How to Make Easy Homemade Pizza Dough

Pizza dough needs to rise about 30 minutes.

Pizza dough, like other bread recipes, can be intimidating. It's actually quite easy to make, though. This recipe is practically foolproof. Keep the ingredients handy and you'll be able to make homemade pizza in about an hour for a fraction of the cost of delivery. When you're ready to bake your pizza, put it in the oven at 450 F for about 15 minutes. You can bake two at once on different racks in the oven but if you do, switch them halfway through so that they finish at the same time.

Things You'll Need

• 1 1/4 cups very warm water
• 1 packet rapid active yeast
• 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• Olive oil

Instructions

1. Dissolve a packet of rapid rising yeast in 1 1/4 cups of very warm water. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar and mix well. The mixture will be cloudy. Once all lumps are removed, pour the yeast and water mixture into a very large bowl.

2. Add 1 cup flour to the yeast mixture and mix well. Continue to add flour 1 cup at a time, mixing until it forms a ball and becomes hard to stir. At this time, move the dough ball onto a clean, floured countertop.

3. Add flour and knead the dough until it is no longer sticky. Knead well for 5 minutes or so. Form into a ball, and coat with olive oil.

4. Place the oil-covered ball into another bowl and cover with a warm towel. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size, about 30 minutes. Divide the dough in half to make two pizzas.