We're a family with four pizza-loving kids, living an hour's drive from the pizzeria (plus we're conscious of our sugar intake), which means we had to find a way to make pizzas at home, delicious enough to rival those served at the pizzeria. Today I'm sharing our absolutely favorite pizza dough recipe. What's not to love about a pizza that requires no fancy ingredients, no long hours of proofing, no tossing in the air, yet rewards with an absolutely perfect taste? No wonder it's our favorite Sunday dinner recipe.
We don't bother making portion-sized pizzas for each family member (that's six pizzas to make!), but instead make a couple of sheet pan-sized pizzas with different toppings. This way, everyone can grab a slice of the preferred pizza, with additional portions for the hungriest ones.
Considering kids aren't the biggest gourmets, our go-to toppings include cheese (Mozzarella and Cheddar), pepperoni, and tomato sauce. For the sauce, we either use regular tomato sauce without added sugars or a sugar-free pizza sauce (like this one from Yo Mama's). A pinch of pizza herbs and done!
Everybody knows that every perfect pizza starts with perfect dough. We have no Italian roots, so I don't even attempt tossing the dough in the air to avoid nasty dough stains on the ceiling. Still, our pizza crust is always crisp, thin, and seriously delicious. Plus, chances are you already have all the ingredients in your pantry, namely all-purpose flour, instant dry yeast, honey (or a granulated sugar-free sweetener), salt, olive oil, garlic powder, and some water. This dough is made from scratch (unlike the quick pizza with a bread base), but it's still less time-consuming than many other recipes out there.
Here's how we make it:
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Combine the dry ingredients (1 cup of all-purpose flour, yeast, salt, dried basil (or pizza herb mix), and garlic powder in a large bowl. Add olive oil, warm water, and honey (or another sugar-free sweetener of your choice; consult our sugar-free sweetener guide for alternatives).
2. Add the rest of the flour, adjusting the amount, if needed, to ensure the dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl, yet remains slightly sticky.
3. Shape the dough into a round ball, brush it with olive oil from all sides, and transfer to a clean, greased bowl. Allow it to proof in a warm place for 30-60 minutes until doubled in size.
4. Transfer the proofed dough to a floured surface and knead it lightly. Then, line a sheet pan with parchment paper and stretch the dough to the desired shape and size. I usually start with stretching the dough slightly in my hands, then place it on the sheet pan and continue pushing towards the edges using my finger tips. Finish by pinching the dough with a fork to ensure it doesn't bubble up in the oven.
Important: Stretch the dough with caution, ensuring there are no holes. Also, make sure the dough isn't too thin-if it's transparently thin, the crust won't be crisp, and it won't hold the topping well.
5. Now it's time to get creative! If you're friends with garlic, start by brushing oil and minced garlic all over the pizza base (it makes a huge difference and can take a good pizza to a great one!). Then, spoon pizza sauce all over the dough, add grated cheese generously, followed by sliced pepperoni (and/or other toppings of your choice), and sprinkle some pizza herbs.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 425F (215C) for 15+ minutes or until golden brown. Slice and serve while hot to enjoy the cheese pull!
Easy Pizza For A Hangry Family (Sugar-Free Recipe)
Ingredients
Pizza Dough:
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour (adjust the amount slightly to ensure the correct texture)
- ¾ cup (175 ml) warm water
- 2 teaspoon instant yeast
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey or granulated sugar-free sweetener
Toppings:
- 1 cup grated Cheddar
- 1 large ball Mozzarella cheese
- 2.5-3 tablespoon sugar-free tomato/pizza sauce
- 10-12 slices of pepperoni
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
- 1 teaspoon pizza herbs (or a mix of oregano and dried basil)
Instructions
- Combine the dry ingredients (1 cup of all-purpose flour, yeast, salt, pizza herb mix, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Add olive oil, warm water, and the sweetener.
- Add the rest of the flour, adjusting the amount, if needed, to ensure the dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl, yet remains slightly sticky.
- Shape the dough into a round ball, brush it with olive oil from all sides, and transfer to a clean, greased bowl. Allow it to proof in a warm place for 30-60 minutes until doubled in size.
- Transfer the proofed dough to a floured surface and knead it lightly. Then, line a sheet pan with parchment paper and stretch the dough to the desired shape and size. Start by stretching the dough slightly in your hands, then place it on the sheet pan and continue pushing towards the edges using your finger tips. Finish by pinching the dough with a fork to ensure it doesn't bubble up in the oven.
- Brush oil and minced garlic all over the pizza base. Then, spoon pizza sauce all over the dough, add grated cheese generously, followed by sliced pepperoni (and/or other toppings of your choice), and sprinkle some pizza herbs.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 425℉ (215℃) for 15+ minutes or until golden brown. Slice and serve while hot to enjoy the cheese pull!
Caroline
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I never thought I could achieve such a perfect crust at home. Loved it!