Pizza Dough 101: 3 Types of Pizza Dough

If you're like me, you get the urge for pizza about twice a week. That's not to say I make pizza that often, but I think about having it at least that much if not more.

So, what stops us from making pizza whenever we get the urge?

It's typically that we're lacking one of three things.

Time, ingredients, or pizza-making skills.

But what if I told you that there's a solution for what's stopping you from making delicious pizza whenever your brain calls for it?

But before we get to the pizza dough recipes, let's go over the three things that most commonly stop people from making pizza:

Time

I'd be a liar if I said that making pizza dough isn't time-consuming. Fortunately, the ingredients for pizza dough are readily available and we generally already have them in our pantry.

So, how long does it take to make pizza dough?

For most recipes, making the dough only takes a few minutes. It takes almost as long to find and measure the ingredients as it does to bring them together to at least resemble pizza dough.

But if time is of the essence, not to worry. These three recipes are perfect for when you want pizza almost immediately, a little later today, or sometime between now and payday.

Why does it take some time to make pizza dough?

In a word, flavor.

There's a bit more to it than just making deliciously flavorful pizza dough, but your patience will be rewarded with otherwise unattainable flavors.

There are a few ways to make desirable dough and they all involve some kind of a leavening agent.

The two most common leavening agents for dough are yeast and baking powder.

Yeast is a living microorganism that ferments the sugars in the dough. This fermentation produces bubbles in the form of carbon dioxide which causes the dough to rise.

It's the traditional leavening agent used in pizza dough and it allows for dough to ferment for a longer period of time. This extra time will develop the flavor and texture of the pizza crust.

Baking powder, conversely, is a chemical leavening agent that contains a mixture of baking soda, cream of tartar, and cornstarch.

It's a faster-acting leavening agent, that also produces carbon dioxide bubbles. But instead of happening over time, heat signals these bubbles form when the food is in the oven.

Baking soda is more frequently used for leavening denser doughs and breads. It's ideal for foods like biscuits, cookies, pancakes, and waffles, that don't need the additional flavors a yeast fermentation brings.

Baking powder is the auto racing pit crew of dough making. It works fast to get your pizza in the oven, across the finish line, and on the table quicker. But just like you wouldn't want a race car to be your daily driver, baking soda makes some sacrifices with both flavor and texture.

Both yeast and baking powder can make a good quality pizza crust. Which one you choose depends on the desired texture, taste, and the time available for the dough preparation.

Ingredients

There aren't that many ingredients required to make amazing pizza. The core four ingredients for pizza making are:

• Flour: This is the foundation of your pizza, providing structure and texture. The most common flour used is all-purpose wheat flour or an Italian style 00 or double zero flour, which gets its name from the fineness of its grind.

• Water: Bringing all ingredients together, water helps with yeast production or activating baking powder in the dough. The amount of water used in making dough will change how hydrated the pizza dough will be. Higher hydration dough is challenging to work with but can produce amazing textures with a crisp exterior and a soft, pillowy crust.

• Yeast: Both fresh and powdered yeast provide the same services, eating sugars and releasing carbon dioxide to make the dough rise.

• Salt: For centuries salt has been preserving food and it's no exception when you add it to pizza dough. It helps keep the dough fresh during fermentation and also slows down the yeast activity so the dough doesn't blow up too quickly. Salt will also make the dough more flavorful and help with texture by strengthening the flour's gluten which also helps when it's time to stretch.

Some recipes call for additional ingredients like sugar, oil or butter, garlic, herbs, and baking powder to make pizza dough. Although these ingredients are fine to use and will often make the pizza more delicious, they all can and will burn at higher temperatures so take that into consideration when baking pizzas over 500°F.

I'm Hungry Now Pizza Dough:

This recipe was an internet sensation a few years back and has certainly aged well. With only 2 ingredients, it comes together quickly and uses ingredients you likely won't need to go shopping for or can easily find. This dough starts out really wet. It gets messy and sloppy before it gets good, so you will "knead" patience with this recipe as well.

• 1 cup Greek Yogurt
• 1 1/2 cup self-rising flour

In a large bowl or on a work surface, mix both ingredients together.

Knead by hand for 5 minutes or until the dough becomes smooth. If it seems excessively wet after 5 minutes of kneading you can add flour a dusting at a time until it pulls together.

Form the dough into a ball, then roll it to your desired thickness with a rolling pin.

It makes a nice 12-14" pizza crust that can be topped and baked immediately.

I'll be hungry soon pizza dough

• 1 cup warm water (105-110°F)
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast (or instant dry yeast)
• 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil divided

Dissolve the sugar or honey in the warm water and add the yeast. Allow the yeast to bloom for 3-5 minutes until it begins to bubble and form foam so you know it's healthy and active. Instant dry yeast doesn't need time to bloom and can be used immediately.

Using a stand mixer, add the flour and salt to the mixing bowl equipped with the dough hook attachment.

Set the mixer to low speed and drizzle in the wet yeast mixture, and allow it to mix for one minute.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Turn the mixer up to medium speed and allow it to mix for 8 minutes.

At this point, the dough should have pulled from the bowl leaving the sides mostly clean. The dough should have a much smoother consistency.

Coat a large mixing bowl with olive oil. Place the dough ball in the mixing bowl and lightly coat the ball in olive oil without any unnecessary pooling of the oil.

Allow the dough to rise in the bowl for one hour, or use our Pizza Dough Box for pro-level proofing to prevent the dough from drying out. The dough is now ready to use.

If you have the time, punch down the dough and allow it rise again for an hour before stretching.

Makes 1 large pizza

Long weekend pizza dough - 3 Day dough

This dough is just as relaxed as a three-day weekend and takes about the same amount of time to make. But the reward is a dough with a glowing complexion like it's just been to the spa. Fortunately, it only takes a few minutes of actual work to pull this dough together. The delicious magic happens mostly in the refrigerator as the flavors develop and dance like no one is watching until it's time to bake.

• 4 1/4 cups (500 grams) bread flour
• 2 tsp (16 grams) kosher salt
• 1/4 gram (1 gram) active or instant dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups (350 grams) bottled water

1. Combine the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a bread hook attachment, allow the dry ingredients to mix together on low for one minute.
2. Turn the speed of your mixer up to medium and slowly add the water until combined. The dough should be slightly shaggy but be on the verge of coming together.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 3-5 minutes or until all of the flour is incorporated and there are no clumps
4. Lightly grease a large bowl with olive oil and place the dough ball in the bowl. Rub the ball inside the bowl so the top, bottom, and sides are sealed in oil.
5. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, or transfer the dough to our Pizza Dough Box and let it sit for 12 hours at room temperature, or up to 24 hours.
6. Allow the dough to cold ferment in the refrigerator for an additional 24-48 hours.
7. When it's pizza day, remove the dough from the refrigerator and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface.
8. Divide the dough into 3 or 4 portions and fashion them into dough balls
9. Allow the dough to sit covered in a sealed container, or transfer the dough to our Pizza Dough Box for 4-5 hours before forming into rounds.

Regardless of which type of pizza you prefer, these recipes will be sure to keep you fed whenever the urge strikes you. The hard part is deciding how many pizzas you will be making and choosing the perfect toppings.