This is a very simple yet great recipe for making pizza dough, and pizzas, at home. This isn’t going to win any awards at a pizza competition where wood fired ovens are used, but it is great for using AP flour and an oven in your home. This will yield 2 medium pizzas, so adjust if you are cooking for a larger group.Â
First off, we need to prep the dough. When I was in college I worked for a pizza shop and made dough every day. We always let our dough sit in the chiller for 24 hours before using it. This lets the glutens do their magic and it makes the dough much more pliable. I highly recommend making your dough 24 – 48 hours in advance.Â
I like herbs and flavor in my dough, so I throw in a bit Mexican oregano, salt, sugar, and cajun seasoning. Most recipes I’ve seen keep it simple without the seasonings but I like more flavor.Â
You might notice that some of my ingredients are Mexican influenced. This is because this recipe was created in Mexico when a pizza crazing hit. And, no offense La Paz, but your pizza mostly sucks.Â
The details for making the dough are below in the recipe card, but basically you toss all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon. Adjust your consistency with water and flour until the dough ball pulls away from the walls of the bowl. If your dough ball is too sticky, add more flour. If it is too dry, add a bit more water.Â
When the dough ball is at the consistency of your liking, put the ball in a fresh bowl with room for it to rise. It will double or triple in size so choose your bowl size accordingly. Drizzle the ball with olive oil and ensure it has a nice coating on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and put that bad boy in the fridge for 24 – 48 hours.Â
Now that the dough ball has proofed in the fridge it will be much easier to work with. Cut the dough ball into 2 pieces and begin rolling them out into circles. Make sure the circles are the same size as your pizza pans. I used a wine bottle to roll my dough because my AirBnB doesn’t have a rolling pin. I also used pie pans for my pizzas because that’s what I had available.Â
With the dough inside of your greased pans, add 3 – 4 ounces of tomato puree. Feel free to use pizza sauce but I had leftover puree on hand. I sprinkled the puree with a little garlic powder for more flavor. Spread the sauce evenly across the dough. Leave a crust or sauce all the way to the edge. Totally up to you.Â
It’s time to top! This is where it is totally up to you. I used mostly ingredients I had lying around:
- Moz
- Oaxaca cheese
- Blue cheese
- PepperoniÂ
- Onion
- Bell Pepper
I like to add layers of cheese in between layers of toppings, but again… totally up to you.Â
Pop your pizzas in the oven. Mine took 20 minutes to cook. This will vary depending on your oven, the pan you use and your altitude. If you are above 4,000 feet in elevation you might need to go hotter and longer.Â
After 20 minutes, remove from the oven. Let cool for a couple minutes, slice and serve.Â
Hey! You just cooked something!Â
Easy Pizza Dough & Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 - 2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 Pkg Instant Yeast
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
- 1/2 Tsp Cajun Seasoning
- 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder Plus a tad more for the sauce
- 3/4 Tsp Mexican Oregano or Regular Oregano
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 1/2 Tsp Light Brown Sugar
- 3/4 Cup Warm Water
- 1 Cup Tomato Puree
- Pizza Toppings Cheese, Pepperoni, Peppers, Onions, etc.
Instructions
Making The Dough
- Combine 2 cups of flour, yeast, sugar, salt, garlic powder, oregano, cajun seasoning, olive oil, and water in a bowl. Stir until well incorporated.
- Add additional flour as needed to get a cohesive, elastic ball of dough. The dough should be somewhat sticky but shouldn't stick to your hands.
- In a fresh, clean bowl. Drizzle the bowl with olive oil. Add the dough ball and spin so it gets completely coated with olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.
- Move the bowl to the fridge and let sit for 24 hours.
Making The Pizza
- Preheat your oven to 250 degrees C, or 480 degree F.
- In 2 pie pans, light drizzle with olive oil and spread evenly with a paper towel.
- On a cutting board, spread a light layer of flour. Cut your dough ball in half and begin rolling the pizza dough into 2 pizzas. Use a rolling pin (or a bottle of wine) to roll the pizzas out to the size of your pans. Add more flour as needed so the pizza doesn't get stuck. When ready, add your dough to the pans.
- Add 3 - 4 ounces of tomato puree to the center of each pizza dough. Sprinkle with a light dusting of garlic powder. Take the back of a large spoon and evenly spread the pizza sauce across the entire pizza. Leave crust if you wish or go all the way to the edge.
- Add your favorite pizza cheeses and toppings to the pizza. In this recipe I used Oaxaca & Mozzarella cheeses with onions, pepperonis and red bell peppers.
- Bake your pizza for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Slice & enjoy!