Pizza night is a weekly occurrence at my house and something that my family always looks forward to. Beyond the excitement of pizza, because hello, PIZZA…it’s the process of making the pies together that makes it extra special. I’ve been letting my son get involved in helping me make the dough and prep the ingredients since he was about two and he takes such pride in helping me roll out the dough and top the pizzas with all of his favorite toppings. It’s a simple but sweet family tradition that we will continue for years and years to come. Homemade pizza dough is actually quite easy and I have a recipe that I have been using for years that I am finally sharing with you after many requests from all of you! My easy pizza dough will have you feeling like you are at your favorite pizza shop right in your own home any night of the week.

I like to make homemade pizza on a day that I have a little time to let the dough rise, but you can also make the dough in advance and then freeze it. I simply lightly oil the pizza dough ball on the outside, and then place the dough into a freezer bag and freeze. When you are ready to bake it simply defrost in the fridge overnight and then leave at room temperature for at least an hour before rolling the dough out. This is a great tip so that you can have easy homemade pizzas at home even after a long day.

Another question I have been getting about the dough is what if I don’t have yeast on hand? Well I have a solution for that too! Simply replace regular all purpose flour with self-rising flour or add 1 tablespoon of baking powder to the flour instead. No it won’t be the exact same crust, but it is a great option if you don’t have yeast. A pizza dough made with yeast is lighter and airier, whereas if you don’t use a yeast your pizza, it will no doubt still be delicious, but it will be a bit more dense in texture.

Once you have your dough rolled out, you can top with whatever your favorite ingredients are and then bake and enjoy! It’s truly one of my favorite family activities and dinner and I encourage you to get your kiddos involved in making the dough! They will feel so proud as they eat the pizza that they help to make!

Do you have family pizza night at your house? If not, I think now is the time to start a new tradition!

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2-4 Cups of All Purpose Flour + extra for dusting

• 1 Packet Yeast

• 1 Tsp. Kosher Salt

• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil + oil for coating a bowl

• 1 Tsp. Honey

• 1 1/2 Cups Very Warm Water ( not scalding)

Directions:

• Place 3 1/2 cups of flour, yeast, and salt into a stand mixer (with the hook attachment). You can alternatively do this all by hand.

• Add honey to the warm water and stir to dissolve.

• Turn the stand mixer on low speed and then slowly pour in the warm honey water.

• Next, add in olive oil and continue to mix until the dough until it starts to come together. If dough is not balling up, add more flour at this time until it just comes together.

• Turn out the dough onto a heavily floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes until dough is smooth.

• Place into a bowl that has been oiled lightly. I like to take about 1/2 tsp. of oil and then with a paper towel I coat all sides and bottom of the bowl.

• Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel and let rise for 30 minutes-1 hour until it has at least doubled in size.

• Turn the dough back onto a lightly floured surface and then cut in half and then knead each half for 3-5 more minutes. (this recipe makes 2 pizzas)

• Roll each dough portion out into desired thickness. I tend to like 1/4” or so in thickness.

• Top with desired toppings and bake at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes until ingredients are cooked and crust is golden.

Notes:

• Use self rising flour instead of AP flour or baking powder if you don’t have yeast on hand. If using this method, you will not need to allow for rise time.

• If you don’t have a stand mixer with the hook attachment, simple mix with a wooden spoon and then by hand.

• You can also sub whole wheat flour in place of all purpose flour, but note that it will be a denser crust. I actually prefer a half whole wheat, half AP flour mix for a better crust texture.

I hope you will give this pizza dough a try and when you do, you will see just how easy it really is!