Description
This Weeknight Pizza Dough recipe is a quick and easy way to make homemade pizza with a soft, chewy crust. Using rapid rise yeast, it cuts down on rising time and offers a simple dough perfect for busy evenings. The dough is baked on a preheated pizza stone for a crispy bottom and bubbly, melty cheese topping.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp Rapid Rise or Bread Machine yeast
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup hot water (120-130° F)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 475°F to ensure a hot surface for baking your pizza, resulting in a crispy crust.
- Mix Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients – all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, and rapid rise yeast. Add the hot water and olive oil, then mix thoroughly for about five minutes until the dough comes together. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes to improve gluten development and dough elasticity.
- Shape Dough: Roll out the dough on a piece of parchment paper for easy transfer. Using parchment also helps prevent sticking. Using your pizza stone as a size guide, you can trace it lightly to shape the dough accordingly.
- Prepare Pizza Base: Prick the dough surface with a fork to prevent bubbles, then spread your preferred sauce, followed by cheese and toppings of your choice.
- Bake Pizza: Carefully transfer the pizza along with the parchment paper onto the preheated pizza stone using a flat cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the crust is golden and crisp.
Notes
- Use rapid rise yeast to shorten rising time for a quicker pizza dough preparation.
- Make sure the pizza stone is fully preheated for best crispiness.
- If you don’t have a pizza stone, a baking sheet can be used but won’t yield the same crisp crust.
- Letting the dough rest after mixing helps develop gluten for easier shaping.
- Pricking the dough with a fork prevents unwanted bubbles during baking.
