Homemade Pizza Dough

Pizza is so good it doesn't need an introduction. Everyone loves it. Period. The End.


Making your own pizza at home is cheap, easy, and really fun. I even had my goofy little brother in the kitchen helping. We liked this recipe so much we made it twice over the winter break before I came back to school.

First, you need a good dough. This recipe makes 4 medium thin-crust pizzas. If you don't like thin-crust, this is not the dough for you.

Basic Pizza Dough (Adapted from A Couple Cooks)

• 4 cups flour
  
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 3/4 cups warm water
• pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients except water in the bottom of a stand-mixer with dough attachment (you can also use a food processor or do it by hand). On lowest speed, slowly add warm water. Knead with the dough hook on medium speed until soft and no longer sticky (add a little extra flour if you need it). Turn dough into a freshly oiled bowl and let it rise for 1 hour, covered with plastic wrap.

After 1 hour, punch the dough down, and divide into 4 equal disks. You can freeze the dough at this point in round disks for later.

To use right away, wrap each disk with plastic wrap, and let rest for 30 minutes, while you assemble your toppings! Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. If you have a pizza stone, more power to ya. If not, sprinkle some cornmeal on few pizza pans or cookie sheets.

Carefully stretch your disks into about 10 inch rounds. Go slowly to avoid holes! Top with marinara sauce, mozzarella, pineapple, olives, mushrooms, whatever you like.

In your 500 degree oven, the pizzas should only take about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden. Enjoy!