Quick Basic Pizza Dough

(1,889)
Prep Time:
10 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs 10 mins
Yield:
2 pounds

This homemade pizza crust comes together quickly—give the dough time to rise and a couple of kneads, and it's done! Use it as a base for your favorite pie and have an at-home pizza night.

Ingredients

  • 2 envelopes (¼ ounce each) active dry yeast (not rapid-rise)

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl and brushing

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for dusting

Directions

  1. Pour 1 1/2 cups warm water into a large bowl; sprinkle with yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

  2. Whisk sugar, oil, and salt into yeast mixture. Add flour and stir until a sticky dough forms. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and brush top with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead 1 or 2 times before using.

  3. Dough can be stored in an oiled bowl, covered with plastic, in refrigerator up to 2 hours. To freeze, wrap dough in plastic and freeze in a resealable freezer bag up to 3 months. If you plan to use it in a recipe that calls for half a batch, divide it before freezing.

    basic pizza dough
    Johnny Miller

Cook's Notes

Use this dough as the base for these recipes: Focaccia with Dried Fruit and Rosemary, Brown Sugar and Pecan Sticky Buns, Sweet Soft Pretzels, and Individual Cinnamon-Apple Tarts.

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