Homemade Pizza Dough 101

Name: Homemade Pizza Dough 101
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 450 gm flour; 1/2 tsp honey; 2 tsp instant dry yeast; 300 ml warm water; 1/2 tsp salt; 3 tbsp olive oil; 1/4 cup semolina

Easy homemade pizza dough from scratch, no machine needed. The recipe needs flour, honey, dried yeast, salt and water. A little olive oil to help with the kneading, it is chewy, fluffy, airy and crispy with every bite once baked.

If you know anything about me, know this: I LOVE PIZZA. Which might seem surprising considering I am only just sharing a pizza recipe here. I have made pizza at home for years and honestly I don’t know why I haven’t shared any recipes yet. So I thought it might seem only fair to share my go to pizza dough recipe that is simple but all delicious. There are many recipes you can follow to make the perfect homemade pizza dough but this one requires no fancy ingredients or equipment. A little effort and patience goes a long way.

Since this is my first pizza recipe I thought we should keep it simple but effective. This is a fool proof recipe that you can double up or scale down. I have made it during the week in a hurry and at leisure on the weekend as well. What I am trying to say is, this recipe is so simple but very effective to make as a beginner or intermediate baker.

What are 3 main ingredients in pizza?

The main ingredients in pizza are flour, water and salt. There are many versions on how to make a starter the night before using flour and water. But this recipe we will be using instant dry yeast which is what makes it easy to prepare at anytime.

How many ingredients are used in pizza?

6 ingredients is all you need to make pizza dough. Most of which you already have in your pantry in the kitchen. Flour, honey, dried yeast, warm water, salt and olive oil.

What are the ingredients to make pizza dough at home?

The beauty about pizza dough is the fact that the ingredients are very simple. Flour, honey, dried yeast, warm water, salt and olive oil. Now, this could vary in quality and substitutes. What does that mean?

Flour –

You can use all purpose flour but you can make it with a mixture of whole wheat flour as well. Pizza flour is also a fantastic option if you can get your hands on it. Stone ground flour is the best option giving the best results. Now keep in mind, the better the flour the better the taste and texture of the pizza dough once baked. The recipe works with regular flour as mentioned and for the purpose of this blog I have used all purpose to show you the result but the better the flour the better the result.

Honey –

I love the flavor honey adds into the dough but you can use sugar or any other sweetener of your choice. Do you need to add honey? I think it adds an element of flavor, we don’t want the dough sweet like sugar, it is a tiny amount that gives you a lot of flavor and balances out the saltiness as well.

Dried yeast –

I have used instant dry yeast to make this dough, you can use regular dry yeast – which might take little longer in the preparation time as you would need to bloom it in water before adding it into the flour to ensure it has dissolved and gotten activated. If you have access to fresh yeast you can use that too, but you need to half the amount with fresh yeast. I have not worked this recipe with sourdough so I wouldn’t be able to advise you on the percentage of sourdough starter to flour, water etc.

Warm water –

If you want a rapid rise I would recommend using warm water. What do I mean by warm? When you dip your finger in the water it should feel warm to the touch. There should be a little heat but it should not be HOT. Don’t use cold (fridge) water either – this will keep the yeast dormant. If you are not in a rush you can use room temperature water.

Salt –

This is essential if you want your pizza to have any flavor at all. Do not amen the mistake of skipping it as the dough will be bland. I have used regular salt here but you can use any you like. Also salt is subjective but I think you cannot go wrong with the suggested amount in this recipe.

Olive oil –

Once the dough is mixed, it will be sticky, the olive oil helps bring it together while kneading. We also brush the bowl generously with olive oil to ensure the dough doesn’t stick while proofing. Can you use any other oil? I prefer the flavor of olive oil in pizza but if you are allergic you can use rapeseed oil or any other oil whose flavor you like.

What equipment do you need to make pizza at home?

This recipe uses a bowl, your hands, dough scraper, pizza peel, baking paper and an oven. You can use a stand mixer to knead the dough but this recipe is perfect if you make it by hand as well. If you don’t have a dough scraper you can use the back of a butter knife to help scrape off the sticky dough.

What are the four parts of making pizza?

Crust –

There are various pizza crusts, thick crust, thin crust, hand tossed, stuffed crust, etc. this is a basic pizza dough crust that is versatile. It is perfect for a thin crust pizza, a stuffed crust pizza or a hand tossed pizza too. But the crust must have body to hold the pizza while eating. Crunchy, airy and yummy. There are many other crusts too, like cauliflower crust pizza, gluten free pizza crust, quinoa pizza crust, etc.

Sauce –

Pizza sauce is usually tomato based but you can have cheese based sauces that are white or even no sauce on a pizza – simply using olive oil and parmesan cheese. Most pizza tomato sauces are thin and not chunky. The sauce I have used is basic tomato, garlic and basil sauce.

Cheese –

The options are personal preference, I like using shredded mozzarella and cheddar for flavor in this pizza. You can use gouda, fresh buffalo mozzarella, burrata, swiss cheese or any other melting cheese you like. Some recipes uses spread cheese to make the pizza a “white pizza” which is doable as well.

Topping –

I mean the choices are endless. The only thing I would suggest is not going too heavy on the toppings as this will affect the baking time of the pizza in the oven later. Veggie options are great like: corn, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, artichokes, etc. Meat options like: roasted chicken pieces, pepperoni, salami, cooked minced lamb (kheema), etc. you could make this a dessert pizza by avoiding the pizza sauce and using chocolate spread and topping it with bananas and nuts.

How is pizza made step by step?

In a large mixing bowl add the flour, salt, honey, instant dry yeast and warm water. Using your hand start mixing dough together. Keep one hand clean and use only one hand to knead the dough in the bowl. Once the dry ingredients are mixed in, you will have a sticky dough. Using a dough scraper transfer the mixture to a clean kitchen surface and rub your hands with olive oil. Use the oil to help you knead the dough. It will come together and get sticky again. Add a little olive oil at a time and keep kneading until the dough is soft and smooth. This should take 10 mins.

Brush the bowl with olive oil and place the ball of dough inside it, cover with a tea towel and let it proof. This is the first proof so be patient and give it time to rise. Ideally in a warm atmosphere this should take 45-50 mins to double in size. If you don’t live in a humid or warm climate, place it in the oven with the light on or warm the oven for 10 minutes at 90℃ and place the bowl inside. Alternatively, you can transfer the bowl to the fridge and let it rise overnight for 12 hours.

Once the dough has risen, oil your hands and divide the dough into 3 parts. Shape into balls and cover with a towel. We want them to rise again. This time for 15-20 mins. If you are not making pizzas within an hour then you can transfer the balls to a tray that is dusted with flour, cover with a tea towel and transfer to the fridge. This will store well for 12 – 18 hours in the fridge. When ready to use remove from the fridge and let it rise/come to room temperature for 20 mins before shaping, topping and baking. At this stage we can preheat the oven to the highest setting it has.

After 20 mins, get a piece of baking paper (it should be approximately 10 inches in diameter.) Sprinkle over semolina, this is essential or else the pizza will stick to the baking paper or the baking surface making a mess before it can even go into the oven to bake. If you don’t have semolina you can use cornmeal. If you don’t have cornmeal, you can dust it with flour but semolina adds a delicious crust/crunch once baked. Place one of the pizza dough balls on the baking paper, drizzle a little olive oil on the dough and using your finger, start stretching the dough out. Keep poking through the dough, maintaining an edge around the dough. We are looking to create an 8/9 inch round. If the dough rips, pinch it back together, it is very forgiving.

Top with your pizza tomato sauce, add a little cheese, toppings of your choice and more cheese. Using a pizza steel/large flat tray, transfer the pizza to the oven. If you don’t have a pizza steel, pizza peel, flat tray, you can assemble the pizza on the baking paper directly on a flat plate and use the plate to transfer the pizza into the oven. You want to bake this pizza on a pizza stone or cast iron pan that has been preheating for about 40 mins. If you don’t have those, you can use a baking tray that is flipped upside down and placed in the middle of the oven while it is preheating. This will give you have beautiful golden base. Let it bake for 10-15 mins until the sides are golden, the cheese has melted and the toppings are golden.

Using a plate/peel/steel remove the pizza from the oven and let the baking paper assist you to transfer it to the chopping board. If the pizza doesn’t have enough color or looks little dull/soggy, let it bake longer. Cut into slices and serve.

How to make pizza without an oven?

If you don’t have an oven this is how to make pizza over the stove. We need a large sauté pan and lid that fits the pan. Sprinkle the pan with a little olive oil, add a little semolina and stretch out the dough in the pan directly. Using the same method suggested above with your fingers. Spread it out to around 8-10 inches in diameter. Once done, transfer to the stove and bake the base on medium heat with a lid for 3 mins. It should have risen a little, remove the lid and add the sauce, cheese and toppings. Cover and bake for 10 mins on low heat. If you don’t cover it the toppings are cheese won’t cook and melt. Hence the lid is important when baking over the stove. Remove from the pan, slice and serve.

How to make good pizza at home?

Warm water

For a rapid rise, use warm water to ensure the yeast is activated faster. This allows you to have pizza in under 2 hours from start to finish.

Kneading

The recipe asks you to knead the dough for 10 mins. That’s all! So don’t slack on this, ensure the dough is kneaded well until soft and smooth. If it seems rough keep kneading.

Avoid adding extra flour

I like using olive oil instead of flour to handle the dough as I don’t want the additional flour to dry out the dough once baked.

Preheating Oven

This is such an important point to keep in mind when baking pizza at home. Your oven NEEDS to be as hot as it can get. Hence you must preheat the oven well in advance at the highest setting possible.
Using a pizza stone/steel/pan/tray in the oven helps transfer the heat evenly to the pizza making sure you have no soggy bottom.

Baking

Every oven is different based on brand, size, type etc. there is no perfect time to cook this pizza. You must be able to tell by touch and feel, if you knock on the edges of the pizza dough there should be a hollow sound. It should be golden on the bottom, the cheese must be melted. If the toppings are raw it needs to be baked longer. Look for the right things and if it doesn’t seem right, bake it longer or adjust your baking in the next pizza.

Now that we have covered how to make this Homemade Pizza Dough 101, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more fun recipe inspiration.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.