The Best Ever Homemade Pizza

The best ever homemade pizza

easy homemade pizza
delicious homemade pizza

If you are a pizza fan, you will LOVE this homemade pizza recipe and I’m so excited to share this one. My family has been making this pizza for a very long time and the pizza dough recipe is inspired from a cookbook for a bread machine we used to have. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this for friends and family and it always turns out amazing. It’s perfect for a weekend or week night (if you have the dough prepped ahead), and it makes two large pizzas.

Here's what you'll need:

For the pizza dough:
  •  1 1/4 cups water
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp active dry yeast
For the sauce and toppings (for one pizza, as made in this post):
  • 1 packet BoBoLi sauce (or about 5 oz)
  • 1, 8 oz bag Tillamook farm style mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup banana peppers
  • 1/2 a medium yellow sweet onion
  • Handful of spinach to top
Additional items:
  • Cooking spray
  • Pizza stone or large baking sheet
  • Large bowl (for letting the dough rise)
  • Stand mixer
pizza crust ingredients
homemade pizza dough
You can find this in the baking isle.
This is what the dough will look like prior to rising.

How to make the dough:

  1. Using a stand mixer, add the ingredients in the order listed above (liquids first, flour and yeast last), and mix together. You can use a dough hook if you have one, but I actually just use the standard mixer.
  2. Once fully mixed with the stand mixer, remove the dough from the mixer and knead with your hands for about one minute. This helps to remove air bubbles. 
  3. Form the dough into a large ball and place in a bowl sprayed with cooking spray.
  4. The pizza dough will need to rise for at least 1-2 hours before you can continue working with it. If possible, 3-4 hours is best.
  5. If making the dough and eating the pizza in the same day, I usually will leave the dough out on the counter and cover with a dish towel while it is rising, or I’ll leave it in the microwave (turned off) so it’s out of the way and still covered.
  6. The dough can rise close to double in size depending on how long you allow.
how to make homemade pizza dough
pizza sauce

To make the pizza:

  1. Preheat the oven to 500º F.
  2. If using a pizza stone (recommended for best results), spray lightly with olive oil. You can also make this using a full size sheet pan sprayed with cooking spray, or lined with foil as well.
  3. Now that the dough is fully risen, split in half. Spread half the dough onto your pizza stone to the thickness you desire. Keep in mind the dough will continue to rise slightly for a puffier crust while baking.
  4. If only making one pizza, store the remainder of the dough in a zip-lock bag in the fridge.
  5. Add sauce, cheese and toppings of your preference. 
  6. Bake at 500º F for 15-17 minutes.  
making pizza at home

A few tips for the perfect slice...

Like I said before, I have made this so many times. So I have also messed it up a few times in the past. A few things to note that will help ensure  you get the perfect, crispy on the outside, but doughy on the inside, slice!

  • The pizza stone will change the texture of the crust. You don’t need anything fancy (just find something on Amazon or from Bed Bath & Beyond), but I highly recommend getting one if you will be making pizza at home frequently.
  • The dough can be made ahead of time and stored in an air-tight bag for up to five days. Again, be sure to split the dough in half into two bags since it will continue to rise. 
  • If the consistency of the dough is too dry while mixing in the stand mixer, add 1/2-1 tbsp of oil or water and try again. If too dry, and a sprinkle of flour. You don’t want the dough to be too dry, but also don’t want it too sticky or it will be difficult to spread.
  • The sauce and cheese I used for this really make a big difference in the flavor. Tillamook has the best flavor cheese ever, and the BoBoLi sauce is seasoned perfectly. Although, use your own if you can’t find these or prefer something different. I can only seem to find the sauce on Amazon lately.
  • Check pizza for doneness at around 12 minutes. When it’s ready, the crust will be golden brown, but the center will still be a little soft.
  • Allowing the dough to rise for close to 4 hours will ensure your crust is the perfect consistency. It spreads out better and can therefore make a larger pizza as well.
  • I have also tried the dough recipe using whole wheat flour, or have also done half flour and half spelt flour. Both options turn out well, but may be slightly denser.
  • If the dough has been stored in the fridge prior to making, allow it to site out for about 15 minutes first.
 
Estimated Macros (for one slice of cheese pizza with sauce): dough makes two large pizzas, or 16 servings total
26.8 C | 9.6 F | 9.6 P | 240 Calories

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. If you do try it out, tag me on Instagram– I would love to see how it turns out for you! For other delicious recipes, you can check those out here!

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