You don't have to work hard to make homemade pizza with this no-knead pizza dough. It takes just 5 minutes to prepare the dough with slow six hours of proofing which gives this crust its structure and flavor. Today with my homemade 5 minutes pizza sauce.
Dry ingredients - In a bowl, combine flour and salt – and set aside.
Wet ingredients - In a measuring cup – measure the warm water, add olive oil, sugar, and yeast. Combine well.
Combine wet to dry ingredients - add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture.
Use a wooden spoon or spatula to combine it well making sure no dry flour is left on the bottom. This is a very wet dough, so don’t try touching it with your hand.Pro tip - the high hydration in the dough (water to flour ratio) is what gives us that crust on top and light and airy texture on the inside.
Cover with a clean kitchen cloth or plastic wrap. Leave on the countertop for an hour. Then, place in the fridge for 4 to 6 hours – up to 24 hours.Pro tip - the longer you proof this dough the more developed the flavor of the yeast. I would not recommend proofing longer than 24 hours.
Dust your work surface generously with flour. Remove the dough on to the floured work surface. It is best to use a bench scraper or spatula.Pro tip - The dough will have become three times its size but still be very soft, sticky, and elastic with lots of air pockets.
Divide the dough into three (for 3 x 12-inch thin-crust pizzas) or two (for 2 x 12-inch thick-crust pizzas).Pro tip - Let the dough rest again for 10 minutes (it will become easier to stretch)
Bake Pizza
Preheat the oven with a pizza stone for at 425°F/220°C/Gas Mark 6 for at least 20 minutes. Pro tip - the pizza must go into a very hot oven only then will you get a good balance of soft, chewy and golden crust.
Roll one piece of dough to about 12 inches. The dough is soft and elastic, you can stretch the dough with your hand or use a rolling pin. Transfer pizza to the pizza peel or pizza pan (see video).Pro tip - Place parchment paper on a pizza peel or use a pizza tray (parchment is less messy than cornmeal or flour).
Let the pizza base rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Brush the edges of the pizza with olive oil. Pro tip - resting will proof the dough and make those edges puff when baked. Brushing with oil will give a nice golden crisp crust.
Spread the pizza sauce and add your toppings. Generously sprinkle with cheese – I like to use a mix of mozzarella, parmesan, and cheddar.
Transfer the pizza to the preheated oven from the pizza peel to the pizza stone (or baking tray).
Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are crisp and golden and the cheese is melted beautifully.
Use parchment paper instead of cornmeal or flour on the pizza peel for a less messy affair.
Work with soft, room temperature dough as it will stretch easily without tearing too much.
A well-preheated oven is best for pizza as it gives crisp golden crust.
Don't overdo the sauce and toppings - the crust is delicious.
Choose the right toppings - do not use veggies that have excess liquid or that do not cook at the same time as the pizza. Do not use food that can burn easily on the top of a pizza.
Brush the edges with oil - this makes it nice and crisp with a beautiful golden color.
Let the rolled pizza base rest this puffs the base making it softer and chewier.
If you want a crisper crust - hold on to the cheese. Bake for 7 minutes without cheese then top the cheese and bake further.
Bread machine - this dough can be easily made in a bread machine. Pour all ingredients in the pan set to dough or manual. Start and let the dough run its cycle for about 9 to 10 minutes - continue with the recipe as shown above.
Freezing pizza dough - excess dough can be frozen for up to a month. Prepare the dough, let rise for an hour. Then punch the dough down and place it in a freezer-safe storage bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge for best results.
Freezing baked pizza - leftover pizzas freeze beautifully. I like to slice them into wedges and freeze them on the tray. Once frozen I place them in freezer-safe storage bags. These will keep for up to a month. Geat snack for kids.
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you