Easy Pizza Dough

Easy Pizza Dough

Here is a very easy pizza dough recipe. It can be made in your bread maker or your mixer.  I have included instructions for both below.  I use this for homemade pizza and pizza pockets.  It is very delicious!

This recipe makes enough for 2 large pizzas with medium thickness.  

1 1/2 cups warm water
4 tsp yeast
4 tsp honey
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Your favorite spices (some things I use: garlic salt, italian seasoning, onion powder, parsley, dried chopped onions, McCormick's rosemary garlic and bell pepper seasoning, Parmesan cheese)

Instructions for Bread Maker:
Put water and honey in bottom of pan, add flour.  Make well on one side and add yeast.  On other side, make another well and add your seasonings.  Close the lid, push the dough setting and let it do its magic.  Because I am at high altitude or depending on how much additional dry ingredients were added, you might need to add just a little bit of extra water.  I let the bread maker mix the ingredients and if it seems like it is not forming a ball then I add a little extra water (usually a few drops to 1/8 cup).  Don't add too much water.

Instructions for Mixer:
Put water and yeast in bottom of mixing bowl and let bloom for about 5 minutes.  Add honey, turn on mixer and start adding flour in slowly (if you have mixer on too high you will have flour everywhere - I speak from experience here). If you have to, use spatula to get flour off the sides.  Add in your spices/herbs.  If too dry add in small amount of additional water until dough forms a ball.  Put into a large bowl coated with oil or cooking spray and cover with a towel.  Let rise for about 2 hours.


Instructions for both methods after rising:
Flour large cutting board or counter and turn dough out on to board.  Knead for a couple of minutes.  Cut dough in half and put one half to the side.  Roll out with rolling pin.  If you like thick don't roll it so thin.  You can also use this to make pizza pockets/calzones.  I like my calzones to be thinner so the dough cooks through.  Remember this recipe makes enough for 2 large pizzas (I have a 16" pizza pan) with a medium thick crust.

On pizza pan, sprinkle a bit of corn meal to keep dough from sticking.  Put rolled out dough on pan and top with your favorite sauce and toppings and bake in oven.  Depending on your ingredients, I generally cook at 400 degrees for 14-18 minutes.  


Variation:
If you want to make a cheese stuffed crust, roll out crust about 1 1/2 inches bigger than your pan on all sides.   Tear mozzarella cheese sticks into about 2-3 long strips each and put along edge of crust and roll in.  Crimp along all edges with fingers to keep cheese from leaking out.