Quick and Easy Pizza Crust

🍕 Quick and Easy Pizza Crust

Ingredients

  • 1 cup warm water (110°F)
  • 1 packet (0.25 oz) active dry yeast
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 2½ cups bread flour
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp salt
  • Cornmeal (for dusting)

Instructions (Oven)

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Dust a pizza pan or stone with cornmeal.

  2. Place 1 cup warm water in a bowl. Add 1 packet yeast and 1 tsp sugar. Mix and let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

  3. Add 2½ cups bread flour, 2 Tbsp olive oil, and 2 tsp salt to the yeast mixture. Beat until smooth (by hand or with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook).

  4. Let rest for 5 minutes.

  5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a 12-inch circle.

  6. Transfer to the prepared pizza pan or stone.

  7. Spread with sauce and toppings of your choice.

  8. Bake at 450°F for 15–20 minutes until golden brown.

  9. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before slicing.

BBQ Variant

  1. Pile coals in the center of the grill and light. Preheat to 450°F.

  2. Prepare dough following steps 2–5 above.

  3. Knock coals down to the grill edge before cooking.

  4. Dust a thin cutting board or pizza peel with cornmeal. Transfer dough.

  5. Slide dough onto grill, add toppings, and cook with lid closed until crust is golden and toppings are done.

Tips

  • Bread flour makes a superior crust, but all-purpose flour works in a pinch.
  • A pizza stone with cornmeal gives the best crispy bottom.
  • Water temperature matters—too hot kills the yeast, too cool won’t activate it.

🛒 Shopping List

Pantry

  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 packet (0.25 oz) active dry yeast
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 2½ cups bread flour
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp salt
  • Cornmeal (for dusting)

Attribution

Adapted from Quick and Easy Pizza Crust