Who doesn't like pizza? Why buy it though, when you can make delicious pizza at home using cheap to make homemade pizza dough
Homemade Pizza Dough
There is a reason there are so many pizza restaurants around, and that reason is that pizza is super profitable, mainly because pizza dough is so cheap! Making your own dough to make your own pizza will save you a fortune over getting a takeaway pizza and is still far cheaper than buying a frozen supermarket pizza, as you need very few ingredients.
I usually make a batch of pizza dough using the recipe and method below and freeze the dough I won't use immediately.
I freeze the dough in pizza-size balls, and it defrosts in under an hour so that you can make homemade pizza pretty quickly again at a later date.
Alternatively, you could make the pizzas and freeze them and then reheat them straight from the freezer in the oven; they cook super fast, so you can have homemade pizzas in minutes, which will save you the cost of a takeaway pizza when you are short of energy to cook or have time constraints.
The recipe below will make about six thin pizzas, less if you like your pizza thicker. I prefer a thin and crispy pizza, which is good as I can make more pizzas from my dough batch, making it even more economical.
Ingredients:
1 packet of Doves Nutritional Yeast Flakes (Dried yeast)
3/4 pint of warm water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1.8lb of bread flour, although plain flour will be fine as well
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Instructions:
Mix the dough:
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a food mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, combine the dried yeast, flour and salt. Make a well in the centre and pour half the water along with the oil.
Mix the ingredients together until a dough forms. Add more water until the dough comes together. You may not need to use all of it. If using a food mixer, knead the dough on medium speed for about 5 minutes. If kneading by hand, transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
First rise:
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel or cling film. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until it doubles in size.
Preheat the oven:
Preheat your oven to the highest temperature it can go, typically around 475°F to 500°F (245°C to 260°C). If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven to preheat as well.
Shape the dough:
After the dough has risen, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough into two equal portions for two medium-sized pizzas, or leave it as is for one large pizza. I divide this into five balls for my thinner pizza preference and roll the pizza base to about 12 inches in diameter.
Stretch or roll out the dough to your desired thickness on a lightly floured surface. You can also use your hands to gently stretch and shape the dough.
Assemble the pizza:
Transfer the shaped dough to a lightly greased pizza pan or a piece of parchment paper if using a pizza stone. Add your favourite pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings.
Bake the pizza:
Carefully transfer the assembled pizza to the preheated oven. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serve and enjoy:
Remove the pizza from the oven and let it cool slightly before slicing. Serve hot, and enjoy your homemade pizza!
Tips:
For a crispier crust, you can pre-bake the dough for a few minutes before adding the sauce and toppings.