Quick and easy pizza dough

Making homemade pizza dough isn’t as hard as you think. With a few simple ingredients and a bit of know-how, you too can make this Italian classic in the comfort of your home! Here are a few top tips for achieving delicious dough every time.

THE DOUGH

The list of ingredients for pizza is a short one! There are many recipe variations, but typically pizza dough calls for water, flour, salt, and yeast. We recommend using all-purpose flour, seeing as it contains enough protein to form a more elastic dough. If you’re in the mood for a more balanced meal, replace one part of the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour. This might alter the taste of your dough, but it’ll rise just as well. Recipe To make your dough, combine one cup of warm water, one teaspoon instant dry yeast, and one teaspoon sugar. Let rest a few minutes. In a separate bowl, combine two cups of flour and one teaspoon of salt. Make a well in the centre, pour in the wet ingredients and incorporate the flour gradually, using your hands, until the dough is humid and sticky. Tip For added flavour, fold in some dried herbs or spices, such as thyme, basil, herbes de Provence, paprika, or Espelette pepper.

LEKNEADING

Kneading dough is easier than you think! Just follow these simple steps:

1. On a floured work surface, knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes, making sure to fold it and push it forward with the palm of your hand.
2.  Form a ball, oil it slightly, then place it in a greased bowl. Cover the dough with a clean cloth and let rest at room temperature for two hours.
3.  Delicately stretch the dough, massaging it outwards until it has reached a thickness of ½ cm. Avoid using a rolling pin, as it will pop the air bubbles.

Tip Short on time? Knead your dough in your food processor! Simply combine all the dry ingredients in your food processor’s receptacle, along with the water mixture. Install your processor’s hook attachment, set the speed to medium, and knead until a soft ball forms.

COOKING

While few people actually own a wood stove, know that it’s possible to make succulent homemade pizza in a regular conventional oven. Just remember that it’s important to set your oven to 500°F. A hot temperature will result in dough that’s crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside. You should also bake your pizza on your oven’s lowest rack and use a pizza stone for extra crispy dough. If you don’t have a pizza stone, simply use an aluminum grill. Tip Sautee or grill your vegetables before adding them to your pizza, otherwise they’ll release too much water while cooking, resulting in a soggy dough. If you’re in the mood for something different, know that there are so many toppings to choose from! No need to stick to any given recipe—use whatever you have on hand. Seafood, squash and Parmesan, pancetta and figs . . . the possibilities are endless!