Pizza Dough

Pizza is a weekly meal at our home, typically on Friday nights. My hubby, daughter and I all have different tastes for pizza, so I make individual pizzas we can add our own toppings to. My daughter is partial to pepperoni and cheese pizza, my hubby loves barbeque chicken pizza, and I love veggie pizza. Below is my recipe for an easy, basic pizza dough. All you need to do is add sauce, cheese and your choice of toppings.

Basic Pizza Dough

--1 cup warm water
--1 package active dry yeast
--2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
--2 TBSP olive oil
--1/2 tsp salt

Combine the water, yeast, and 1 1/2 cups of the flour in a large bowl. Mix well. Add the oil, salt, and remaining flour. With large spoon mix the ingredients together until the dough holds its shape. You may need a bit less flour, so add the last half gradually.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (I'm a lazy baker, so I mix my dough in a large bowl and then knead directly in the bowl, eliminating the need for a kneading surface.) If the dough becomes sticky, sprinkle a bit more flour over it.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled 2-quart bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, and let the dough rest until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

When the dough has risen, divide it into two or more parts and roll them into balls. Cover them with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes. The dough is ready to be shaped, topped and cooked, or it can be stored in the refrigerator for later use.


My hubby's barbeque chicken pizza before cooking. All our pizzas are cooked on a pizza stone in a 425 degree oven.