Making homemade pizza dough at home is so quick that it won’t take you five minutes, and the result is worlds apart from pre-made ones. I encourage you to try it; you’ll see a world of difference.
Ingredients
- – 250 gr. of strong flour
- – 50g of Durum Wheat Semolina (You can find it in the pasta section of supermarkets)
- – 75 ml of lukewarm milk
- – 75 ml of lukewarm water
- – 25 ml of sunflower oil
- – 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- – 10g of fresh baker’s yeast or 1 sachet of active yeast
Step-by-Step Preparation
Thermomix Preparation
- Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm liquids and put them in the bowl along with the oil. Add the flours mixed with the salt, mix for a few seconds at speed 5, and program for 1 minute at kneading speed.
- – Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, knead lightly until it forms a ball, and store it in a floured bowl and cover with cling film.
- – Let it rest in a place away from drafts (I usually keep it in the microwave) until it doubles in size (approximately half an hour).
Production in a Bakery
- Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm liquids, along with the oil, and put them in the bowl. Add the flours mixed with the salt and program the kneading function.
- – Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, knead lightly until it forms a ball, and store it in a floured bowl and cover with cling film.
- – Let it rest in a place away from drafts (I usually keep it in the microwave) until it doubles in size (approximately half an hour).
Manual Preparation
- – Place the flours mixed with the salt in a bowl in the shape of a volcano.
- – Add the lukewarm liquids with the yeast dissolved in them, add the oil, and knead lightly until everything is mixed and a dough has formed.
- – Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, knead lightly until it forms a ball, and store it in a floured bowl and cover with cling film.
- – Let it rest in a place away from drafts (I usually keep it in the microwave) until it doubles in size (approximately half an hour).
- Roll out the dough to your desired thickness (thin is best) and cover with the filling. The thinner the dough, the crispier it will be.
Baked
- – Preheat the oven to 200º.
- (Add whatever filling you like)
- Bake with top and bottom heat for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 190°C and bake for another 10-15 minutes. These times are approximate, as all ovens vary; keep an eye on yours and adjust the time or temperature accordingly.
NOTE
I usually bake the dough with the tomato sauce first for about 25-30 minutes. When it’s almost done, I add the cheese. Obviously, the cheese melts in just a few minutes, and the dough needs more time. If you add ham under the cheese, you add it at the same time as the cheese; it’s already cooked, so it doesn’t need to bake for very long.
– If you add avocado, fresh pineapple, mussels, sardines, etc., I add them once I’ve taken the pizza out of the oven. These are already cooked ingredients that warm up with the heat of the freshly baked pizza and don’t need to be mashed at high temperatures, or they would lose their original flavor.
- Freezing: Since you’re already working with dough, why not make two pizzas? They take the same amount of time; the oven’s already on, so let’s take advantage and make a pre-baked crust!
- Pre-baked pizza: How do we make it? Roll out the dough, place it in the pan, and spread a light layer of tomato sauce on top. Bake for about 10-12 minutes; it will be very pale and soft. Remove it from the pan, let it cool on a wire rack, and when it’s completely cool, wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it. It defrosts very easily, about 10-15 minutes at room temperature or directly back in the oven.
- Frozen dough: You can also knead two pizzas and freeze half of the dough. To defrost it, you should leave it at room temperature for about 6 hours (less if it’s summer) or put it in the refrigerator overnight. I always keep frozen pizza dough on hand; it’s fantastic.