Pizza base is something which we all fancy making at home. This homemade Pizza Dough recipe is just what you need for weekend nights or for your party menu.
Pizza is an Italian savory dish. It is made with leavened dough, shaped into round flat breads topped with sauces, fresh veggies and cheese and then baked in hot ovens till crisp crust is formed. It is sold in many other ways too. The pizza base can be half baked and then topped with all the veggies, sauce and cheese and sold like this, so that the customer then bake it completely at home. You can also find only pizza bases sold in the stores with out any toppings, so you can add just any type of sauce or topping on it and customize it as per your taste.
Now-a-days, Pizza is not only an Italian dish but a globally loved food. It can be served as a snack or even a complete meal. It is a favorite dish of almost all age group people and same is the case in my home too. We all love to have pizzas. It is kind of our weekend must have food and we always ordered out for it. But now, in this Covid situation, I am trying to make and bake, as many things at home, as I can. And so, I had to try baking Pizza too. And, here’s a pic of what I made the other day!
After a few initial failures, now I can bake decent and yummy pizzas at home from scratch. And I am so much loving it!! I make it just as we like. Sometimes with Paneer or only veggies, more cheese or no corns… all this customization as per individual taste is now possible and not to forget the happiness of giving hygienic food to my kids. And this is not all, the work involved in making a pizza base is just so less that our weekend Pizza eating ritual is back!!
One Dough, Multiple Uses
Did I also mention that with this pizza dough recipe, now I can bake pizzas in any sizes and shapes? Yes I make Pizzas, pizzettas (single-person sized pizza or finger food type snack pizza) and square pizza (are they even a thing?!! oh yeah and they are called Sicilian Pizza).
With this pizza base dough recipe, I have baked Focaccia, Garlic Bread, cinnamon rolls, garlic knots, veg parcels and so much more. You can actually get creative and bake so many things with this pizza dough. You can even flavour your pizza base with any spices you like. I once flavoured it with Italian seasonings and it was amazing!
Some other interesting recipes from my blog and youtube channel;
- Crunchy Samosa, market style
- Sabudana Khichdi
- Danish Butter Cookies
- Karachi Biscuits (tutty-frutty biscuits)
- Red Velvet Cake
- Homemade Butter cream recipe
- White Bread (APF Bread)
- Brown Bread (100% whole wheat flour bread)
- Ladi Pav recipe
Important Tips for Pizza Base
1.Yeast – I have used Instant Dry Yeast in this recipe. It is generally not required to be activated before you use, but I always activate it just to be sure that it is still alive and working great. You can use dry active yeast too. There’s a simple ratio for interchanging both the yeasts. For every 1 tsp instant dry yeast you need to take 1.25 tsp dry active yeast.
2. Water – I have used 1/2 cup water for 1 & 1/2 cup APF or refined flour. You can add in a max of 1-2 tbsp of more water while mixing the dough but not more than that.
3. Kneading – I wanted to keep it ” less work, quick dough ” recipe. So, I have kneaded it only for 4-5 min. It worked wonderfully. I have used hand blender for kneading the dough. You can use stand mixer or easily knead it with your hands too. For kneading with hands, do that for at least 5-6 min.
4. Ghee – I used desi ghee or clarified butter in this recipe. You can used soft, room temperature butter or even oil in place of it.
Recipe Video of Pizza Base
Ingredients
- APF or Refined Flour – 1 & 1/2 cup (180 gm)
- Water – 1/2 cup (120 ml) + 1-2 tbsp
- Sugar – 1 tbsp
- Instant Dry Yeast – 1/2 tsp
- Salt – 1/2 tsp
- Ghee – 1 tbsp
Method
1.Take 1/2 cup luke warm water in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp Instant Dry Yeast. Mix and leave it covered for about 5 min.
2. After 5 min, add all the flour, and salt. Mix using a spatula or spoon and then switch to hand blender. If kneading by hands, bring the dough on a clean surface and start kneading.
3. Knead for about 3 min and then add a tbsp of ghee in the dough. Knead again and incorporate all the ghee in the dough and make it smooth.
4. Transfer the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel and keep in a warm place until it doubles up in size. Depending upon the weather conditions of your place, this might take anywhere from 45 min to 1 & 1/2 hour. My dough doubled up in 45 min.
5. Next, degas the dough (punch it down) and knead for a minute in the bowl.
6. Transfer it on a clean floured surface and make a smooth ball of dough.
7. Cut the dough in two equal sized dough. Take one piece of the dough and keep the other, covered in the bowl until you use it.
8. Roll out the first dough ball into a round shaped Pizza Base. Using a fork, poke holes all over the pizza base, from preventing it to puff up while baking.
9. Keep it covered on the greased baking tin for it to rise up a little bit ( I have used butter paper underneath the pizza base so, I have not greased the tray). My dough rose in just about 10 min. Also at this step, I generally keep my oven ready by pre-heating it. In the mean while this pizza base is resting, take the other portion of pizza dough and cut it into small equal size portions. Make small pizza bases with them, fork to avoid puffing and keep covered for 10 min.
10. Bake the Pizza Base in a pre-heated oven at 185 degrees Celsius, for about 5-6 minutes. The time might vary as per your oven settings. I have baked pizza base in microwave convection setting.
11. As this is a pizza base and we are not making a complete ready-to-eat pizza, so we will not bake it completely. And hence, the less baking time. If you bake in OTG, I would suggest to bake with both rods on and keep it in the center rack. Just check it after 4 min or so, and if you feel it requires more time, then just bake for another 2-3 min or as required.
12. I have never stored these pizza bases for more than 1-2 days in my fridge. We finish them before that. But I think you can cling wrap them and keep in fridge for about 3-4 days.
I would love to hear from you if you try this Pizza Base recipe. Do mention it in my comments section how you liked it or if you made any changes in it. Also if you make this and share on social networking sites, remember to add the hashtag #flavourhomebysutiksha and tag me there, I would love to appreciate your efforts.
You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Mix to get my blog updates regularly. You can also SUBSCRIBE to my blog to get the new recipes directly in your inbox, “from my palate to yours”.
Nice one and very well explained.
Thank you so much