

Kelsey’s Easy Pizza Dough

(Makes 2 large pizzas)

INGREDIENTS

3.5-4 Cups 00 Flour
2.5tsp instant yeast
2 tsp salt
1.5Cups water, 110 degrees (tap water as hot as you can get it is fine)
2 Tbsp olive oil plus 2 tsp

Directions:

Combine the flour, yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine. While the mixer is running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball.
If the dough is sticky, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth ball.
Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, cover with plastic wrap and put it in a warm area to let it double in size, about 1-2 hours. (House temperature will impact)
Once risen, turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and divide into 2 equal pieces.
Cover each with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest for 10(ish) minutes.

Cook in oven preheated to 425 degrees.

Stretch out dough slowly, top with desired pizza toppings and cook for about 20 minutes.