Pizza Dough: the recipe for the dough to be prepared at home

The pizza dough is the basic preparation made with water, salt, flour, yeast, oil and salt with which you can make a homemade pizza. It is soft and thin in the center, or also crispy if you prefer.

Learning how to make pizza dough is definitely the heart of all the preparation, together with the cooking. In our recipe we will make pizza dough by mixing together manitoba flour, 00 type flour, brewer's yeast, water at room temperature, fine salt and extra virgin olive oil. The dough must then double its volume, before being seasoned as you want and cooked in the oven.

It is worth the effort to make your own dough for sure! This recipe is the perfect balance of a sweet and salty dough that will compliment any pizza toppings you choose. Let's see how to prepare it.

Tips

With these doses you will prepare two pizzas, to be cooked in 28 cm diameter trays. If you want to double the dose, simply double all the ingredients.

Bake the pizza in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes: the temperature must be between 200° and 250° C.

For the preparation of the pizza dough you can also use the mixer: just follow the same procedure.

Always use water at room temperature: natural or tap water will be fine. Avoid using warm water otherwise the yeast will no longer work.

Brewer's yeast can also be crumbled directly into the flour. Alternatively, you can use 2 grams of dehydrated beer yeast. The end result will be the same.

If you do not have manitoba flour available, you can replace it with flour 0. It is important to use a strong flour rich in gluten to obtain an elastic dough.

This dough is very versatile so if you like thin, crispy crust pizza, simply roll the dough out very thinly. Keep the dough nice and thick for a more bready pizza crust.
Roll the dough into a square shape then cover with olive oil and garlic. Cut into strips and bake to make great breadsticks.

How to season Pizza Dough 

Once the pizza dough is prepared, season it as you prefer: simply with tomato, oil, garlic and oregano, or by adding olives, cheese or mozzarella. Those who prefer can also season it with mozzarella cheese and vegetables, especially zucchini, peppers, aubergines or mushrooms, or with the addition of ham or frankfurters, according to your tastes and availability.

How to store Pizza Dough 

Once ready, the pizza dough can be cooked immediately or preserved: in the latter case, you can reduce the amount of yeast by letting the dough rest in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours, covered with plastic wrap. Then leave the dough at room temperature before seasoning your pizza. You can also freeze the pizza dough, perhaps dividing it already into loaves, to be placed in proper freezing bags.

How to make Pizza Dough

Dissolve the brewer's yeast in water at room temperature: it must be around 25°. Put the manitoba flour and the 00 type flour in a bowl, pour over the water with the brewer’s yeast dissolved little by little, kneading with your hands. Once half of the water is poured, add the fine salt and continue adding the water until the mixture is homogeneous. Now pour in the extra virgin olive oil, a little at a time and knead again.

Transfer the mixture to a work surface and continue working it with your hands, until it is smooth and homogeneous. Make a loaf, cover it and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Pull the dough gently by the ends and fold it towards the center, so as to give it a spherical shape. Transfer it now to a bowl, cover with cling film and let it rise for about 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in volume: you can place the bowl inside the oven whit the oven turned off, with the light on, so to reach a temperature of about 26°.

After the proper rising time, divide the dough in half, give another fold to the dough and swirl it, so turn it with your hands, bringing it towards you and then moving it away until you create a smooth sphere. Put the two doughs on a work surface and let them rest for 30 minutes, covered with a clean cloth. Your pizza dough is ready for use.