Homemade Pizza Dough

An easy homemade pizza dough from scratch that comes together in an hour and is perfectly chewy and crisp!

There's just something about scent of yeast and water that brings back childhood memories. A drizzle of olive oil, the fold in of water, the back and forth of a dough with endless possibilities. Homemade pizza dough is one of those meals that just instantly brings families together. It's special in it's own right.

Often making a homemade pizza dough sounds like a daunting and time consuming task. Yet, there are options to be able to make a pizza dough from scratch in an hour. That hour is mostly for allowing the dough to rise. Your work really only takes 10-15 minutes. Let the yeast activate, combine the flour and ingredients, knead for about 5 minutes and then let the dough do the rest of the work. In no time at all you and your loved ones can be gathered around the kitchen counter creating endless homemade pizza topping combinations!

Cozy Tips for Homemade Pizza Dough

• Make the dough and then allow it to rise while you clean up and gather the pizza toppings for an even quicker dinner process.
• The dough can be made ahead of time and placed in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• You can make 4 mini personal size pizzas such as below or two larger size pizzas.
• Gather all of the toppings for the pizza while the pizza is baking for an easy process.
• Have the whole family join in on making their pizza and play some Italian or fun music. You can even set out a red or white checker table cloth.

Ingredients for Homemade Pizza Dough

• 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 Packet Active Rapid Rise Yeast
• 1 Cup Warm Water
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Honey
• 1 Teaspoon Salt

Helpful Kitchen Tools

• Large Bowl (love this brand)
• Fork
• Measuring Cup (Have and love these)

Why Use Instant Active Dry Yeast?

Instant yeast helps speed up the proofing time of the dough, which makes this dough a go to during the weeknights. If you cannot find instant yeast, active dry yeast will work just fine. However, you will want to allow additional rise time to about 2 hours or until double in size.

What If My Dough Is Too Sticky?

The hydration of the dough depends on a few factors including the addition of flour and humidity. If you find your dough is too sticky, simply knead in extra flour ½ cup or less at a time until the dough is firm but elastic. A good sign is if you gently press your finger into the dough, does it bounce back a bit.

What If My Yeast Doesn't Foam?

Yeast can be tricky if the water temperature is not just right. It can't be too hot or too cold. Warm water at 100-110 F is ideal for yeast. I go by if it is the temperature of a baby's bath water. If the yeast is not foamy, don't use it and start again.

The Cozy Details

Step 1: In a small bowl, combine the water and yeast. Stir and allow to sit covered for 5 minutes until foamy.

Step 2: In a large bowl, combine honey, olive oil and salt. Stir in the yeast mixture to honey, olive oil and salt.

Step 3: Mix in the flour and salt into the liquid mixture and stir together until a dough forms.

Step 4: Knead on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes.

Step 5: Once the dough is smooth, drizzle a bit of olive oil into a clean large bowl and place the dough into the bowl. Cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm spot for an hour until about doubled size.

Step 6: After the dough has risen, you can then shape the dough into round balls and stretch to the pizza, calzone, or breadstick size of your preference. Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

More Dinner Ideas

• Homemade Orange Chicken
• Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu
• Chicken Pot Pie With Puff Pastry
• Creamy Homemade Tomato Soup