Category: Pizza

My Perfect Pizza Dough Recipe + Top Tips for Making Pizza at Home!

5/2/2018

My PERFECT PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE +
TOP TIPS FOR MAKING PIZZA AT HOME!

For one whole summer, Alex worked as the head pizza chef at a local farm and cafe and their Friday night pizza night got POPPIN'! And I don't want to brag too much, but it was absolutely because his pizza was the best pizza around. My husband makes a mean pie, friends. It's one of the reasons I married him! Seriously - who doesn't love a man who can cook?! His pizza skills were so good that literally the whole town would come out to party, commune, and share a slice each week and he became kind of small town famous for his crispy, chewy, thing crust pizzas with creative, straight-from-the-farm toppings. He would take whatever local and seasonal produce was around and make a pie worthy of a trip out even in blizzard weather - and he still makes me those fresh, creative pans weekly. I'm a very lucky lady. When we started sharing his creations at mealtime on IG, we got a ton of positive feedback! People wanted our PIZZAS! And while we haven't quite figured out how to get them to you directly through the internet, I can share our homemade crust recipe and some of top tips for homemade pizza making so you can have as much success as possible when you're trying it at home.

Alex is the king of all things 'za in this house, and he has officially declared this the ‘perfect pizza dough’. So who am I to argue? It comes together pretty easily, makes a great crispy, chewy crust and makes enough dough for two pizzas - so you don’t have to share. It's the same recipe he used to wow all the fans at the Friday night pizza parties, so you can be sure it'll make a fool-proof, crowd pleasing crust! And that makes it pretty perfect to me. Enjoy, babes! And be sure to let me know what you think - and what you top it with - in the comments below. Keep scrolling for my top pizza-makin' tips!

A post shared by Amber St. Peter (@good_saint) on Mar 30, 2018 at 4:56pm PDT

A post shared by Amber St. Peter (@good_saint) on Nov 12, 2017 at 8:52am PST

Okay, babes - before we get to the magical dough recipe itself, let's go over a few top tips for making your homemade pie the best it can be! Write 'em down or print 'em out - these tips are about to seriously improve your pizza game!

1. Don't over-handle the dough! Keep your handling of the dough to a minimum until you're ready to stretch it out, and even then don't fold the dough in on itself after separating into two doughs, even though it's tempting. You want your dough to have some lightness and air or you'll have a stiff, too chewy crust.

2. Bake your pizza at 450 degrees F or more. The higher the temperature, the better. Seriously - if your oven gets to 700 degrees, go for it. You'll adjust cooking times properly, so start with about 10 mins and go from there. When the crust is golden to preference and lifts in one solid piece from the pan, you're ready to eat.

3. Shred your cheese, or break in into smaller pieces to ensure even melting - especially if you're using vegan cheese, which tends to be less melty. Our favorite brand to use is Miyoko's Vegan Mozzarella.

4. Once your crust is tossed and spread onto your baking surface, use a fork to poke small holes evenly around the crust to reduce air bubbles forming in the crust.

5. Use a high-quality baking surface. We use a large steel pizza pan, but anything that will heat and cook evenly will work great! We use flour to prevent the dough sticking to the pan.

Now, let's EAT! Scroll on for my dough recipe - there's a printable there version, too!

PERFECT PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE

INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 teaspoons (7 g) active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) warm water
3 1/2 cups (525 g) all purpose flour, plus more as needed
2 teaspoons (6 g) salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, plus more for greasing

DIRECTIONS
Pour the yeast and warm water into a small bowl and stir. Set aside for 5 minutes.

In a stand mixer combine the flour, salt and sugar. Pour in the yeast mixture and the olive oil and using the bread hook attachment, knead the mixture together until it comes together and forms a ball. If the dough seems too sticky, add flour as needed. If it’s too dry, add a bit of water.

Move the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead into a smooth, firm, ball. Grease the inside of the mixing bowl lightly and place the dough back inside. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean dishtowel and place in a warm place to double in size, about 1-2 hours.

When ready, turn the dough to a lightly floured surface and, handling as little as possible, cut the dough into 2 equal pieces. Let them rest for 10 minutes before tossing and stretching for pizza!

NOTES
Makes 2 doughs.

Dough can be refrigerated up to two days or frozen indefinitely.

Print Recipe

7 Comments

Sweet Strawberry Flatbread

8/27/2012

8 Comments

Sweet Strawberry Flatbread

Oh yeah. That looks delicious, doesn't it?
It was. I should know...I ate the whole thing myself.
Every last bite.

I've been loving all of the fresh, organic, homegrown produce coming from our garden lately. Basil, tomatoes, onions, carrots: I love all of them coming together on one little flatbread. But sometimes, you don't want savory. And sometimes, you have an abundance of sweet little strawberries instead.

A simple recipe of leftover pizza dough, walnuts, coconut, & agave.
Topped with a dozen or so super sweet strawberries from the farmer's market, it was just irresistible.
And so easy to prepare- it'll seem like you worked way harder on this one than you'll actually have to, I promise.
While I baked my pizza, I bet this would make an awesome on-the-grill meal, too.

To start, you'll need some dough for the flabread. You can use your favorite, or use our favorite:
dough ingredients:
1 sachet active dry yeast
1 teaspoon turbinado sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

flatbread directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
In a separate bowl combine flour and salt.Once yeast and sugar mixture looks creamy, beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes then add dry ingredients and oil to yeast mixture.
Using a wooden spoon or whisk, stir all the ingredients together until just combined, about 2 minutes.
Then using either a bread hook attachment or your hands, knead and stretch dough until dough is elastic-y but softened, about 5-8 minutes.
Split dough into two halves. Set one in the fridge for later use, or prepare both to make two small pizzas.
Using your hands, gently pull the dough into a small round disc, about 7-9 inches around.
Grease a pizza stone or baking sheet, then lay the dough down for topping.

The rest of the ingredient list is short & sweet. You'll need:
1 tablespoon shredded coconut
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons agave or coconut nectar
1 cup (about 7 large) chopped strawberries
sprinkle of nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Once the flatbread dough is ready, spread evenly with 1 tablespoon of agave or coconut nectar. Top with shredded coconut and chopped walnuts.
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Be sure to check the flatbread halfway and use a spatula to gently toss around the walnuts and coconut, to make sure the coconut doesn't burn. It will slightly brown and get a little crispy during cooking, but thats okay!
The flatbread is finished when the crust is light golden brown and the walnuts and coconut are golden & toasted.
Remove it from the oven and move to a cooling rack or cutting board. Cover in chopped strawberries and the remaining tablespoon of either agave or coconut nectar. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
Cut into 4 even pieces, and eat it all up!
Its yummy, sweet, and perfectly delicious.
Perfect for an end of summer or back to school party!

PRINT RECIPE

8 Comments

(I don't need chicken on my) Barbecue Pizza!

4/3/2012

2 Comments

(I don't need chicken on my) Barbecue Pizza!

Nope, I don't! I don't need any fake meat. Not here! It's alright every once in a while, but as a vegan, I really do appreciate my veggies! I try to stay away from the fake stuff and eat just the natural yummies. They're better for you!
Anyway, this is my favorite new pizza to eat. The barbecue sauce crisps the crust with the most delicious, tangy char. The avocados, tomatoes, and onions add a contrast to the sweet of the barbecue sauce, and the garlic flavors the whole thing.
It is GOOD.

And its makes AWESOME cold-from-the-fridge breakfast the next day.

Crust Ingredients:
1 sachet active dry yeast
1 teaspoon turbinado sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Crust Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
In a medium mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
In a separate bowl combine flour and salt.Once yeast and sugar mixture looks creamy, beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes then add dry ingredients and oil to yeast mixture.
Using a wooden spoon or whisk, stir all the ingredients together until just combined, about 2 minutes.
Then using either a bread hook attachment or your hands, knead and stretch dough until dough is elastic-y but softened, about 5-8 minutes.
Using your hands, stretch dough into the shape of the pan. Be careful doing this, pulling gently at the sides until the dough stretches out. Don't rush it, you don't want any massive holes for your toppings to fall through!
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured pizza stone or baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, until crust edges JUST start to harden and golden.

If you prefer a thinner crust pizza, split the dough in half and make two smaller, thinner pizzas!

Once the crust is made, top with (in this order):
vegan barbecue sauce (this is our favorite)
spinach
tomatoes
onions (caramelized are yummiest)
garlic (diced or pressed)
avocado slices

Spread toppings and bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let pizza cool for 5 minutes, then cut into 8 slices and enjoy!

PRINT RECIPE

2 Comments

Pesto Pizza

2/17/2012

2 Comments

Pesto Pizza

My Mommy is in town this week! Alex and I have been having way too much fun showing her all the awesomeness that is Southern California. Last night we spent two hours shopping Mother's Market and came home with way too many delicious groceries.
We were all craving pizza so we decided to veganize one of our old favorites, pesto pizza! The pesto pizzas we used to get had chicken (eww!) and real mozzarella cheese (blech!). To make this pizza, we used a vegan pesto, 'teese' brand mozzarella cheese, and fresh veggies on top of a home-made crust.
The pizza came out absolutely wonderfully. The crust was crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and super garlic-y!

Crust Ingredients:
1 sachet active dry yeast
1 teaspoon turbinado sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Crust Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
In a medium mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
In a separate bowl combine flour and salt.Once yeast and sugar mixture looks creamy, beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes then add dry ingredients and oil to yeast mixture.
Using a wooden spoon or whisk, stir all the ingredients together until just combined, about 2 minutes.
Then using either a bread hook attachment or your hands, knead and stretch dough until dough is elastic-y but softened, about 5-8 minutes.
Using your hands, stretch dough into the shape of the pan. Be careful doing this, pulling gently at the sides until the dough stretches out. Don't rush it, you don't want any massive holes for your toppings to fall through!
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured pizza stone or baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, until crust edges JUST start to harden and golden.

Once the crust is made, top with (in this order):
vegan pesto
Teese mozzarella 'cheese' (shredded with a cheese grater)
tomatoes
onions
garlic (diced or pressed)

Spread toppings and bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let pizza cool for 5 minutes, then cut into 8 slices and enjoy!

P.S. Sometimes we make it without cheese, cause we love the taste of just fresh veggies. Here's a photo:

PRINT RECIPE

2 Comments

My Perfect Pizza Dough Recipe + Top Tips for Making Pizza at Home!

My PERFECT PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE +
TOP TIPS FOR MAKING PIZZA AT HOME!

Sweet Strawberry Flatbread

Sweet Strawberry Flatbread

(I don't need chicken on my) Barbecue Pizza!

(I don't need chicken on my) Barbecue Pizza!

Pesto Pizza

Pesto Pizza

tags

G O O D S A I N T

S T A Y F R E S H + S U B S C R I B E

My Perfect Pizza Dough Recipe + Top Tips for Making Pizza at Home!

My PERFECT PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE + ​TOP TIPS FOR MAKING PIZZA AT HOME!

Sweet Strawberry Flatbread

Sweet Strawberry Flatbread

(I don't need chicken on my) Barbecue Pizza!

(I don't need chicken on my) Barbecue Pizza!

Pesto Pizza

Pesto Pizza

tags

G O O D S A I N T

S T A Y F R E S H + S U B S C R I B E

My PERFECT PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE +
TOP TIPS FOR MAKING PIZZA AT HOME!