Pizza is a satisfying combination of fresh bread, tomato sauce, and melted cheese. It is also a favorite comfort food for many people. So for weeknight suppers and informal entertaining, homemade pizza is a tasty option. Plus, it’s also easy to make and sure to please. You can make the pizza dough ahead of time. Or you can freeze it for added convenience on busy evenings.

Making pizza at home can be much less expensive than pizza delivery. And homemade pizza can also be healthier than restaurant pizza. This is because you can top it with healthy veggies. But you can use many different pizza toppings. You can even make dessert pizza!

It is surprisingly easy to make a basic dough. You will only need a few ingredients. Homemade pizza dough is also suitable for vegetarians, vegans and people who have certain food allergies.

The following recipe has been adapted from the “Yeast Pizza Crust” recipe in the cookbook How It All Vegan by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer. This dough makes a pizza crust with good flavor and texture. Use this quick and easy dough recipe to make homemade pizza recipes for movie nights or family dinners.

Pizza Dough Recipe

Makes two 12 inch pizzas (4 – 8 servings)

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 – 3 cups bread flour
• 1/2 cup flour for dusting hands and surfaces
• One 1/4 ounce packet of active dry yeast or quick-rise yeast
• 1 1/2 cups of warm water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• Olive oil or cooking spray

Directions

1. In a liquid measuring cup, dissolve yeast in water. Then let it stand for five minutes
2. In a large mixing bowl or food processor, start with 2 1/2 cups of bread flour
3. Mix salt into dissolved yeast
4. Add dissolved yeast mixture to flour and mix or process until a tacky dough forms. If dough is too sticky, mix in the other 1/2 cup of flour.
5. Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface. Then, dust your hands with flour and knead dough for a few minutes. Finally, form the mixture into a ball
6. Lightly grease the mixing bowl with olive oil or cooking spray. Then return the ball of dough to the bowl
7. Cover the bowl with saran wrap, cheesecloth or a dish towel. Then set in a warm place to rise until the dough is about double its original size. This will take 45 minutes to an hour for regular yeast and 15-20 minutes for rapid-rise yeast.
8. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
9. Return dough to floured surface. Then punch dough to deflate.
10. Separate dough into two sections. Then knead each section for a few more minutes. Finally, shape each section into a ball and flatten into a disk shape.
11. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough. Then, shape into circles or rectangles about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Finally, transfer to a pizza stone or cookie sheet
12. Spread on sauce and add toppings of choice
13. Bake for 15 minutes or until dough is just beginning to brown
14. Let pizzas cool for a few minutes and cut into 6 or 8 slices

This basic homemade pizza dough recipe is great for making an easy main dish. And you can also use it to make dessert pizzas.