Best Homemade Pizza Crust Recipes

HOMEMADE THIN CRUST PIZZA (CRISPY DOUGH AND SWEET BALSAMIC SAUCE

Steps:

• Pre-heat your oven to 500 degrees. If you have a baking stone, put it on a rack in the lower-middle part of the oven.
• In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, heat the water until it feels barely lukewarm when you test it with your finger (if the water is so hot that you can't leave your finger in it, wait for it to cool down). Add the yeast to the water and use a fork or whisk to stir it into the water. Set this aside for a few minutes and allow the yeast to dissolve.
• Measure out the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and use your hand or a whisk to combine.
• Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the water-yeast mixture. Use your fingers or a wooden spoon to combine everything together.
• When it comes together into a cohesive ball, turn it out onto the counter along with any extra flour in the bowl that hasn't yet gotten worked inches.
• Knead the dough until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth and elastic to the touch--about five minutes.The dough should still feel moist and slightly tacky. If it's sticking to your hands and counter-top like bubble gum, work in more flour one tablespoon at a time until it's smooth and silky.
• Use a bench scraper to divide the dough in two. Shape each half into a smooth ball. Set aside while preparing sauce.
• Heat olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and red pepper olive oil (or a little extra olive oil, plus red pepper flakes).
• Saute 2 minutes, or until garlic is golden. Add half of the white sugar, and allow to melt (it might start to look clumpy, don't worry and keep going).
• Add drained tomatoes and the rest of the white sugar. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the rest of the ingredients (prepared sauce, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, basil, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper). Lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. You can break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, or use an immersion blender if you prefer.
• Work one piece of the dough in your hands and form it into a large disk. Working from the middle of the dough outwards, use the heel of your hand to gently press the dough outward until it's about 1/4 of an inch thick or less. You can also use a rolling pin for this part.
• Repeat with the second piece of dough (or freeze it for later).
• Place pizza dough on baking stone or baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Spoon a few tablespoons of sauce into the center of each pizza and use the back of a spoon to spread it out to the edges. Pile on all of your toppings except the cheese.
• Bake for about 5 minutes and then rotate the pizza 180-degrees (most ovens have 'hot spots' your pizza will bake unevenly if it's not rotated). Bake for another 3 minutes and then sprinkle the cheese over the top. Bake for another 2-3 minutes until the edges are golden brown and crispy.
• Remove your pizza from oven and let it cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before cutting.

HOMEMADE CHICAGO THIN CRUST PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Mix yeast with warm water and salt and stir.
• Combine wet ingredients (water with yeast, oil, beer/water) with garlic or basil and Parmesan cheese if using.
• Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well until dough pulls together.
• Knead until dough is silky smooth, adding flour until it does not stick to your hands. You want the dough to be moist and pliable but not too sticky.
• Let dough rise until nearly doubled in size and punch down. Ideally do this several times to increase the pliability of the dough and flavor of the crust.
• When you are ready to make pizzas, preheat the oven to 500 (550 ideally if possible) with baking stone on bottom rack (any floor tile will do well).
• Punch down the dough and pull off a piece of dough about the size of your fist. Sprinkle the area you will roll out the dough with cornmeal and a small amount of flour and roll out the dough until it is about 1/8 inch thick. If you have the skills for it--toss the dough in the air.
• Prick holes in the pizza with a fork all over.
• Add toppings and slide into oven, making sure pizza peel (back of a cookie sheet will work) is very well covered in cornmeal so the pizza will easily slide off onto the baking stone.
• Bake for 5-7 minutes until cheese is bubbling and edges are crispy.

HOMEMADE STUFFED CRUST PIZZA

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water (I add a pinch of sugar) and allow to set until it begins to foam, about 5 minutes.
• 2. Stir in salt, oil and half of flour.
• 3. Gradually add remaining flour, mixing well. Knead 8-10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
• 4. Place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise until double (1/2-1 hour) Punch down and let rise again until double. Punch down and divide.
• 5. I made stuffed crust, which took six (6) pieces of string cheese. When laying out dough, push it up the sides of your pan about an inch. I used my cast iron skillet and it worked BEAUTIFULLY! Lay cheese sticks end to end, touching all the way around.
• 6. Pull dough up and over cheese stick, gently pressing the dough to the bottom, sealing around the cheese.
• 7. Top with your favorite sauce and your favorite meats, cheeses, and other toppings as desired.
• 8. Bake at 350*F for approximately 20 - 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

PIZZA - HOMEMADE, THICK CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 deg F.
• Mix together all the dry ingredients. Add the warm water and oil, mix well. Knead dough a few times on a lightly floured surface. Put dough back in bowl, and lightly coat dough with oil. Cover and let rest or 5 minutes. While dough is resting, mix together all ingredients for the pizza sauce.
• Divide dough in half, and press each half into an oiled pizza pan. Cook dough for 2 minutes, then take out and let cool. Put sauce then desired toppings on pizza. Cook for 18-20 minutes or until crust is lightly browned and cheese is melted.

HOMEMADE MULTI-GRAIN PIZZA CRUST

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, combine flours, yeast, and salt. Mix well. 2. Combine water and 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil and add to flour mixture. Stir till all dry ingredients are mixed. Knead in bowl till a ball forms. 3. Turn out onto a floured board and knead about 5 minutes. 4. Invert bowl to cover and let rest 20 minutes. 5. Depending upon how thick of a crust you want, grease 1-2 14 inch pizza pans. Sprinkle with cornmeal. 6. roll out dough to 16 inch circle/s. Fit into pan/s and roll excess dough to form a crust. 7. cover with a dry, clean cloth and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. 8. Heat oven to 425 degrees. 9. Place 1/2 Tablespoon of oilve oil on top of crust and gently spread over crust. 10. If eating right away, top as desired. If pre-baking crusts, bake till just done. Then top later and bake for about 20 minutes or till cheese is melted and slightly golden and bubbly, and all incredients are done. **NOTE: I top with the oil, then grated mozarella cheese, then dot with pizza sauce and spread with the back of a spoon to blend the sauce and cheese. I then add desired toppings, then top with more cheese.

HOMEMADE PIZZA CRUST

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine 1 cup bread mix and yeast. Add water and butter; beat until smooth. stir in the remaining bread mix to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 4-6 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. On a floured surface, roll dough into a 14-in. circle. Sprinkle cornmeal on an ungreased 14-in. pizza pan; transfer dough to pan. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Top with pizza sauce, sausage and cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until golden brown.

TASTE OF HOME HOMEMADE PIZZA CRUST

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water; let stand for 5 minutes.
• Add oil and salt.
• Stir in flour, one cup at a time to form soft dough.
• Turn onto floured board, knead until smooth and elastic. (about 2-3 minutes).
• Place in greased bowl, turning once to grease top.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until size nearly doubles. (about 45 minutes.).
• Press into greased pizza pan.
• Spread with pizza sauce. Add any desired toppings. Cover with cheese of choice.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.
• Enjoy!

MISS LORENA'S HOMEMADE THICK CRUST ITALIAN PIZZA

Steps:

• Pour yeast and water in large bowl.
• Stir and gradually add flour.
• Knead the dough.
• Coat the bowl with oil and pat on the dough.
• Cover and let rise (approximately 4 hrs).
• Heat oil in a large pot.
• Add onion and saute.
• Add the tomatoes, oregano and salt.
• Stir.
• Bring to a boil and then turn heat to low.
• Stir often.
• Once it starts to thicken, add brown sugar to taste.
• Once dough has risen, divide in half and spread out on 2 cookie sheets.
• Add grated mozzarella and toppings.
• Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

HOMEMADE GLUTEN FREE PIZZA CRUST

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven.
• measure out 8 g of yeast and combine with 50 g warm water and 1 tsp sugar. allow to sit and rise for 10 min, until bubbly and foamy.
• combine flours, starches, guar gum, and salt. (dry mix).
• beat eggs, add cider vinegar, oil, and remaining 200 g water.
• add yeast, and then add dry mix.
• beat well for about 2 minute.
• grease pan (i like to use butter on a stone).
• dough will be more like batter in consistency.
• use hands to spread, sprinkling flour ontop of dough to prevent sticking.
• thinner crust will result in crispier crust.
• Cook crust at 425 for 20 minutes on a stone. For a regular metal sheet you'll have to play with it, but in my experience i would try 375 for same time. you want the crust to be slightly browned around the edges and bottom to prevent a "soggy" crust in final product.
• once crust is pre-cooked, top, bake until cheese is golden brown. cool & enjoy!

HOMEMADE PIZZA CRUST

Steps:

• Lift the edge of the dough up to create a lip around the edges. (Simply pinch the edges up to create the rim.) To prevent the filling from making your pizza crust soggy, brush the top lightly with olive oil. Using your fingers, push dents into the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling, or use a docker if you have one. Let rest for 15 minutes before topping. Top with your favorite toppings and bake for 12-15 minutes. (Optional: For the last minute, move the oven rack to the top rack to really brown the edges.) Slice hot pizza and serve immediately. Store leftover pizza covered tightly in the refrigerator and reheat as you prefer. Baked pizza slices may be frozen up to 1 month. Note: This recipe is enough to make two 12-inch pizzas. If you do not need two pizzas, here are the Freezing Instructions: After the pizza dough has risen and you divide the dough in half to form into two pizzas (step 5), you may freeze one of the balls of dough to make a pizza at a later time. Or you may simply freeze both balls of dough, separately. Lightly spray all sides of the dough ball(s) with nonstick spray or lightly coat all sides with olive oil. Place the dough ball(s) into individual zipped-top bag(s) and seal tightly, squeezing out all the air. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thawing Instructions: Put your frozen pizza dough ball(s) in the fridge overnight or for about 12 hours to thaw. When ready to make the pizza(s), remove the dough from the refrigerator and set out on the counter to rest for 30 minutes and come to room temperature. Continue with step 6.

HOMEMADE PIZZA CRUST

Steps:

• In food processor fitted with metal blade, combine flour, salt and yeast; process until well mixed.
• With the machine running, pour in hot water and oil (down the feed tube) and process 35 to 45 seconds, or until smooth; add a little extra flour if necessary.
• Remove from processor and form into a smooth ball.
• Place in an oiled bowl, turning ball until completely coated with the oil.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise, in a warm spot, for about one hour.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Lightly rub a small amount of olive oil on a cookie sheet and set aside.
• Punch down pizza dough and, on a floured surface, roll out into a rectangle to fit your cookie sheet (your dough will be about 1/4 inch thick).
• Place dough on oiled cookie sheet and spread your choice of sauce and toppings (and cheese!) on it; bake pizza for approximately 20 minutes.

HOMEMADE PIZZA CRUST

Steps:

• 1. Heat water to 115 degrees. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup of the warm water. Set aside for 5 minutes.
• 2. In a large bowl, Combine 2 cups flour, salt, olive oil and remaining water to make a soft dough ( or use 3/4 cup water plus 3/4cup flat beer for extra flavor) Stir in dissolved yeast plus enough remaining flour to make a stiff dough.
• 3. Turn onto floured board,kneed until all remaining flour is absorbed and dough is smooth.
• 4. Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease top of dough.
• 5. Let rise until doubled ( about 4 minutes ). When pressed down with two fingers 1/4 inch deep, the impression should remain if they spring back dough has not risen enough, Let rise longer.
• 6. Punch down,Divide in half and form into 2 12 inch balls. Rolling out to make two pizza's.
• 7. Top with your favorite pizza toppings and bake at 325 degrees until bubbly
• 8. TIP: Dough will be easier to handle if you coat your hands with olive oil.