Making the Best Homemade Pizza Crust

Making the best homemade pizza crust is an art form. You have to mix the perfect pizza dough, treat it tenderly, and bake it in the best conditions. When all of these things come together, you will have the foundation to the best homemade pizza ever tasted.

The first step in crafting a great pizza crust is to mix your pizza dough. Begin by using the freshest yeast you can purchase from the store. Yeast has a definite shelf life and the older it is, the less it will help your dough rise. Fresh yeast will come to life and grow rapidly. Mix your yeast with water that is warm, not hot. A temperature of about 105 degrees F is just right for bringing your yeast to life. Give your yeast at least ten minutes to finish blooming in the water before moving on to the next step. This will help speed up the process later on.

The next step is choosing your ingredients. Better ingredients makes for better pizza dough. Bread flour instead regular flour will yield a lighter crust for you. Gently sift the flour before stirring it in to make your pizza dough. Packing the flour into a measuring cup can lead to having too much flour, causing your dough to be too thick and heavy. It pays to be picky about your other ingredients also. Sea salt instead of table salt, extra virgin olive oil instead of vegetable oil, and fresh ground white pepper will help create the best pizza dough possible.

When your dough is mixed, let it rise for the full amount of time needed. Some people become impatient and want to use their pizza dough too soon. This can leave your dough heavy and flat. Dough can rise slowly within a refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours to reach its maximum potential. After rising, give the pizza dough at least 2 hours to sit at room temperature before you being to use it.

For the best pizza crust, you have to use your hands. While rolling the pizza dough out can create a good flat crust, hand stretching the dough will make it truly the best. Begin by placing your ball of dough on a smooth, flour coated surface. Using your fist, pound the center of the dough in a circular motion. Work your way out and around until it is flattened. Then, use your fists to stretch and pull the pizza dough out. If the dough is too cold it will tear instead of stretching, this is why it is very important to let it warm up before beginning to work it.

Once your pizza dough is stretched to the size you want it is time to make the pizza. A pizza stone is the perfect tool for baking a pizza. Sprinkle the stone with cornmeal to prevent the dough from sticking, and always preheat your stone before cooking with it. Lightly bake your crust without topping for 5 minutes to prevent having a soggy crust. Add your sauce, cheese, and various toppings to the homemade pizza crust and finish baking it.

When your pizza is ready, slice it and enjoy!