RECIPE: Easiest Pizza Dough EVER (and baking tips)

 Mmmm... Pizza...

It was just a month ago that I was ranting about the Mama Cozzi's Pizza Dough that I was getting from Aldi's. One reason I like it is that it's cheap. But, still, the price was bouncing around from $1.50 some days to $1.95 other days. And the last time I got a bag delivered, it was really wet and soggy. Instacart did give me a refund but... That made me decide to stop being lazy and make my own. (It's about to be a new year and I'm working on scrimping even more than usual more to save money.)

Use this recipe if you want a tasty and crispy dough that's good enough to eat by itself!

This recipe is from someone I've always kind of rolled my eyes at. That's just because I get so tired of everyone becoming a brand... In this case, it's The Pioneer Woman. Anyway, this recipe made me unroll my eyes and get to work. This is the link to the official recipe (and do check out her other recipes!) but I did make some modifications that I want to share. Also, I culled a nice tip from someone who also used the recipe. I suggest reading the tips before using the recipe. Just saying...

Make & Freeze Pizza Dough

from The Pioneer Woman

INGREDIENTS: (I added some helpful links)

4 1/2 tsp. quick-rise yeast

2 c. warm water (115F) (about the "wrist temp" of a baby bottle)

2 tsp. sugar

5 c. bread flour (600g per King Arthur Baking)*

1/4 c. olive oil

1 tsp. salt 

(*I prefer measuring large quantities of baking ingredients in Metric because it's more accurate than depending on the Imperial system of cup size, etc. Also, the King Arthur chart shows variances between types of flour.)

DIRECTIONS (don't forget to check the tips below)

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine yeast, warm water, and sugar, and let sit for 10 minutes. The liquid should be foamy and bubbly, indicating that the yeast is alive. 
2. Add the bread flour, olive oil, and salt. Stir using the dough hook or a wooden spoon, until roughly combined (this means no loose flour pieces in the bottom of the bowl). Fit the bowl and the dough hook onto the stand mixer and knead on medium-low speed for 10 minutes, until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for about 30 minutes, until the dough has doubled in size. 
3. Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and divide it into four even pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a ball. (You can weigh it on a scale. I just flattened my dough into a rectangle then eye-balled cutting into even pieces.)
4. The dough is now ready to be rolled out and baked, or ready to be frozen. 
5. To freeze the pizza dough: place the pizza dough balls into resealable plastic bags. Make sure that if you put multiple balls of dough in one bag, you use parchment paper or wax paper to keep them separated. 
6. To thaw:  move the pizza dough from the freezer to the refrigerator the morning before you want to make dinner, then roll and bake as usual. I move mine to the fridge the night before. See tips for why that is.)
   
7. To bake: preheat the oven to 500˚. (Yes, she means 500F) Roll the thawed (or freshly made) dough and bake each pizza for about 10 to 15 minutes. (For my smaller-diameter pizza, it was finished at 12 minutes on apprx. 450F.)

Tips & Modifications:

• BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING: If you are going to be freezing part of this, make sure that you have either resealable plastic bags (quart or gallon size) that seal tightly or a bag-sealing machine. You want to make sure to tightly seal these for freezing.
• Because I don't have an oven light or proofing box, before I start Step 2, I turn on my oven (about 150-200F) to warm up. I set a timer to stop after about 5 minutes and I check with a thermometer that the oven is at a safe temp for the yeast in the dough. I learned from Knead Rise Bake that the ideal temp for this is 75-80F. The page also has tips for other ways to proof bread in the oven. Also, know that I have used a heating pad on Low underneath a pan to help the bread dough rise! It did work.
• Also at Step 2, I was careful not to add all the flour at once. I held back about a cup and added it a little at a time. I find that it's easier to add flour to a dough than to add liquid. I ended up using all the flour & then having to use a bit more during the shaping process. Next time I know that I might need to add a few tablespoons more to the initial mix. 
• When covering the dough to proof in the oven, make sure to a) lightly spray the plastic wrap with a bit of oil. I did not and my dough stuck to the wrap because it rose so well, and b) use a large enough bowl. My bowl was too small in the first place.
• To make sure my dough is "roughly combined", I will use a spoon or spatula & check underneath to make sure to get all the raggedy bits of flour tucked into the dough. (My mixer doesn't always pick up and combine these loose bits on the bottom.)
• At Step 3, when I removed my dough from the bowl, it was stickier than I liked. I just added a little more flour to the board until it was less sticky & hard to work with.
• Also - when getting ready to divide your dough: the recipe suggests 4 pieces and that worked for me to make a pizza that was roughly 9.5 inches in diameter with a medium-thick crust. If you are feeding a family, you might want to divide the dough into 2 pieces. I guess it depends on how thick or thin of a pizza you want. 
• For thawing, some users on the recipe page said the thawed dough wasn't rising well. Another user with the handle  tah3169 had this useful tip: "... when you take out the dough from freezer put in refrigerator overnight to defrost. Once defrosted put in a greased bowl and cover with wrap at least 2 hours before cooking." I have not thawed any of my dough but I will try this.
• My dough did rise very well but I have just learned to eyeball when my dough is or isn't ready. I highly recommend the Chain Baker site and the YouTube channel for learning from someone who explains things well. I go directly to the Learning page on his site at least twice a week! (I try to donate a couple of dollars via YouTube because he's helped me so much.)
• The 500 degrees seemed high to me but it is correct. The high temp is what makes the crust crispy. My oven tends to run high though so I went with 450. I also always oil the edges of my crust with olive oil. With this dough, I lightly oiled the baking pan with some of my garlic-infused olive oil. The crust was the best I've ever had on any pizza. I could have just eaten the crust with some dipping sauce!
• By the way, I wondered why great cooks and bakers like mom and other kitchen pros always use wooden spoons. I learned that this is because wood is very sturdy and doesn't react badly with yeast and other ingredients. I actually think my mom just preferred wood spoons. If anyone else knows more about this, let me know.

This is what happens when you don't oil the plastic wrap for proofing. (The last thing I made was brioche so I forgot that other doughs rise so much!). The lesson: Use a larger bowl than I did to allow for the rise and oil the plastic wrap! I would also go ahead and lightly oil the bowl...

Bowl is too small and the wrap is too tight

These are my remaining 3 pieces of dough. I didn't weigh them but will do that next time and maybe remember to update this post with more pics.

You can tell I eye-balled the divisions

Now, remember, everyone's ovens and mixers, etc are not equal. My poor little almost-dead stand mixer did get through this dough (because I only had to use low speed!) but I think I could have done it by hand. That would be some serious work though. 

I'd suggest following the directions the first time you make this dough, then use your instincts next time. You know your kitchen and equipment better than anyone so you may want to modify the baking temp or add more or less flour to the dough, etc. 

More Helps & Guides:

By the way, as I mentioned, I have learned that it's easier (and more accurate) to measure using the metric system for large quantities. I have at least 3 sets of measuring cups. I have tested and found that each "cup" is a little off from the others. There are no big differences but for baking, it's better to be more exact. Here are some sites for looking up or converting  Imperial (U.S.) vs Metric:

• The National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) seems to be the best starting place though the conversions are approximate. (BTW, the site also has this page for anyone wanting to learn how to actually do conversions. Uh, this is math and math gives me a headache but for those who dig that sort of thing, go knock yourselves out. I'll have Tylenol waiting when you finish!) Here is the chart for cooking:

• Spruce Eats always has a helpful chart or two.
• Baker Bettie (I just like the "Baker Bettie" handle!)
• The android app US-Metric/Imperial Converter by MobiSys has an incredible 4.9-star rating. I've not yet downloaded it but added it because it's for more than cooking. (As with any phone app, if you use it, make sure to run it through your virus scanner!) And, no, I'm not sponsored by them nor am I promoting the app.
• Better Homes & Gardens has a pretty complete chart

I have a perfectly good & highly accurate scale that I think I paid about $11 for a couple of years ago but I'm almost hoping it breaks down so that I can get this one! 

It's cheaper at Walmart than on Amazon.
Just saying...

LOL

Last tip: If you want to test your food scale for accuracy, try weighing something you bought that has the weight on it. I check my scale often by weighing packaged meat. 

UPDATE: I picked up some tips I want to add:

• To make the dough easier to stretch (when preparing to use), set it out & let it come to room temp. This was a game-changer for me since I did have trouble stretching the dough.
• Add a little flavored olive oil to the crust. I have oiled my crust but forgot to always use my garlic olive oil. 
• After you spread the sauce and before you add toppings, sprinkle with oregano, garlic powder, parmesan, etc. I can't recall if I mentioned this or that I sometimes add real bacon bits.
• Jazz up boring (or cheap) sauce by adding small pieces of diced fresh tomatoes or finely chopped garlic. 
• If you want the pizza a little more done but are nervous about burning it (I have this dilemma with cast iron pans), turn off the oven and let the pie stay inside for a few more minutes. I know that my cast iron holds heat and will continue to cook the dish for several minutes. Don't forget to check every few minutes though.

Peace

--Free

P.S.: I can talk all the smack I want about The Pioneer Woman brand but, honey, they (the brand) have the cutest heart-shaped ceramic pie pans!!! I was gifted a set of small pan and a large one. So I love some of the stuff but I still hate all the branding and everyone going corporate.