How to Make The Easiest Pizza Dough Recipe for Beginners

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Ingredients

• 4 cups (20 oz/568 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 2 ¼ teaspoons salt
• 1 ⅓ cups (10 ½ fl oz/315 ml) warm water
• ¼ cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) olive oil
• 2 cups (16 fl oz/480 ml) pizza sauce
• 16 oz (450 g) fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup (3 oz/85 g) pepperoni
• semolina , optional, for dusting

Instructions

1. Add the flour, yeast and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and stir on medium to combine.
2. Pour in the water and olive oil and continue to mix on medium speed for 8-10 minutes. You want just enough liquid for the dough to form a ball.
3. Transfer the dough to a large, oiled bowl. Turn the dough in the bowl so the surface of the ball of dough gets coated in oil.
4. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and put in a warm place to rise for 1 ½ - 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
5. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 500°F (250°C). Place a rimless baking sheet in the oven to preheat.
6. Turn the proofed dough onto a lightly floured surface, knock back and divide into 6 equal pieces (roughly 8 oz/225g) each.
7. Shape each piece of dough into a smooth ball, cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes. (At this point you can place the balls into Individual ziplock bags and store in the fridge for up to 2 days or can be frozen for 6 weeks)
8. When ready to bake your pizza, lightly dust a large piece of parchment paper with semolina and set aside.
9. On a floured surface, roll out a ball of dough into a 10-12 inch (25-30 cm) circle and place on the parchment. (If the dough pulls back as you are rolling then cover it and allow to rest for 10 minutes before rolling again)
10. Top the pizza with ½ cup ( 4 fl oz/120 ml) of pizza sauce, followed by 4 oz (115 g) cheese and pepperonis.
11. Lift the parchment paper with the pizza and place on the hot baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the crust is bubbly and the cheese is toasty around the edges.
12. Transfer to a cutting board, slice into wedges with a pizza cutter and serve immediately.
13. Store leftover pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 10 minutes.