Easy Crispy Thin Crust Pizza Dough

This pizza crust is easy to work with and cooks up with a nice crisp bottom and a great amount of chewy texture. This recipe can be made with or without a stand mixer.


**This recipe will be updated with photos**


The best part about this recipe is the ultra short rise time. You can go from a scratch made dough to finished pizza in about 30 minutes.


Yield: dough for (4) 12 inch pizza crusts
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Rest Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

Ingredients

1.5 cups of warm water
1 tsp of sugar
4 tsp active dry yeast (or (2) 0.25 ounce yeast packet)
4 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
Note, if you like an extra chewy crust, replace half of the all purpose flour with bread flour, which has a higher protein content.
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
Dried parsley, basil, or mixed Italian seasoning are also great substitutes.
2 tsp salt

Directions

1. If you plan to use the dough right away, pre-heat your oven to 500 degrees and move your oven rack up to the highest position. If using a pizza stone or cast iron skillet, put it in the oven to pre-heat. If you are not planning to use the dough right away, you can skip this step.
2. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes until foamy. If your yeast does not foam, it has expired and your crust will not rise.
3. In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Combine 2 cups of flour and the yeast/water/sugar mixture. Mix with a wood spoon or dough hook until the mixture resembles a mostly smooth batter.
4. If mixing by hand, continue to add flour to the mixture until it is to stiff to stir. Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, adding flour as needed, until a cohesive, smooth ball of dough forms.
5. If using a stand mixer, continue to add flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Set the mixer to a medium speed and let it knead the dough for 4-5 minutes. The balls of dough should "clean" the sides of the bowl. If it sticks, slowly add more flour. I almost always use all 4 cups.
6. Let the kneaded dough rest for 5 minutes, covered with a towel or plastic wrap. See note on freezing if you do not plan to use the dough immediately.
7. Divide the dough into four equal sized portions, or three portions for slightly larger pizzas (approximately 15 inches once stretched).
8. Shape the dough into a flattened disk, and use a rolling pin or your hands to stretch it into a 12 inch circle. Make sure your surface is well floured to prevent sticking.If the dough starts to snap back, let it rest for a few minutes.
9. Once your oven has reached 500 degrees, transfer your dough to a piece of parchment paper on the back of a cookie sheet, or a pizza peel dusted lightly with cornmeal and flour. If using parchment, trim the paper right to the edge of the crust to prevent burning. If you do not have a stone or cast iron pan, place the dough directly onto a lightly greased and cornmeal dusted cookie sheet.
10. Spread 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup of pizza sauce on the dough, all the way to the edges with the back of a spoon or pastry brush. The coating should be relatively thin.
11. Transfer the sauced dough to your stone/pan and bake for 5 minutes.
12. Remove sauced dough from the oven, add toppings, and bake for an additional 7-8 minutes. The edges of the crust should be golden.
13. Let sit a few minutes before cutting.

How to Freeze This Dough

• After the dough has rested for 5 minutes (step 6), divide into 4 equal portions, shape those portions into a ball, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place dough balls into a labeled freezer bag.
• For best results, use frozen dough within 6 months.
• When you want to use the dough, remove from the freezer 4 hours or more before baking for best results. A room temperature dough will yield the best results and be easier to work with.
• I often place the frozen dough in the fridge the morning I want to use it, and remove it from the fridge to rest on the counter once I get home from work.

This recipe is adapted from Thin and Crispy Pizza Crust on budgetbytes.com, check it out for a great step by step tutorial.