For me, pizza is just one of the greatest meals around! It really is so very simple to make yourself. I started making my own pizza dough just because its so easy and tastes so much better than even store bought dough! I started out using this recipe and I’ve pretty much stuck with it ever since. It has never done me wrong!

Here’s what you’ll need for enough dough for 2 pizzas:

1 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey {I used sugar this time but I normally like to use honey}
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
3 cups bread flour

In a large mixing bowl, pour in all of the yeast and the honey or sugar. Pour in the warm water and give the yeast and sugar a good little stir and let it sit for about 5 minutes until it starts to foam.

yeast immediately after the water has been poured in

yeast a few minutes later

yeast 5 minutes later

The yeast foaming process is so fascinating to me that I made a video about it.

After yeast has foamed, pour in salt, oil and 1 cup of the flour. I like to start with a whisk and then switch to a stiff plastic spatula to scrape the bowl clean.

After 1 cup of the flour is added and mixed

after an additional 1 cup of flour is added and mixed

after another 1 cup of flour is added and mixed

Once the dough is dry enough to handle without completely sticking to my hands, I like to use my hands to knead/mix it while still incorporating more flour if it gets too sticky.

You can use the spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, and kneading the dough in the bowl will pick up all those scraped off bits. Once the dough is nicely tacky knead it for about 5 more minutes.

Lightly oil your dough and put plastic wrap over it.

I let my dough rise for about an hour and then I punch it down and let it rise again.

Once you are ready to start making pizzas, lightly flour a cutting board and gently press the dough flat from the inside out. When your dough is room temperature, you won’t need a rolling pin to roll it out. I press the dough out, and then lift it up to stretch it in certain places. It takes some practice but more practice means more pizza!!

Good luck, and let me know how your pizza making goes!