Homemade Pizza Dough

I don't like seafood. It's a texture thing. My husband doesn't like tomatoes but strangely enough he loves tomato products--salsa, tomato sauce, ketchup and even sun-dried tomatoes. Go figure. Big pup, my pickiest eater, doesn't like much of anything. Except pasta. Little pup likes to eat most things. Except pasta. But the one thing that we can all agree on for dinner is pizza. Everyone likes pizza. And I love this recipe for pizza dough from the July '09 issue of Cooking Light. Inside it's soft and chewy and the outside is crispy and crunchy and the crust is perfect for dipping in ranch dressing or garlic butter.

Homemade Pizza Dough (from Cooking Light)


1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 1/4 cups cold water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour, divided
cooking spray


1. Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Combine 1 1/4 cups cold water, oil, sugar, and salt in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon 5 1/4 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, yeast mixture, and cold water mixture in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low 8 minutes or until dough begins to form. Let rest 2 minutes; mix on low 6 minutes or until dough is smooth. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 2 minutes); add enough of the remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky).

3. Divide the dough in half, and place each portion in a large zip-top bag coated with cooking spray. Seal and chill overnight or up to 2 days. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before using.

Note: You can freeze the dough in heavy-duty, freezer-safe zip-top plastic bags for up to 2 months; thaw dough overnight in the refrigerator.