May 16, 20203 min read

Pizza Base

Updated: Aug 24, 2021

Easy pizza dough/base recipe to follow. Once you make it at home, you won't go back to store-bought pizza bases. Get the kids involved. They can help you make the dough. Adding pizza toppings of your choice is a bonus fun.

Did you know Pizza was nothing, but a flatbread eaten by Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians in ancient times? It was modernised with fancy toppings by Italians. This is now the most popular fast food we all enjoy, especially our kids.

Why not make pizza at home with the ingredients of our choice and have control of the quality in our hands. I can see, you are already daunted by the thought of making pizza base at home. Don't worry, you have come to the right place. My easy step by step recipe instruction will help you get through this fear. Just do not make silly errors, I made during my initial Pizza making attempts and you will be making pizza dough like a pro.

Skip to recipe Pizza Base Recipe or continue reading for tips and stages of making the recipe

Key things to keep in mind when preparing a pizza base?

Activating yeast

Activated yeast is the key to making light and fluffy bread.
To activate the yeast, it is crucial to use lukewarm water. Not hot or cold water. Hot water will kill the yeast and unsalvageable. Cold water will do nothing.
To make lukewarm water, take 2 parts of room-temperature water with one part of boiling water. Test it by placing water on your wrist. It should feel slightly warmer than your body temperature (but not hot). That's when you know the water is lukewarm. The other way to test is by using a thermometer. The temperature of the lukewarm water should be between 35°C to 40°C
The other key ingredient for the yeast to rise is Sugar. Yeast feeds on sugar to grow. So do not forget to add sugar to lukewarm water along with yeast.

Consistency of the dough

The softness of the dough depends on the amount of moisture in the dough.
In fact, l on your touch and feel. If you feel the dough is tough then add more water. I usually make my dough on the softer side. ur.
In fact, let you touch and feel the senses guide you. If you feel the dough is tough then add more water, if not then carry on with kneading. I usually make my dough on the softer side.
Do not overwater it or else the dough will go very soggy and hard to handle.

Resting the dough

Resting of the dough is very important. This helps the gluten to relax and yeast to ferment. Relaxed gluten gives elasticity and smoothness to the dough while yeast gives airiness.
Always choose container 3 times bigger than the dough ball size. This will give enough room for the dough to rise.
If you are located in a tropical city or you are making the dough in summer, then place the dough container on the kitchen counter covered with a damp tea towel. But if you are located in a colder city or making dough in winter then preheat the 50°C and turn it off. Immediately place the dough container in the preheated oven covered with a hot damp tea towel

All these crucial details seem overwhelming at the start but if you keep making pizza dough, this will come to you naturally.

Enough of me talking. Time to check on my dough. I can already see a small bump popping on the surface of the tea towel. Let's lift up the cover and see the dough all risen.

Ooh!!! The dough looks all fluffed up. I get excited every time I make pizza dough. Don't get alarmed seeing my two containers of dough. I made a double batch on my kids request so they can have extra leftovers for lunch. They love homemade pizza, especially homemade pizza base. It tastes even better the next day.

I love poking into the dough to see it deflate right before my eyes. You must give it a try, it's fun. It also proves, prooving of the dough and that you are on the right path to making a perfectly light and airy pizza base.

Note, you must punch it down, knead and let it rest again. This helps to release large air pockets and create smaller and even air bubbles when baking.