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 hrs 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 2 hours hrs 25 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
- 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)
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.
Source: Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker, originally from Cook's Illustrated
You're Gonna Bake It After All
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