Best Favorite Pizza Crust Recipes

FAT MATT'S FAVORITE THIN CRUST PIZZA

Steps:

• Brown your ground beef on med heat until done. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. On your premade thin crust, cover with an ample amount of pizza sauce. Use half of your thinly sliced pepperoni. The pepperoni should be thin enough to crush up into a ball. They may come partially undone but that's ok. Put the balled pepperoni on top of the sauce in an even spread. Now use about half of your ground beef the same way. Next shred your fresh mozzarella. The bag stuff just isn't the same. Add the mozzarella cheese evenly. Now use the rest of your ground beef on top followed by the rest of your pepperoni (either balled like before or not, your choice). The thin pepperoni may burn a bit if you do not ball it up. Now top off with your oregano and parmesan cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for between 10 and 15 minuets depending on how brown you want the cheese and how dark and crispy you want the crust. *note* store bought crust will burn if the oven is too hot or if you overcook the pizza. It will be hard. Taking the pizza out as soon as you can see the edges turning golden brown and the middle of the pizza is bubbly and rising. Otherwise the cheese in the center may not be fully cooked, or you will cause the crust to burn. Getting it just right may take some practice, but in the end this is a fantastic pizza in my opinion. Also fun for the whole family.

FAVORITE PIZZA CRUST

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix together water and sugar. Sprinkle with yeast. Allow to sit 10 minutes. Add salt, olive oil, and flour. Knead until very smooth. Divide dough in half. Roll each piece into a 12-inch circle. Place on lightly greased baking sheet and let rise 20 minutes. Flatten each and top with pizza toppings. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.
• If you choose to use this recipe for garlic or cinnamon bread sticks, bake untopped for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, top with margarine of choice and either garlic salt or cinnamon sugar mixture. Return to oven for about 3 minutes. Remove from oven and cut into breadsticks.

FAVORITE PIZZA CRUST

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of warm water; set aside. In a large bowl, place remaining water, salt, sugar, oil, cornmeal and 2 cups flour; mix well. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-6 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. Punch the dough down and divide in half. Roll dough into two 16-in. circles; place on greased pizza pans. Top with desired pizza ingredients. Bake at 400° until crust is lightly golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

OUR VERY FAVORITE PIZZA CRUST RECIPE FOR GRILLING + FIVE TIPS FOR GRILLING THE PERFECT PIZZA

Steps:

• Mix the dough
• Stir together the yeast and water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Make sure your water is between 100 - 110 degrees (just a tad above lukewarm, but I always use a thermometer to be sure). Too cold, and the yeast won't activate. Too hot, and the heat can kill the yeast.
• Let sit until the yeast dissolves and begins to get a little foamy, about 5 minutes.
• With the mixer on low speed, add the olive oil, salt, and flour.
• Knead the dough (the mixer does this for you)
• Once the ingredients are fairly well incorporated, turn the mixer to medium speed to begin the kneading process.
• Knead (continue the mixer on medium) for about 8 - 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. It should be very stretchy - it will just kind of stretch and fall off of the dough hook when ready.
• Let the dough rise
• Cover the bowl with a clean towel and set in a warm-ish place away from drafts. I use a spot next to the stove on the kitchen counter or the dining room table. Let rise until doubled in side, about 90 minutes.
• Punch the dough down, and let rise again for about 30 more minutes, until doubled again.
• Shape the dough
• Prepare six sheets of parchment paper. Lay the sheets on the counter or table, then drizzle each with a little olive oil.
• After the dough is finished rising for the second time, remove it from the bowl and place it on a floured surface.
• Cut the dough into six pieces.
• With your hands, smear the oil on a piece of parchment paper, then grab a dough ball - you want spread the oil on the paper and handle the dough with well-oiled hands, so it all works out.
• Now you're ready to shape the crust. You can place the dough on the parchment paper and just kind of spread it out into a circle with your fingers, or you can do like I do and shape it in the air first. I hold on to the edge and quickly rotate the dough so that it stretches and forms a nice flat shape, and then I place it on the parchment and stretch it out the rest of the way. I like to keep the dough on the thin size and about the size of a dinner plate. Much bigger and it can become difficult to handle on the grill. Note: If your dough shrinks and won't work with you, let it sit for about 5 minutes and try again. Another note: If the shaping process seems awkward and frustrating, don't worry! It will get easier and easier, the more you do it. And even when the crust assumes some crazy alien shape, your pizza will still be delicious.
• One last quick rise
• Let the shaped crusts rise on their parchment paper for about 10 minutes, until they start getting puffy.
• Now grill and eat!
• Now start grilling! With the grill on medium-high (about 350-400 degrees), flip a round onto the grill - dough side down, parchment side up. Peel off the paper.
• Cook covered for 3 - 4 minutes, until the crust puffs on top and gets grill marks on the bottom. If the dough sprouts any big bubbles, go ahead and pop them if you can.
• Transfer the crust to a cookie sheet or large platter, grilled side up.
• Add your toppings and transfer back to the grill. Cook until pizza crust is cooked through, the toppings are hot, and the cheese is bubbly, about 3 - 4 minutes. If you have a barbecue with a lid, cooking them covered at this stage helps heat the toppings.
• Remove from the grill to a pizza peel or large baking sheet, Cut into wedges and serve.