Chef and Dietitian, Whitney shows family how to make a pizza from scratch. This recipe include making the dough and the tomato sauce at home.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time5 minutesmins
Overnight dough rising8 hourshrs
Total Time8 hourshrs20 minutesmins
Course: pizza
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: best pizza dough recipe, best pizza party, best pizza sauce recipe, easy pizza dough recipe, homemade pizza dough recipe, homemade pizza sauce recipe, how to host a pizza party, Pizza dough, Pizza party
Calories: 214kcal
Ingredients
For the dough {makes 2 dough balls per recipe for a 12'' pizza} or 3 small 8'' pizzas}:
1cupof warm waterbetween 95-115 degrees F
1teaspoonof granulated sugar or honey
1package {or 2 ¼ teaspoons} active dry yeast
2-3cups'00'/farina flour
2tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
2teaspoonskosher salt
For the sauce:
1{14.5 ounce} can of wholepeeled, San Marzano tomatoes
¼teaspoonKosher salt
¼teaspoonfreshly cracked pepper
½teaspoondried oregano leaves
⅓cupchopped fresh basil leaves
Suggested toppings:
THE HONEY PIG
Fresh mozzarella cheese {You will need 3 ounces per pizza}
Sliced spicy capicola {2 ounces per pizza}
Thinly sliced wedges of fresh peach {1 small peach per pizza}
Red pepper flakes
Fresh basiltorn with fingers {use to top once pizza has baked}
Honey {use to top once pizza has baked}
Instructions
Place your pizza stone{s} in a cool oven and set the temperature to 350. Let your stone heat for 1-½ hours.
In a large bowl, combine the water, sugar or honey, and the yeast. Stir gently and let the mixture sit on the countertop for about 10 minutes. It should smell fragrant and look foamy on top if the yeast has been activated. If there is no foam or no bubbles have formed, your water was probably too hot. Pour out the mixture, clean your bowl, and start again with cooler water.
Add 2 cups of the flour, the olive oil and salt to the yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine until a loose, wet dough forms. Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead about another ½-1 cup of flour into the wet dough with your hands until a smooth, elastic dough ball forms. This should take 2-4 minutes to achieve.
Place your dough ball in a greased bowl and cover the top with a towel or plastic wrap. Place in a warm, dry area to rise for 90 minutes or until double in size. I like to place my dough in a warm dryer that's been running for about 10 minutes prior to putting the dough inside.
While your dough rises, make the sauce and complete any necessary prep work for your toppings.
Pour the can of tomatoes into a small bowl. Using your clean fingers, break up the whole tomatoes into small chunks. Stir in the salt, pepper, oregano, and fresh basil. Refrigerate until you are ready to top the pizzas.
When the dough has doubled in size, gently punch it down dump it onto your floured work space. Divide the dough in half and gently knead each half into a smooth ball. Place a damp towel or paper towel over your dough balls until you are ready to roll them out. Do not wait more than 15 minutes or so to roll them out, as they will start to rise again.
Preheat your oven with the pizza stone inside to 450.
Using a floured rolling pin, carefully roll out your dough to for a 12'' circle. You can vary the thickness according to your preference {I like about ¼'' thick}. Transfer the rolled dough to a sheet of parchment paper big enough to fit it on with about 3 inches of extra paper on each side.
Spread a thin layer of sauce onto your dough, leaving about a ½'' border on the sides. Be careful not to add too heavy a layer of sauce, as this can prevent your bottom crust from getting crispy.
Top with fresh mozzarella and other desired toppings {I recommend no more than a light layer of 3 different toppings - this will keep your dough from tearing or becoming soggy}.
Using the overhang of parchment paper, transfer your pizza to the back of a baking sheet. Open the oven, place the baking sheet near the pizza stone, and carefully slide your pizza onto the stone. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the crust is golden brown on the bottom and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Remove your pizza from the oven by using the parchment paper handles to transfer the pizza back onto a baking sheet {this way your stone can stay hot for baking more pizzas}. Slice the pizza, top with finishing toppings if desired, and serve hot!
When you are done baking pizzas, turn off your oven and let your pizza stone cool in the oven completely before removing it. Clean your stone according to manufacturer's instructions.