The Best Pizza Dough

-Courtney-

Pizza! Who doesn’t love pizza? Actually though. I’d like to think I’ve met a lot of people in my life and I can only think of one person who has admitted to not liking pizza. It’s a comfort food, you can do different topping combinations every time, and it’s actually quite simple, what’s not to love?!

Growing up, pizza and a movie was a Saturday tradition. We would look forward to it throughout the week. It was a great time spent together as a family eating great food. My mom was a master pizza maker–and she definitely got a lot of practice! If I had a group of friends over, that was usually my meal request! I always knew her pizza would go over well and be thoroughly enjoyed. She enjoyed trying different types of pizza toppings and combinations out: pepperoni, meatlovers, taco, bbq chicken, plain cheese, and loaded with veggies. As a kid, my favourite was probably classic pepperoni and cheese. Now, I’d have to say bbq chicken, or meatlovers would be what I reach for first! She passed her recipe down to me and it has been put to good use, to say the least!

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I don’t think I could even count the number of times I helped top those pizzas for my mom–that was my brother’s and my job. Although, I don’t think I ever made pizza dough until I got married. It was probably for the best, because adolescent Courtney probably would’ve messed it up. However, I’d have to say that I’m pretty confident in my pizza dough making skills now! I also have had lots of practice up till now because I’ve tried to keep the Saturday pizza tradition alive! We really love pizza in our household–every one of us! Therefore, if we’re not home Saturday night, I usually make it another time that week. We don’t let our schedule make us miss out on our weekly pizza fix! It’s one of those meals that I am always prepared for. I make sure to consistently have the ingredients in the fridge or freezer!

Ingredients/Supplies

Some notes about the ingredients I use.

Warm water

I do not measure the temperature of the water I use, and it always seems to work out. As long as it’s not too hot, you’ll be okay. Also, I sometimes substitute whey for the water in this recipe! I make yogurt regularly, and so I almost always have whey to use up, and this is usually the place I do it! Just substitute it for the same quantities–I don’t notice any difference in taste!

Pizza Sauce

You can use whatever kind of sauce you prefer! If I don’t have any homemade tomato sauce in my pantry collection, then I usually use one of the Classico pasta sauces–we’re not picky!

Cheese

Everybody seems to say that mozzarella is the cheese to use for pizza. However, I actually rarely use mozzarella! I usually only buy marble cheese and so that’s what we have in the fridge! My family is also not picky enough to have a specific cheese for pizza. As long as there is cheese–we’re happy! Have fun with it though! Being specific about the cheese you do choose can change the taste of the pizza a little bit! Cheddar gives you a bit of a sharper taste, whereas mozzarella is a bit more mild! Be creative!

Pans

I usually use stoneware pans when cooking my pizzas. They’ve become well seasoned over the years so I don’t usually have issues with my dough sticking to them. However, I have noticed that if my dough does stick to the pans, it’s because it was too sticky. I just make sure to add a bit more flour next time! If you’re using classic metal pans, I would recommend either using parchment paper or spraying the pans liberally with cooking oil before spreading your dough onto them. 

I also want to note that this dough is so versatile! I’ve made pizza rolls, cinnamon rolls, and personal-size pizzas with it! Once you have the dough mastered, the options are endless!!

So come along with me, and make the best, yummiest, and simplest pizza dough there could be! 

Servings: 2 pizza pans

2 Cups Warm water

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1⅓ tsp Instant Yeast

2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Sugar

5 1/2 – 6 Cups Flour

Start by mixing the warm water, olive oil, and yeast. Mix until the yeast is dissolved and let it sit a couple minutes. Then add in the salt and sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the flour, one cup at a time until 5 cups. Then add it in smaller quantities until it becomes a soft, not-sticky dough. Split it into two balls of dough (you can use a scale to be precise or do it like me and just eyeball it). Then let it rise*, approximately 30-60min. Spread it onto your pizza pans and top it as you’d like (see below for some different topping combinations). Bake both pizzas at 425 degrees F for 20-25 min, switching once halfway. It’s finished when the dough is just golden and the cheese has browned slightly!

*The longer you let the dough rise, the fluffier it will be. However, if you’re short on time, you can use it right away.

I usually just throw whatever I have in the fridge onto my pizzas! Everything seems to taste good on pizza! Here are some different combinations to try for your next pizza night! Have fun!

Classic Pepperoni

• Pizza Sauce

• Pepperoni

• Cheese

Meatlovers

• Pizza sauce

• Pepperoni

• Bacon bits

• Sliced ham deli meat

• Sliced turkey deli meat

• Cheese

Hawaiian

• Pizza Sauce

• Sliced ham

• Pineapple (from a can or fresh, although fresh is the best!)

• Cheese

Deluxe/Loaded Veggie

• Pizza Sauce

• Your choice of meat 

• Bacon Bits

• Peppers

• Tomatoes

• Mushrooms

• Olives 

• Onions

• Cheese

BBQ Chicken

• BBQ sauce 

• Cut up chicken coated in bbq sauce

• Peppers

• Bacon

• Onions

• Cheese

• Bbq sauce drizzle once it’s cooked

Taco

• Refried beans

• Salsa

• Pepperoni

• Jalapenos

• Cheddar Cheese

Recipe