Bread Machine Pizza Dough

Homemade pizza dough can be made with many different types of flours, from all purpose flour to gluten-free flour. This recipe uses bread flour, which creates a thick and chewy traditional and versatile pizza crust. It's perfect for anyone who love a classic, thicker crusted pizza.

The bread machine takes the hands-on work off of you when making pizza dough. It does all the kneading and rising and makes a simple recipe even easier.

If you love pizza, knowing and perfecting a homemade pizza dough is essential! Below you'll find step-by-step instructions for making the dough in a bread maker and by hand, the tools I recommend all pizza lovers have in their kitchen, and tips for making the perfect dough and pizza.

If you're interested in a thin crust pizza dough, check out this tried and true bread machine thin crust dough recipe.

Tools Needed

Before getting started with making homemade pizza dough whether in a bread machine or by hand, there are a few tools that will make it easy.

• Bread machine: I have a Cuisinart CBK-100 and I use it for all my homemade breads!
• Pizza peel: for assembling the pizza, transferring it to the oven and removing it from the oven. A wooden pizza peel works better than a metal one.
• Pizza stone: a must have for cooking homemade pizza! Don't use a metal baking sheet if you can help it. The pizza cooks and tastes so much better when using a stone.
• Large cutting board: you'll need this for slicing the pizza.
• Pizza cutter

Ingredients

Bread machine pizza dough is one of the easiest yeast bread recipes you can make. It uses simple ingredients: flour, yeast, olive oil, salt and sugar.

• Bread flour: the flour you use for pizza dough recipes is important. Different flours yield different crust results.
• Yeast: in a bread machine, you can use active dry, instant, or bread machine yeast.
• Olive oil: a good quality olive oil produces the best flavor. I like to use extra virgin olive oil.
• Salt: regular table salt or sea salt both work.
• Sugar: use white sugar.

You also need cornmeal for dusting the pizza stone and extra flour for dusting the pizza peel. Both prevent the dough from sticking to the surface, so do not skip using these!

If you're cooking the pizza right away, have your sauce, cheese and toppings prepared while the dough is being made.

Directions

While these directions are for making bread machine pizza dough, you can use this same recipe to make it by hand. Scroll down a bit further until you get to the "Make It By Hand" section.

This recipe as written yields one 10-12 inch pizza.

Making The Dough

STEP 1: Add all ingredients to the bread machine pan in the order that your manufacturer recommends. Set the machine to the dough setting and choose the 1.5lb loaf size. Press start.

💡 Pay careful attention to the dough during the first 10 minutes of the kneading cycle. If the dough appears too dry and it's not shaping into a smooth springy ball, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time. If the dough is too wet, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time.

STEP 2: Let the dough cycle run its course, then remove from the bread pan. Punch the dough down a few times and shape into a ball. Let rest at room temperature in an oiled bowl and covered with a towel for 30 minutes before cooking.

If you're cooking the pizza right away, follow the instructions below for stretching the dough and assembling the toppings. If you're not ready to cook it immediately, the pizza dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months in an oiled plastic freezer safe bag.

💡 See the tips below for fermenting overnight, if time allows.

Cooking The Pizza

STEP 1:  Place a pizza stone into the oven and preheat it to 500° Fahrenheit. Do this while the dough is resting at room temperature. Once its preheated, begin forming the pizza.

💡Once the oven has been preheated, it's a good idea to let it remain heated undisturbed (don't open the door!) for another 20 minutes before putting in the pizza. This allows the pizza stone to get really hot, which is necessary to make a perfectly cooked and flavorful pizza crust.

STEP 2: You're going to stretch the pizza dough on a pizza peel so that you can assemble the pizza first, then put it directly onto the hot pizza stone without removing the stone from the oven. Sprinkle the stone with a generous amount of flour, as in the picture above. This keeps the dough from sticking. Place the pizza dough on the floured peel and begin stretching it into the shape of a circle. Do this by pushing down on the middle of the dough without touching the edges. Push the dough outward until it forms a 12 inch circle. It's important to keep from pressing down on the edge (the crust) to get an airy, bubbly crust. If you press the edges flat, you'll let out the gasses that create this kind of pizza crust.

💡If the stretched dough pulls back, stretch it the most you can and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then stretch it again and let rest for another 5 minutes. Repeat as needed.

💡While shaping the dough, check underneath it periodically to ensure that there is still a good amount of flour. If there isn't, add more.

STEP 3: Now it's time to assemble the pizza! Work quickly while doing this and do not press down on the dough while adding the toppings. Add pizza sauce, cheese and other vegetable or meat toppings as desired. Lightly brush some of the edges with the sauce to create a golden and reddish crust.

STEP 4: Now cover the pizza stone with a good amount of cornmeal. Carefully slide the pizza off the peel and onto the stone. If the pizza becomes stuck, gently guide it off with a spatula.

STEP 5: Bake for about 12 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. The crust will also be golden brown. Remove the pizza from the stone using the pizza peel. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Making It By Hand

Take the same recipe and make it by hand in about 45 minutes. You can use a stand mixer or a mixing bowl and your hands!

1. In a large bowl (or to a stand mixer) add the warm water, yeast, and sugar and stir. Let sit for 5 minutes, until the mixture becomes bubbly.
2. Add the olive oil, bread flour and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon. Then knead with your hands until the dough is smooth and springy. If using the stand mixer, mix on speed two for 5 minutes.
3. Shape the dough into a ball and put into an oiled bowl. Cover with a heavy towel and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
4. Follow the instructions above for cooking.

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