Pizza is one of those tasty things that our family just can't live without and I find that the dough used can really make or break what could be a delicious pizza. I've been making my pizza dough using this method for a while now and it works out perfectly for us. My husband likes foods that are doughy and I like foods with a crunch or crispness to them – this pizza dough becomes golden crisp on the outside and perfectly soft and fluffy on the inside.
The method is quite simple really. It's basically a matter of raising the yeast in the bowl of the mixer along with the sugar and wet ingredients and then gradually mixing in the dry ingredients about a half a cup at a time until the dough is no longer sticking to the sides. That's it in a nutshell – the full recipe is at the bottom of the post.
To make next times pizza quicker to put together the recipe makes enough for two 12″ -14″ pizzas. The remaining half of the dough that I don't use I put into a medium sized freezer bag and store it in the freezer until the next time.
I find this a very convenient way of having dough ready for the next pizza since all I have to do is take it out of the freezer the night before and let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Once it's thawed I just roll it out and place in on the pan and let it rise for a bit before dressing it with toppings.
The Ultimate Pizza Dough Recipe for Stand Mixers
- Yield: Enough dough to make two 12" - 15" pizzas
Ingredients
- 4 tsp quick rise yeast
- 2 cups warm water
- 4 tsp sugar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 5 2/3 cups flour
- 2 tsp salt
- a sprinkling of cornmeal
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, stir together the yeast, warm water, and sugar. Let rise for about 5-10 min until foamy.
- Combine four and salt in a separate bowl using a whisk – or you can use a sifter if you like.
- Stir in the olive oil, then turn the mixer on low and gradually add in the flour and salt mixture, about 1/2 a cup at a time.
- Turn mixer up to medium and knead the dough until it comes together and forms a soft ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Temporarily remove the dough and spray the sides of the bowl with cooking spray. Replace the dough and spray the top.
- Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise 1 1/2 hours in a warm place.
- Once the dough has doubled in size punch it down. Remove from the bowl and let it rest for about 10 min.
- Turn dough out gently onto a floured surface and divide the it in half using a knife of a pastry cutter.
- If you're using just one of the doughs, put one in a freezer bag and put in fridge or freezer until needed.
- Roll out the dough roughly into the shape of a circle the size of the pan.
- Carefully place the dough on a pizza pan which has been greased and sprinkled with a bit of cornmeal.
- You can let this rise for a little while if you like a nice thick crust or you can use it sooner.
- Before putting your toppings on take a fork and poke holes in the dough all over the surface to prevent any big air bubbles in the dough from forming.
- Top with desired toppings and bake in a 450 oven for around 20 minutes or until crust is firm and golden and center of pizza is cooked through.
- Category: Baking
