Mmmm, Homemade Pizza

Homemade pizza is easy, inexpensive, and delicious. All you need is a few basic ingredients and baking implements.

Tools:
- Small, Medium, and Large bowl
- Large cutting board
- Rolling pin
- Knife
- Large spoon
- Tablespoon measure
- 1/2 cup measure
- Baking pan

Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 3 1/2 cups white flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Pinch of salt
- Pizza sauce
- Mozzarella cheese
- Toppings

Step 1: Dough Preparation

In a small bowl add 1 1/2 cups of warm water. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of yeast on the water and stir to dissolve. Set aside for about 10 minutes until the yeast starts forming bubbles.

Add 3 1/2 cups of white flour to a large bowl and shape to allow a depression in the center.

Once yeast is ready, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt, then pour into the large bowl with the flour. The depression you made should contain it momentarily.

Comments

[DeathOrGlory]

Quick question. - Time is a big issue at our house at dinner time, and the hour for the dough to rise is going to be a dealbreaker, at least on weeknights. So, could I make the dough at 10 pm, and then when it was finished rising, just leave it in the fridge until 5pm the next day? Or will something bad happen if I do that?

[RobbyTheSheef]

I worked at a Ledo Pizza for a little while as a pizza cook. We actually never let the dough rise, and actually tried to use it up before it had a chance to fluff up. This caused the crust to be thin as all heck. So if you like it that way, it should work just to make it then use it right away.

[TONYRUTHIE]

Is that all to making it flaky? I thought they might have used baking powder in addition to yeast.

[bigdady]

ledos pizza do you know how thay make the dough

[LedoLover]

I grew up near the original in Adelphi and live in Arkansas now so I never get any. I even applied to be a franchisee and they aren't interested in expanding out here yet. What else can you tell us about the pizza? I try to make my own and just cannot. Any details about the sauce or the sausage or pepperoni would be great, what kind do they use? do they cook the sausage first or put it on raw? I am crazy for some Ledo. I actually had some a couple weeks ago, my parents came here to visit and brought one frozen so I reheated it and then ate it cold. Heated wasn't as good as I remember but the cold was just the same. YUMMMMMMM

[TONYRUTHIE]

I asked at a franchise in Laurel and they told me the sausage was raw when they put it on. It would probably be toast if it was already cooked. The bacon doesn't come out right when they put it on raw so I get it pre cooked.

[bigdady]

looking to copy ledos crust do you have a recipe

[caledonian]

Since I'm cooking for one, I usually make all the crusts, then freeze the ones I'm not using. I find if I bake them for a few minutes first, they're easier to handle when wrapping with tinfoil. Then come an evening when I feel like pizza, I just toss it in the warming-up oven to defrost for a few minutes, add the toppings, and bake. Quick and easy.

[jeffreyf]

It can definitely sit overnight, if you put it in the refigerator. Alton in fact makes his dough a day in advance.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_13823,00.html?rsrc=search

I'll also point to what may be the most extensive and detialed pizza recipe on the web, from Jeff Varasano:
http://jvpizza.sliceny.com/

[Yerboogieman]

funny, i only watched that show twice and knew exactly who you were talking about lol, happy pizza making

[saidthety]

Nice recipe! I'm letting my dough rise right now.

I hope it turns out okay, I already screwed up a little by not immediately stirring the yeast into the warm water- I let the yeast sit in a clump in the water for about 5 minutes before I re-read the instructions that said to stir the yeast in. It still got kinda bubbly though.

[RedGreen1]

Thanks for the recipe. I've enjoyed it with whole wheat flour, and now I've got a pizza in the oven I made using a white flour. Great instructable.

[bleepblorp]

Oh man. Just finished making the pizza and it was super fast/delicious! I threw some Italian seasoning into the dough before I rolled it out, and it added a nice little kick to the crust

[ricardovw]

tried it yesterday with my parents, it was wonderful, thanks!

[Yerboogieman]

for those of you that buy yeast in little packages like me and dont feel like converting the amount 1 Pack = 1 tablespoon (about)

[Big Bwana]

Great Instructable, ranch dressing, chicken, bacon, pineapples, and cheese is great for topping a pizza to .. And just a tip before you put your dough on the baking pan sprinkle a small amount of corn meal on the tray, this will stop it from sticking to your tray and if you cook more then one pizza you don't have to scrape, and wash the tray in between each pizza ... (( common practice in most pizza places )) And if you have to feed a few hungry kids just use a whole cookie sheet and any scraps of dough left over just roll them out and make funny shaped slices..

[Liganic]

Very great instructable! Please add "Fahrenheit " to your 400 Degrees, (that are about 200°C), just in case somebody tries to set his oven to 400°C (752°F).

[jtobako]

how many ovens have a 400C setting? and what would you bake at that temprature? (serious question)

[Big Bwana]

Oh Metric what a joy, most ovens are in both scales, unless you have a digital oven in which case what gas mark is that ???

[RobbyTheSheef]

Mine does. I used to work at a pizza place, the ovens were set to 800, cooking for about 8 minutes.

[jeffreyf]

To be fair to Liganic, while most home ovens don't go above around 500 degrees Fahrenheit, good pizza is often cooked at closer to 800 degrees Fahreneheit. Those big brick or coal fired ovens one sees get close to that temperature.

[Yerboogieman]

mine goes to 525F

[Labot2001]

looks delicious. ima gonna make me sum ]

[cowscankill]

anything i can use in place of yeast? my mom said something about baking soda and baking powder but shes not sure...

[Nesagwa]

Its probably a given (Youre using yeast, so you already know), but anyone that uses this should make sure not to use All-Purpose or Self Rising flour with this. Bread flour is what youd need.

[jeffreyf]

Quite right. Though you can get away with AP, bread flour has higher levels of protein, and makes for a chewier dough.

[gdawg]

Ah, I was wondering why my pizza dough wasn't ever turning out right, I've been using AP flour. Thanks!

[jeffreyf]

A tip o' the hat to Alton Brown for this one, but if you really want the highest protien flour, bread flour for bread makers is apparently best. (NB: I stand behind the bread flour statement. I have not tested the bread maker claim.)

[jeffreyf]

Mmmmmmm pizza! Now I'm starving. Great instructable too.

[!Andrew_Modder!]

YUM! I friggen love pizza!! :-) gr8 instructable!

[lebowski]

Wow, nice job with the photos. I will definately give this recipe a try. The last time I actually tried to make my own dough was in college, it didn't go so well. We generally don't have time these days to make the dough with two toddlers in the house, but maybe I'll try making the dough ahead of time.