Up Your Pizza Night Game with Homemade Dough [Recipe]

Making pizza dough is not only easy; it's a lot of fun. This recipe doesn't take a whole lot of time, and when executed correctly, it leaves you with one delicious crust for your pizza pie.

READ MORE: The Ultimate Guide to Making Delicious Indiana Biscuits and Gravy

My wife and I were craving pizza recently and decided that instead of ordering from our go-to restaurant, we would make our own from scratch. We both love to cook and are always looking for an excuse to make something. That said, this was not my first time making homemade pizza dough, as I've tried multiple recipes on several occasions. However, it wasn't until last week that I found a recipe I liked, which I'll now be using much more often.

Ingredients

Over the past year, I've found an assortment of recipes from Sugar Spun Run that I absolutely love. This pizza dough recipe is no exception, and is perfect for making about a 12-14 inch pizza. The recipe called for basil, but I was out, so I replaced it with oregano and was thoroughly surprised by the results. Additionally, the recipe called for either instant yeast or active dry yeast. I only had active dry yeast available, so that's what I put into my dough. Here are the ingredients I used:

• 2.5 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 2 1/4 Teaspoon Dry Active Yeast
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
• 3/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Oregano
• 3/4 Cup Warm Water
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

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Steps

While turning all those ingredients into a delicious dough may sound challenging, it's actually not overly complicated. For me, I took my time with the process to ensure I was doing everything correctly. One thing I like about Sugar Spun Run is that the recipes always include detailed instructions that are super easy to follow. I've listed them below and added any additional steps that I made along the way.

1. The first step I took when making this dough was activating my dry yeast, which I did by combing my dry yeast with a 1/4 cup of warm water and a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. I then waited about 10 minutes for the mixture to foam, or proof, and set it aside.
2. After that, I combined one cup of flour and the rest of the dry ingredients, followed by my yeast mixture, water, and olive oil. The dough was then stirred with a wooden spoon while I added the other 1.5 cups of flour gradually into the mix. Sugar Spun Run noted that the dough should be slightly sticky but still manageable with hands. Fortunetally, mine was spot on.
3. In a separate bowl, I drizzled a little bit of olive oil and then placed my newly formed dough into that bowl. I covered it with a small towel and left it on my kitchen counter to rise for about 3 hours. If you use instant yeast, this will only take about 30 minutes.
4. When my dough had doubled in size, I deflated it and moved it to a floured surface, where I rolled it into a square. You can roll your dough in any shape you like, but I like squares. Squares are cool.
5. Once my dough was rolled out, I poked holes in the bottom to keep it from bubbling up in the oven. I then added some homemade pizza sauce, freshly shredded mozzarella, onion, and sausage. You can add whatever items you prefer, and you can even buy premade pizza sauce if you don't want to get super creative.
6. While adding the toppings to my pizza, I pre-heated my oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Once my toppings were on, the pizza went into the oven and baked for about 12 minutes, or until the top was a light golden color.

The final results were fantastic, and it's safe to say I had my fair share of slices. Will I be doing this every time I have a craving for pizza? Probably not, but if you have some extra time and want a fun culinary experience, this recipe is well worth trying. If you need someone to sample your work, I'll be happy to grab a plate.