This homemade pizza dough recipe is SO EASY! Make a classic New York Style pepperoni pizza or use this pizza crust with your own favorite toppings. Pair with this pizza sauce recipe or make buffalo chicken pizza!
Our search for the perfect pizza started several years ago, many miles away.
Mr. Crumbs was born and raised on the East coast, home of floppy, foldable (yet still crispy) pizza. When we got married, he relocated to a state where Tex-Mex and BBQ tied for first place cuisine. Of course you could get pizza. But 9 times out of 10, fajitas or steak won out for dinner plans.
After a few months of being away from the coast, Mr. Crumbs started going through pizza withdrawals. We tried the typical pizza chains, but according to Mr. Crumbs’ standards, they weren’t very good (for numerous reasons).
We used the internet to search for “New York style pizza” in our area and one by one, made our way through the results. Several of them were “okay,” but none of them earned the title of “I’ll eat here again.” Until one day, we accidentally found a shop that wasn’t on our list.
Mr. Crumbs gave it two thumbs and after just a few bites, he said (with a mouth partially full) that he would eat there again. Pizza for lunch on Mondays became our new tradition.
That is, until the pizza shop unexpectedly closed.
Unfortunately, they never re-opened.
So now years later and literally hundreds of homemade pizzas made, as we’ve worked on perfecting our own recipe, we have fine tuned both the pizza dough recipe AND the pizza sauce.
The Best Pizza Dough Recipe
Besides the fact that this recipe is so tasty, and super quick & easy, it’s also:
- Healthier. With only a few ingredients, this recipe is simply free of anything artificial.
- Made from scratch. By making real food pizza dough from scratch, we avoid all of the yucky additives and sweeteners commonly found in pre-made, processed doughs.
- Frugal. Making real food from scratch saves a ton of money for now and in the long run.
- Freezer-friendly. Pizza dough can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen for longer term meal planning .
What is the best flour for pizza dough?
I think pizza crust is best when the ingredients are simple. That’s why this pizza dough recipe uses all-purpose flour, which is readily available in any grocery store.
However, other pizza doughs can use Einkorn whole wheat flour, which is an ancestral grain. Even some people with gluten sensitivity can enjoy Einkorn flour. Here’s my recipe for Einkorn flour pizza dough if you’d like to try it out!
Another popular flour for pizza dough is bread flour, but I haven’t used it for this recipe.
What are the ingredients for pizza dough?
With only 5 ingredients, this dough is super simple and delicious!
- Warm water
- Active yeast
- Granulated sugar or honey
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
What types of toppings go with homemade pizza crust?
Pizza sauce (here is my easy and delicious recipe), mozzarella (fresh or shredded), diced vegetables (we like onions and bell peppers), and pepperoni/meats as desired.
Note: When it comes to cheese, we’ve found that fresh mozzarella sliced thin makes for the best cheese. Other than that, fresh, unprocessed toppings always taste best.
Applegate Farms makes a nitrate-free pepperoni that is good. Of course, pepperoni is one of the few foods that fall into the 80/20 rule, so it’s not always a necessity for good pizza.
How do you make pizza dough from scratch?
Making your own pizza dough is quicker and easier than you might think!
- Combine warm water, yeast and sweetener. Allow it to sit and bloom for five minutes.
- Add all-purpose flour and salt and knead for 10 minutes.
- Cover with a towel and allow the dough to rise in a warm place.
- To make your pizza: pound or roll out dough one pizza at a time. Top as desired with sauce, mozzarella, vegetables, and pepperoni.
- Bake in a hot oven on a hot pizza stone or preheated pan for 4-6 minutes.
How do I get a crispy pizza crust?
To get a crispy crust, you need an exceptionally hot oven and a pizza stone (I have this one).
I preheat our oven to 550F when I start making the dough. This creates a great warm environment for the dough to rise, plus plenty of time for the stone to get piping hot.
Note: Using a pizza peel like this one makes moving the pizzas super easy!
What if I prefer a thick pizza crust rather than New York Style?
New York Style (East Coast) pizza isn’t every one’s favorite so if you prefer more of a Sicilian type pizza (thicker, more doughy crust), try my focaccia bread spread out over a 10″x13″ cookie sheet, then topped with this sauce and your favorite toppings.
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This homemade pizza dough recipe is SO EASY! Make a classic New York Style pepperoni pizza or use this pizza crust with your own favorite toppings. Pair with this pizza sauce recipe or make buffalo chicken pizza!
- Prep Time: 2 hours 15 mins
- Cook Time: 6 mins
- Total Time: 2 hours 21 minutes
- Yield: 2 pizzas 1x
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 2 tsp active yeast
- 2 tsp granulated sugar or honey
- 3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (plus 1/2 cup if needed)
- 1 tsp salt
- Toppings, as desired: pizza sauce, mozzarella (fresh or shredded), diced vegetables (we like onions and bell peppers), and pepperoni or cooked sausage
Instructions
- Combine warm water, active dry yeast and sweetener in either a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer (I use a KitchenAid).
- Allow the yeast mixture to sit and bloom for five minutes.
- Add all-purpose flour and salt and knead for 10 minutes, or by hand until the dough is elastic and springs back into place after the thumb test. Add additional flour, 1/4 cup at a time, as needed for the dough to come together and pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and allow it to rise in a warm place until it’s doubled in size, 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 550F or as high as your oven will go. Shape into two round balls of dough on a lightly floured surface. Cover with a towel until you are ready to use.
- To make your pizza: pound or roll out dough one pizza at a time with a rolling pin. Top as desired with sauce, mozzarella, vegetables, and pepperoni. Bake in a hot oven on a hot pizza stone or preheated pan for 4-6 minutes.
What kind of pizza do you like? East coast, or Sicilian? What are your favorite toppings?
Ah….been waiting for this post! The pizza looks delicious! I also have a family favorite Stromboli recipe, and it looks like this might be the perfect dough recipe to finally give the store-bought one the boot! Thanks! 🙂
LOL, thank you Dena! If you lived closer, I’d have you over for dinner!
Hi! Thank you for the recipe. Can the dough be prepared ahead of time and baked two days later? We are having a pizza party next Friday evening and would like to prep as much as possible a day or two before. I’m going to try your sauce too. 🙂
Yes! Here’s how you can freeze pizza dough: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2018/10/freeze-pizza-dough/
This recipe has been updated. Can someone please give me the older version that has whole wheat and semolina in it? Thanks ,
Hi Mana! Use 1/2 cup semolina, minus 1/2 cup from the flour. 😉
Thanks was the old recipe 2 cups white flour, 1 cup whole wheat and 1/2 semolina?
I am not sure Kelly, but this recipe is great!
I tried your link to the Jovial tomato sale. I see pasta, olive oil, etc. but no tomatoes. How do I get to the tomatoes you refer to in your recipe?
Hi Betty!
This link will send you to their main store page, and the tomatoes are in the center column, bottom row. Another avenue is to go to their main home page and click “online store” at the very top, far right! 🙂
After reading this post I changed what we are going to have for supper tonight. Pizza it is! I never got the hang of using a pizza stone so I gave mine to my brother and they use it all the time. I use a pizza pan: 17′ diameter metal sheet with lots of little holes in it. Our pizzas are done to a turn on it (them – I do two at a time) For sauce I use herb and garlic tomato paste, one 6 oz can per pizza. But now I want to start experimenting with your sauce recipe. I say experimenting because we can’t get the same products up here (Montreal) that you can in the States. Here’s to Pizza Fridays!
Honestly Alana, I’m not very good with the stone either. The whole move-to-oven thing is Mr. Crumbs’ specialty, but I can somewhat hold my own when he’s out of town. It does take practice though!
Viva Pizza Fridays Alana!
Hello! I was wondering do you make your pizza right on the peel and then slide it onto your pizza stone? I cant wait to try this one!!
Becky
Hi Becky! We pound it out into a circle on the counter, gently fold into quarters and place on the peel. Then sauce and cheese quickly, then slide to the stone. Then use tongs (or your fingers if you’re brave!) to move from stone to cutting board. 🙂 Enjoy!!!
I loved your story on finding the perfect pizza! So cute and hilarious.
Thank you Rachel! 🙂
Have you tried canning your own tomatoes or sauce?
No, but I plan to later this year! This is my first year to grow tomatoes, and we’re hoping to grow enough to enjoy now but also make a few batches of sauce for later!
i can’t wait to try this this weekend with the kids. i hope it’s not a total fail first try! i’ll be sure to have a ‘spare’ crust ready just in case! thanks for sharing!
Goodness, I hope it’s not a fail too, lol! Remember that one batch of dough makes two crusts, and even if they’re triangle (my specialty) or square pizzas, they’re just as delicious!
I’ve never made homemade pizza but have always wanted to try! I’ll give this a shot! 🙂 When we lived there we were kind of obsessed with the California veggie pizza at Pizza My Way in PG near Trader Joe’s. It’s not Italiany but it might just change your world like it did ours! 🙂 My husband and I were just talking (and salivating) about it the other night and how much we missed it – as well as pretty everything else in PG/Monterey 🙁
Aw Katherine! I’d love to meet you if you’re ever back this way! We haven’t tried Pizza My Way, but don’t be surprised if you find a DIY version of their CA Veggie on this site sometime. We love experimenting with new versions! 😉 I hope you like our homemade recipe – please let me know how it turns out!
Oh I’m just now seeing this! I commented on a bunch of posts but have forgotten which ones haha and I didn’t click to get a notification of a reply so I’ll go digging 🙂 aww I’d love to meet you too! And oh my gosh I would be ecstatic if you put up a recipe similar to their California veggie! 🙂
LOL, I’ve been buttering up Mr. Crumbs in preparation. That pie has a lot of veggies. We’re not opposed to veggies, but he is a bit partial to his pepperoni when it comes to pizza. 😉
Our local Target sells uncared pepperoni, without nitrites or nitrates. Maybe you can find it there!
Thanks for the tip Danica! I’ll take a look the next time I’m there. 🙂
*uncured
How would you modify the pizza sauce to accommodate fresh tomatoes? Blanch, peel, and squeeze out a little of the juice, then proceed? Any tips would be super – my CSA box is full of tomatoes, and I hate to open a can with fresh on the counter.
Hi Erin! We made our first batch of pizza sauce with homemade tomatoes last week and it was SUPER easy. Simply sub in for the jarred tomatoes and you’re done! It will be a bit thicker in the jar and on the pie, but cooks up very delicious. I’m not sure how many tomatoes you’ll need, so I say fill the blender halfway, blend, and gauge ounces there from there. Enjoy!!
Have you tried using all whole wheat flour? Also, do you have to use the semolina? I don’t have that kind of flour and don’t really want to buy another kind of flour. I actually really wanted to try your hot pocket recipe and was wondering if I could use all whole wheat (fresh ground)? Thanks!
Hi Jennifer! Yes, we’ve done all whole wheat, part whole wheat, part spelt, more semolina, less semolina, no semolina… we’ve tried it all! While the recipe as posted tastes the best (although a close tie in swapping spelt for whole wheat), the version without semolina fared well too. If you don’t have it on hand, feel free to skip it. It does give the crust the typical pizzeria texture though, so if you have room in your budget next month, it might be worth giving it a try. 🙂
PS – if you use all whole wheat in the crust, it won’t be quite as flexible when you shape and a bit less fluffy when you bake it. We tried using hard white spring wheat last week and of all the varieties of wheat, that fared best.
Can you freeze the dough? Would you freeze before the rise or after it?
You CAN freeze the dough, but we weren’t fans of it. We tried freezing after the rise. If we did it again, I’d freeze before, and then let it thaw overnight in the fridge, then a full rise at warm temp before dinner. Those seasoned at freezing dough have done it before, so I’m sure it’s possible!
This is the BEST PIZZA EVER!!! I am not exaggerating; my husband, kids, and I were in heaven. Thank you for posting this! You eliminated all sense of trial and error. It is beyond fantastic! We could only think of one pizzareia that we like better than this recipe (east coast, go figure).
LOL – I’m not sure we can really compete fairly with the East coast folks… I think it’s in the water. 😉 I’m so glad you guys enjoyed the pizza! Best ever is our rating too 🙂
Had you tried it with brown rice flour and a GF mix instead of wheat flour? If so, how did it taste? I want to try this recipe but am gluten intolerant.
I have not tried that combination Kelley since we’re not a GF family. You would probably fare ok, but would lack some of the stretch typical dough has. Lean more towards the GF mix, since brown rice flour is heavy. In either case, it’ll be a delicious experiment. 🙂
I just came across your website and I live your recipes. Just wondering how will this dough work if I only used white flour? I don’t have access to wheat flour where I live… !also for the time being we’re not using any yeast will this make the dough hard? Thank you so much
Did I miss the step on how long to cook the pizza dough for? And then after you add the cheese and toppings, do you put the pizza back in the oven? How long?
Thanks!
Hi Carmen! We top the pizza with sauce/cheese/toppings BEFORE cooking, and cook for 4-6 minutes on very hot, preheated pizza stone. Sorry about that!
Hello! Going to try my hand at this recipe tonight! I don’t have a pizza stone–could I just use baking sheets? How hot should my oven be? Thank you 🙂
Hi Lea! Preheat the oven as hot as it will go. I’ve never used baking sheets before, but I’ve heard you can invert them (upside down) and let them get super hot, then use them as you would a stone. Enjoy!
thanks for such a quick response! 🙂
Just made this. 5 mini pizzas. So good. I did have to add some flour to my dough, but I’ll double check my measurements next time. We added a bit of garlic powder to the sauce, b/c I have never made a pizza without garlic. Both my girls scarfed down their pizzas and asked for seconds. The crust has just the right tooth to it! With no sugar in the sauce and minimal in the crust, this mom is in seventh heaven. Thanks for all your experimentation.
You’re most welcome Erin!! I’ll double check my measurements too the next time we make pizza. I do this so often, that I stopped paying attention. Glad the family enjoyed the recipe!!
I did have to add about 1/2C more of flour. Is that normal? It was still so liquids and not coming together at all 🙁
Hi Amy – I’m going to remeasure this again the next pizza night we have and update. Sorry for the confusion!
My husband and I both had pleasant surprises with this pizza! I was surprised by how flavorful the sauce was with only a few ingredients. My normal sauce is spicier, but this will probably become my new go-to recipe because it’s tasty and a lot easier! My husband was surprised by the crust. As soon as he realized it had whole grain flour in it, he determined he probably wouldn’t like it, but it didn’t take long for him to admit it was really good. We both enjoyed the flavor and the texture–just the right amount of “chew” and crust without being hard. Thanks for the great recipe!
You’re most welcome Kim!!
I have not tried this recipe yet but am looking forward to making the sauce soon. I was wondering if you have heard of or tried “two ingredient” pizza dough? It is our new favorite and super simple! 1 cup of plain greek yogurt and 1 1/2 cups of self-rising flour (or sub regular flour with 1 1/2 tsp baking powder + 3/4 tsp salt). Mix it up by hand, it doesn’t have to rise or anything…top with your favorites and bake at 450 for 12 minutes. It does have a slight sourdough taste but we have been loving it lately. Thanks for listening. 🙂
Hi Tabitha! No, I haven’t heard of that pizza dough recipe. Mr. Crumbs is kinda particular on pizza (have you read our story? LOL!), but this would be fun to use for a quick lunch… and then just imagine all the possible toppings?! Mmm… I could easily get away with a cheeseburger pizza then. Thanks for leaving the idea! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! I made it tonight and the whole family LOVED it! My husband who prefers store bought pizza over homemade, said it tasted like I bought it – huge compliment!:)
Woo-hoo! Thanks for sharing Janelle – so glad you guys like it!
I was born and raised in Connecticut, just outside of New Haven, where pizza is religion to some. I never knew our thin crust CT/NY pizza had the name of “East Coast Style”. I moved to Maine 5 years ago and have been in serious withdrawal for “real” pizza like back home. I miss the hot pepper flakes and fresh parmesan sprinkled on top and a crispy crust. In Maine it is very gummy and thick and yeast-y. Plus, I have yet to see anyone fold a slice in half. Sometimes, even though it is still New England, I feel like I am living on an entirely different planet. It’s amazing how one food can be so many different things to so many different regions.. Hahaha!
Hi Tiffany, I make homemade pizza all the time, usually every other week for the two of us. We each get our own to suit our “toppings” taste. He likes thicker, I like thinner crusts. I have some good dough recipes but can’t wait to give yours a try soon. I always use some semolina flour in my dough and also in my sourdough bread.
I have also made homemade pepperoni. It was good, and very tasty, but a bit dry so I usually just purchase some at my local store. Next time in Target I will look for their uncured pepperoni.
I grow my own tomatoes so I will be canning (jarring) some for the sauce.
Will this dough recipe be good for calzones also? My guy is a NY guy and not only loves his NY style pizza but also his calzones.
I’m surprised at the difference in taste that semolina makes! Yes, this recipe is good for calzones too!
Hey Tiffany!
Thank you for the recipe, I’m so excited to try it (we have pizza night on Fridays too) and it’s always fun to test out new recipes.
I was wondering if you’ve ever read or heard of the book Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day? I use it to make our pizza crust but also our baguettes, rolls, and French loaves and it is SUPER easy. Basically you make a big batch of wet dough and store it in the fridge (up to 2 weeks! ) and just cut off a chunk, shape it and let it rise for 20 minutes when you’re ready to bake it. It becomes more of a sourdough towards the end of the two weeks which is awesome.
If you haven’t read it you might enjoy it 🙂 I absolutely love it! And has saved me so much time on meal prep days.
Happy pizza making! Thanks again for sharing!
-Erica
Great recipe, we made one tonight and plan on making breakfast pizza tomorrow morning. Only adjustments I made was adding fresh basil and a clove of garlic to the sauce; plus we like a little fresh ricotta on ours
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It looks awesome, congrats ? I was wondering if you can put the ingredients in grams…I’m from Europe and I would love to make this recipe, but there are different measurements on sites…Thank you
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Hi Roxy! Unfortunately I can’t since I don’t usually weigh ingredients first, but I’m sure there are conversion calculators available via any search engine!
Going to try this dough recipe today!! I am confused about the rising part, though. If I have the stone in the oven and the dough rising at the same time, is the dough in the oven? on top? I can’t figure it out from the tips. Sorry, help please? Nik
Hi Nik – I set my dough on the counter next to the oven to rise. Hope that helps, and enjoy the pizza!
Does anyone know how to adapt the pizza dough recipe for the bread machine/maker? I love making pizza at home, and two of my favourite shortcuts is to use my bread machine to make the dough and my pressure cooker to make the sauce, so I’d love to know how the dough recipe should be adapted…
Hi Meg! I haven’t done it myself, but I’ve heard that if you just add it all in according to your machine instructions and choose 1 rise, you’ll be good!
I’m a little late to the party, having just found this post. When we moved 30 miles south four years ago we also went through withdrawals trying to find NY style pizza, but thanfully, we moved to Gilroy and Pinnochios also saved us. It was so strange to see their sign in your post. I still miss our old pizza place in Santa Clara, but Pinnochios helps fill that hole very nicely.
Kenya! Pinnochios was our weekend getaway a couple times a month for a LONG time – they’re such a great family! They watched my son grow up from 8 months old to 8 years, and followed me with kid #2 from pregnancy to 5 years old! The next time you go back, please tell them Mike and Tiffany (from Texas and Delaware, now with 2 kids) say hello!!
I got to this recipe via a link in your uses for whey entry. If I were to use whey in this recipe would I just substitute the water for the whey?
That would work Angie, although whey is slightly acidic and might change the flavor of the dough. I’d start with a 50/50 substitution first, just in case the flavor of whey is too strong.
I did it! I made the pizza dough and sauce yesterday and it was so EASY!!!!! I had the ingredients for a few weeks but was a little apprehensive to try the recipes. I feel so silly now! So easy! I used the dough and sauce to try the homemade hot pocket recipe that you posted, but they turned out more like calzones. They tasted great but the prep was a little too time consuming for me. Next time, I will just make pizza!!
So glad you liked it Shannon!! I agree that the hot pockets are time consuming. Hopefully we can work out an easier recipe for that!
Could this be done in a bread machine?
It can Natalie, but I’ve never done it myself so I don’t know the conversion.
The peel you recommended is no longer available! Is there another one you would recommend or certain features you would look for? Thank you!
Oh no! Amazon has this one too: http://amzn.to/2me3wZX
I specifically look for one that is as wide as I need it to be for our pizzas (15″ – our stone is 15″ wide). And I prefer round instead of square since it’s easier to top the pizza and slide in from round. Also, a shorter handle is best for home use. You only need a long handle if you have a commercial oven, otherwise it’s awkward at home. 🙂
Thank you for opening my eyes to the beauty and easiness of homemade pizza making! Now, we aren’t as good yet as Mr. Crumbs, but let me tell you… every since you had us over, we have been excited to make Friday’s our own “Make your own Pizza” night. Next step, personal pan pizzas. I love the creativity of my kids and the toppings they choose 🙂
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Oh April, welcome to the club!! I’m so excited for you guys, and I love the idea of personal pan pizzas!! I’m sure the kids will love topping their own, and it makes accommodating allergies much easier! 🙂
Do you have any advice for making this ahead? I feel like our schedule requires a couple more hours of waiting than your recipe calls for, and trying to figure out if it’s still possible to use this?
Hmmm… I bet you could put the dough in the fridge first, and then when you have the time, continue with the first rise as written. That won’t harm the process, just retard the initial rise.
Ended up making this today when we could follow the recipe as written. SO good. My new go-to pizza dough!
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So glad you liked it!!
Hi! If I left out the semolina flour should I sub something in for it or leave it out completely? I’m itching to try this but no stores around me have it and i don’t feel like ordering the flour and waiting for it to arrive.
Sub with whatever other flour you’re using and you’ll be fine!
I have been on a search just like you for the perfect pizza! I went on holiday to Sicily and had both types of pizza, my favourite was a thin base from a little family takeaway in Palermo on the Via Messina Marine. Palermo is lovely and the food brilliant. Thanks for the recipes I am going to enjoy trying them
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How long do you cook the pizza at 550 degrees on a circulon (metal) pizza pan?
I have the dough ready to go, but I just realized that I am not finding cooking instructions! I must be missing them somewhere in the long post. How hot and for how long should this crust go into the oven? And does it need to be baked some before adding toppings? Sorry, I’m really surprised that I’m not finding this basic information. Thanks!
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Oh goodness, Shanae – I’m so sorry!! We top this dough raw and bake at 550F until the cheese is bubbly and golden, maybe 3-5 min.
Hey there. How long is leftover sauce good in the fridge? (In a mason jar)
I have tried and enjoyed the crust recipe for the dough and it was great. However, I used jar pizza sauce before and would like to use your sauce recipe this time but cannot find the link. Can you provide it?
Hi Kevin!
Thanks for asking. 🙂 We actually have a new post for the pizza sauce set to publish on the 16th, which is Saturday. Check back with us on Saturday. It will be up on the blog early in the morning. We hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Thanks for sharing the recipe! Have you ever used instant yeast? I found an online source that said I could sub instant (all I can find around here) at a rate of 0.75 of the required active dry and skip the bloom. Do you think this would work?
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I’ve subbed instant yeast for active dry yeast all the time and just use the same amount. Technically, you don’t HAVE to bloom instant yeast, but nothing is worse than making a recipe and it not turn out because the yeast was bad… so I always bloom, regardless of the type of yeast!
I’ve been making this for years, but I see that you recently updated it to only use AP flour. Did you find that you didn’t notice enough of a difference to justify the cost of semolina? Was that change made simply to reduce the cost or produce a result you like better?
Thanks for the recipes!
Hi Kim! Over the years we “made do” on pizza night with whatever we happened to have, and as much as we like the semolina, it wasn’t so noticeable to keep it on hand all the time. And now with my daughter’s gluten sensitivity, we can’t use it anyway. But you can still use it, if you like that original version!
Here’s a trick I learned in making homemade pizza:
Roll or shape the dough on parchment paper on which you have sprinkled corn meal. The corn meal eliminates sticky dough. Add desired sauce and toppings. Use a pizza peel or pizza screen to slide under the parchment paper and transfer the whole thing, parchment paper and all, onto the preheated stone in the oven. The parchment paper/peel makes the transfer easy-peasy, and I’ve never had anything less than a perfectly crisp crust. We never eat restaurant pizza anymore because we like ours better.