Pizza dough is about as close to an artist’s blank canvas as it comes. Just gaze at this simple, supple dough and let your mind wonder… what do you see?
I love a good pizza but rarely find one that fits my tastes just right. My dream pie has a thin but not cracker-like crust. Edges are crunchy and though the center is thin, it has enough stamina to hold up substantial toppings with a buckle but not a complete flop. Crust flavor is evident but not too flour-y, not too paste-y and definitely not punched up with herbs.
Could these pizza particularities be the reason I have yet to find a pizza delivery that satisfies? If you relate to most or all of my pie-in-the-sky dreams, you will like this recipe. After years of being less than thrilled, I will now stop my search for a better recipe. I’ve made this a few times and have honed it to my liking. I can’t promise it is the best of the best of the best IF you are willing to spend a ton of time making your pizza dough. (This recipe from 101 Cookbooks looks amazing but requires an overnight and I often don’t plan ahead that much.) If you want a delicious, quick and easy dough that can be made in a few hours and kept in your freezer, this is it.
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie… That’s Amore.
Easy Pizza Dough (Thin Crust Pizza)
Yields: 2, 14-inch pizzas
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon honey
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
cornmeal, for sprinkling
Warm water should be about 100 degrees. Stir in honey and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes, yeast should be foamy. Put flour and salt in a large bowl and whisk together. Add the yeast mixture and stir. Add olive oil and combine. Using a dough hook or by hand, knead the dough for 10 minutes until it is stiff but smooth and elastic. You should not need much additional flour. If you do, add a teaspoon at a time. Cover the bowl and let it rest in a warm place for 30-60 minutes. I usually fill my sink with 2 inches of hot water, place a dish towel over the bowl and sit it in the water.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
After 30-45 minutes dough should be considerably larger. Split the dough in half. (dough may be frozen, see below) I like to lightly flour a piece of parchment paper, press the dough into a circle on the paper and then place the parchment directly on my pizza stone to par-bake the dough. If you don’t have parchment, you can press the dough on a pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal and transfer to a pizza stone in the oven. OR, just press out the dough directly onto your greased pizza pan or cookie sheet.
Before placing the dough in the oven, prick it with a fork all over to avoid large air pockets. Put the dough in the hot oven for 10 minutes. It should not be brown but it will be firm in the center.
Top the pizza with your favorite sauce and toppings. Find ideas here and here. I suggest brushing the edges with olive oil. Put it back in the oven for 10-20 more minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crust is slightly browned.
FREEZING DOUGH
To freeze dough rub olive oil on the round ball of dough and put in individual plastic freezer bags and in the freezer. Let thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter before using.
PRINT RECIPE
April 8th, 2010 at 8:47 pm
Please tell me this is what I’ve been searching for! I love to make pizza on the grill for dinner parties in the summer and have not found “THE” recipe! (I went on strike and just buy Trader Joe’s pre-done dough balls.)
I’ll be forever indebted if this is it!
~kristin
April 8th, 2010 at 9:23 pm
I love the idea of pizza crust hanging out in my freezer, waiting to be whipped (ha, ha) quickly into dinner on a busy night. It’s great to discover meal ideas that are fast without being uninspired or unsatisfying, as quick suppers tend to be!
April 9th, 2010 at 7:55 am
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April 9th, 2010 at 9:02 am
i agree with you – there is something about a slab of fresh dough that brings about all sorts of ideas! i do love making pizza and have tried a number of recipes with my favorite being similar to this but with 1 cup of whole wheat flour instead of all of the ap flour.
April 9th, 2010 at 7:40 pm
Yes please! Thanks for the reminder that it’s been WAY too long since I’ve made pizza.
April 10th, 2010 at 9:02 am
OOh, this looks good. I like any crust that has honey as an ingredient. I definitely gives this a try. Thank you!
April 10th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
I have the crust baking right now, and the toppings all waiting to be put on! I had the yeast do its thing, but instead of putting it in a mixer (cause I don’t have one) I used my breadmaker! I’ll let you know how it turns out! :D
April 10th, 2010 at 6:56 pm
mmmm so good!! We made a bbq sauce, roasted chicken, apple slices, and cheddar cheese pizza! So good!
April 12th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
hmmmm making crust vs buying crust. I’ll have to try this to see which is better. Thanks for sharing
April 13th, 2010 at 8:56 pm
Your blog never lets me down…I just LOVE it! : D
April 14th, 2010 at 11:19 am
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April 22nd, 2010 at 6:35 pm
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April 25th, 2010 at 4:29 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by GOOD FOOD Billy, Breaking Food News. Breaking Food News said: The Best, Easy Thin Crust Pizza Dough http://bit.ly/bQATY3 via http://topicfire.com/Food [...]
April 26th, 2010 at 1:59 am
Yes please! Thanks for the reminder that it’s been WAY too long since I’ve made pizza.
May 2nd, 2010 at 12:50 am
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May 12th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
[...] am I glad I popped a ball of this pizza dough in the freezer for later because I am feeling green and it was the perfect way to express myself. [...]
June 9th, 2010 at 11:01 pm
This crust turned out so good!!!! Thank you for sharing. Check out some of the recipes for toppings on my website, they work well with this dough!
June 21st, 2010 at 2:17 pm
[...] this pizza dough recipe. After the first baking of the crust, brush the crust and dough liberally with pesto. I used this [...]
March 15th, 2011 at 8:39 pm
Simple enough dough recipe! I tried it out, and, it is awesome! Next time, I don’t have to buy crust anymore!
June 9th, 2011 at 7:19 am
Hi there I had a question about the dough, when it was done resting I pulled it out of the bowl to separate and it deflated back to it’s original size. I added a little more flour let it rest again and just prepared and cooked as normal. We ended up having an 8-9 in thick crust pizza it was delicious, but am still puzzled why it deflated. Any ideas? Thanks!
June 9th, 2011 at 8:39 am
Ashlei, That is normal. When you work with dough that has risen, it does deflate again to make flat pizza. I don’t really know the science of it all but it doesn’t stay poofy. The air that is trapped in there I guess gets released making flat pizza whereas with a loaf of bread, you cook it when inflated and that keeps a tall, fluffy loaf. Glad you liked the pizza.
July 12th, 2011 at 2:03 pm
Nice dough! should make for a great veggie pizza
January 9th, 2012 at 6:49 am
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January 28th, 2012 at 3:39 pm
I agree with most posts about this crust!! Way easy so yummy kids love to beat up the crust easy way to relieve anxiety nice to taste result I use an 18 in round pizza pan its just the right amount thank you for sharing will use again n again
February 7th, 2012 at 3:21 am
WOW! This is excellent! Thanks! :) Also, Good job guys Superbowl Winner
February 11th, 2012 at 3:18 pm
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March 7th, 2012 at 10:38 am
I just had to add – Best crust I’ve ever made! I add rosemary, garlic, and pizza seasoning to the crust, just for added ideas.
Thanks
March 7th, 2012 at 11:20 am
One more thing…. I made this last week and did freeze one of the half’s. It also turned out perfect.
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April 18th, 2012 at 7:32 pm
I, like you live pizza but have never found the perfect crust. I compare pizza to the pizza I grew up eating in Corpus Christi, TX . At a place called panjo’s pizza. I have come close to it but have never found a pizzeria that offers such amazing pizza! This is my second time attempting to make my own crust and 1st time using this recipe. Fingers crossed! I will let you know how it all turns out!
April 18th, 2012 at 10:30 pm
Ok…. I have finally found a thin crust!!!! So good! I froze the other half. I precooked the crust about 8 minutes then added the toppings and cooked for 8 minutes, then removed it from the pizza pan and finished cooking directly on the oven rack for another 4 to 5 minutes! Thank you for posting this!