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Pizza Crust with toppings

Pizza Crust

Meghan
The best Homemade Pizza Crust, and I've tried many! Made with bread flour for a chewy yet crispy crust. Skip delivery and make your own!
Prep Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 2 large pizzas

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup warm water (~110F)
  • 1 envelope (~2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast AKA Rapid Rise)
  • 1 1/4 cups water (room temperature)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cups bread flour (22 ounces, plus more for dusting work surface and hands)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • olive oil or nonstick cooking spray for greasing bowl
  • corn meal (for dusting pan)

Instructions
 

Make the dough:

  • Fill a 2-cup liquid measuring cup with warm water and sprinkle yeast on top. Allow to sit until yeast dissolves and swells - ~5 minutes. Meanwhile, add flour and salt to food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
  • Add room temperature water and oil to the yeast/water mixture, and stir to combine. While pulsing flour mixture, pour the liquid through the feed tube, reserving a few tablespoons. If the dough has not formed a ball, add the rest of the liquid and pulse. Process for ~30 seconds until the dough is smooth and elastic.
  • Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand a few turns, shaping the dough into a smooth, round ball.
  • Place the dough ball into a deep, oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Bake the crust:

  • Preheat a pizza stone for at least 30 minutes, 60 minutes if possible.
  • Press the dough to deflate it. Divide dough into desired portions, and place them back in the bowl, covered with a damp cloth to allow dough to rest for at least 10 but no more than 30 minutes.
  • Press dough out into a round pizza onto a piece of parchment paper. Brush lightly with extra virgin olive oil. Using a pizza peel or a baking sheet, transfer dough on the parchment to the pizza stone and prebake for around 5 - 7 minutes or until crust just starts to turn golden.
  • Remove crust/parchment paper and top pizza as desired. Bake pizza for another 5 - 10 minutes, or until crust is golden and toppings are heated through.

Notes

Source: Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker, originally from Cook's Illustrated
You're Gonna Bake It After All
bakeitafterall.com
Keyword main dish, pizza