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Homemade pizza, topped with fresh arugula.

Homemade Pizza Dough

Heather Smoke
An easy recipe for delicious, chewy homemade pizza, with options for thick or thin crust.

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5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Rest Time 2 days
Total Time 2 days 50 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings1 pizza

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer with Dough Hook or Paddle Attachment

Ingredients
 

Dough

  • 2 cups bread flour, spooned and leveled
  • ¼ cup whole wheat flour
  • ¾ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
  • 2 ¼ tsp instant or rapid rise yeast (1 packet)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • ¾ cup + 2 tbsp hot water, between 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit
  • 1 tbsp yellow cornmeal, for the pan

Garlic Parmesan Bechamel Sauce

  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • pinch salt and pepper
  • pinch Italian seasoning
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Toppings

  • 6 oz fresh mozzarella slices
  • ½ cup shredded chicken
  • ¼ cup very thinly sliced radishes
  • ¼ cup very thinly sliced potatoes
  • 2 tbsp sliced or chopped red onion
  • ½ tsp crushed red pepper
  • ¼ tsp dried basil, oregano or Italian seasoning
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp olive oil or melted butter
  • 1 cup fresh arugula

Instructions
 

Make the Dough

  • In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook or paddle attachment, combine all the dough ingredients (except the cornmeal, which you'll be sprinkling onto the pan before baking the crust). Knead on low speed (#2) for 10 minutes. The dough should be pliable, but will form a ball.
    If it seems too stiff, add a little more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. If the dough is too loose, add a little more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
  • Lightly grease a bowl with non-stick baking spray or olive oil, gather the dough into a ball, and place in the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes.
  • Place the bowl in the refrigerator to rest, at least for several hours, but preferably overnight, or up to 2 days. The longer you let the dough rest, the more flavor it will develop and the better its texture will be.
  • Take the dough out of the fridge about 1 hour before you plan to assemble your pizza, to let the dough warm up.

Make the Sauce

  • In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and let it cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant and light golden brown.
  • Whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 minute.
  • Very slowly, whisk in the cold milk, whisking it to form a smooth paste, then gradually whisking in the rest of the milk. Season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Cook for several minutes, just until slightly thickened, with a consistency similar to warm pudding. Note that the sauce will thicken more as it cools.
  • Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the Parmesan cheese. Let the sauce cool for a few minutes, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days, until needed.
  • You'll have enough sauce for 1-2 pizzas, depending on how much sauce you like to use. (I only used half the sauce for the photographed pizza.)

Toppings

  • Prep all of your toppings. Be sure to slice the potatoes very thinly, so that they cook through in the short bake time.
  • For a thin crust, I usually use fewer toppings, but you can pile them on a little heavier for a thicker crust pizza.

Bake

  • Preheat the oven to 450 F, and position a rack in the lower third of the oven.
    This will allow the bottom crust to brown and become more crisp, without over-browning the toppings.
  • Punch down the chilled dough, then place it onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour, too. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to your desired size/thickness.
    If the dough is resistant to stretching or rolling out, let it rest for 2-3 minutes then try again. You may have to let it rest a few times.
  • Sprinkle your pizza pan or baking sheet with the cornmeal, then transfer the dough to the pan.
  • Spread the sauce over the dough, leaving a half inch border all around. Add the cheese, then the toppings, herbs and Parmesan cheese.
    For a golden brown crust, brush the edges of the dough with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil or melted butter.
  • Bake the pizza for about 15-20 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the crust is baked through and crispy.
  • Cool for several minutes, then cut into slices and serve.
Keyword Pizza, Yeast Dough
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