Crispy pizza crust delight (Printable Version)

Create a golden, crackly pizza base with easy steps and wholesome ingredients for a satisfying meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 2 1/4 cups (10 oz) bread flour
02 - 1 teaspoon sugar
03 - 1 teaspoon fine salt
04 - 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
05 - 3/4 cup (7.6 fl oz) warm water (110°F)
06 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Finishing

07 - 1 tablespoon olive oil (for brushing)
08 - 1 tablespoon cornmeal or semolina (for dusting)

# Directions:

01 - Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water and let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.
02 - Mix bread flour and salt in a large bowl.
03 - Add yeast mixture and olive oil to flour mixture; stir with wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
04 - Turn dough onto floured surface and knead for 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
05 - Place dough in lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled in size.
06 - Preheat oven to 500°F and place pizza stone or heavy baking sheet inside to heat.
07 - Punch down dough and divide in half; roll each half into a 12-inch circle.
08 - Sprinkle pizza peel or parchment paper with cornmeal, then place dough rounds on top.
09 - Lightly brush dough surface with olive oil to enhance crispiness; add desired toppings.
10 - Slide dough onto preheated stone or baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden and crisp.
11 - Remove crust from oven, slice, and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You finally get that crackle and snap that makes store-bought crust feel like cardboard in comparison.
  • It comes together faster than you'd expect, which means spontaneous pizza nights become actually possible.
  • Once you taste what you made yourself, you'll stop wondering why anyone pays for delivery.
02 -
  • The pizza stone must be preheated properly or your crust won't crisp, it'll just bake slowly like regular bread.
  • Don't skip the cornmeal step—I learned this by watching my beautiful dough stick stubbornly to the peel while standing in front of a 500-degree oven.
  • Room temperature matters more than you think; if your kitchen is cold, it might take longer than an hour to rise, so be patient and let the dough tell you when it's ready.
03 -
  • If your dough keeps bouncing back when you try to stretch it, let it rest on the counter for 10 minutes and it'll relax enough to cooperate.
  • Room temperature water matters more than you think; use a thermometer the first time so you understand what 110°F actually feels like on your finger.
  • Make the dough in the morning and let it rise slowly in a cooler part of your kitchen for deeper flavor, or stick with the hour-long warm rise if you want pizza for dinner.

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