4. 5 Minute Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 1 (.25oz) pkg active dry yeast (2¼ tsp from a jar)
- 2 Tablespoons Honey or one Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup warm water (110ºF)
- 2½ to 3 1/4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour (See notes)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- Cornmeal, for dusting pans, pizza peels, etc. (To keep the dough from sticking while being cooked.) – Optional if you’re making the dough to use later
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 450 degrees. If you’ve got a pizza stone, be sure to put it in the oven before you turn on the heat.
- In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and honey in warm (110 degree F) water. Let stand a few minutes, until the yeast becomes frothy.
- Add the flour, olive oil and salt and stir with a wooden spoon (or mix by hand) until a soft dough forms. the dough should be fairly firm. If not, mix in additional flour a tablespoon at a time until it is no longer sticky. If it’s too dry, mix in additional water a tablespoon at a time until it forms a good dough.
- Roll the dough into a ball (for a thick crust) or into two separate balls (For thin) or four separate balls (For extra thin pizzas or small individual pizzas.)
- Let the dough rest 3 to 5 minutes while you gather your pizza toppings. If desired, store dough coated in olive oil in a zip top bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to a month.
- Roll dough to desired thickness and shape. Top with your favorite pizza toppings and bake for 8 to 10 minutes on a pizza stone dusted with cornmeal or a pizza pan dusted with cornmeal, or a baking sheet (Yes, still dusted in cornmeal.), or until just browned and toppings are bubbly. (Time will depend on the thickness of the dough and your oven. Keep an eye on the dough so it doesn’t overcook!)
Recipe Notes
Baking cakes and pastries is a science, but bread making is magic. This recipe, while solid, is very sensitive to changes in humidity, so be ready with a little extra flour and a little extra water just in case. You’ll find that the dough is too dry one day and way too loose the next time you make it, so you’ll have to play with it just a little to get it right. But the time spent is oh-so-worth it.