Pizza Dough

Combine flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and water in a bowl

Work the dough into a ball until smooth, about 5 minutes. (You may need to add flour if the dough is too wet, or water if too dry.)

*If using a KitchenAid stand mixer: use the dough hook on a slower speed to combine the ingredients, then speed up to medium and knead for a few minutes

Remove dough from bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface and shape into a ball

Cut dough ball in half and form two smaller dough balls

Lightly oil two bowls to prevent dough balls from sticking as they proof. 

Cover each bowl and allow to rise for about an hour. The dough should double in size and may start to creep out of the bowl, this is OK!

Once the pizza dough has risen, return to a floured surface and work the ball a bit to push out air. 

Stretch dough to about 12" in diameter (or, to the size of the vessel you will cook your pizza on - sheet pan, pizza stone, skillet, etc.)

You are now ready to top and cook your pizza! There are various ways to cook pizza, so the actual steps will vary but in general this dough should be cooked in a 500 degree oven about 5-10 minutes or until your toppings are browned and the crust is crispy.

My favorite method for making pizza is using a Cast Iron Skillet, here's how:

1. Preheat over to 500
2. Heat a 12" cast iron skillet over medium-high heat
3. Quickly and carefully, place your stretched pizza dough into the skillet
4. Cook for about 3 minutes to crisp the bottom of your crust - top the pizza while it cooks in the skillet (Sauce, Cheese, Meat, Vegetables)
5. Bake in the over for about 5 minutes, or until the top of the pizza is done
6. Pull from the over and allow to cool for about 5 minutes
7. Transfer to a cutting board, slice, serve, and enjoy! 🍕 😋