Bread Machine Pizza Dough Recipe

Friday night is pizza night at my house, and it’s almost always homemade. If you’re looking for a good pizza dough recipe, I highly recommend this bread machine version. It’s been our go-to for over a decade, and produces the ultimate thick crust.

Bread Machine Pizza Dough Recipe

This recipe makes enough pizza dough for 1 large pizza, or 2 medium pizzas.

Prep Time:

1 hour 25 minutes (time may vary, based on bread machine used)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons warm water
• 2 teaspoons dry active yeast (or 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast)
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar (for testing yeast)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or other cooking oil)

What You Do:

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water (100-110˚F).

After 10 minutes you should have a foamy mixture. If there’s no foam in the bowl, the yeast is dead, and you should start over with new yeast. This process is known as proofing your yeast.

Dump the proofed yeast, and the rest of the ingredients, into the pan of your bread maker, in the order recommended by the manufacturer, or following the order listed in the ingredient list.

I own a Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso® Breadmaker (BB-PAC20). It recommends adding the wet ingredients first, followed by the dry ingredients. Just be sure to keep the oil and yeast separate; that’s the main thing. If the oil mixes with the yeast, it’ll interfere with the rise.

Here’s how I load my bread machine …

First, I pour my proofed yeast into my bread maker pan.

Then, I add the flour and salt.

And I finish with the olive oil.

Once you’ve loaded all the ingredients into your bread machine, select the dough setting, and press start. My machine has two dough settings: one for quick dough, and one for regular dough. If yours is like this, choose the quick dough setting, if you used instant yeast; choose the regular dough setting, if you used dry active yeast).

After the dough cycle has finished, remove your dough ball from the bread machine (it’ll likely be a bit on the sticky side); and reshape it into a ball, if necessary. Divide, the dough if you plan to make 2 medium size pizzas. Then, place your dough in a large, oiled bowl(s). Cover; and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes, before attempting to roll it out into a pizza crust.

When you’re ready to make your pizza, turn your dough out onto a floured work surface; then, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to a 14-inch circle, for a large pizza or two 12-inch circles, for medium pizzas. Transfer your crust to a pizza pan(s); then, poke holes in the dough with a fork. This is known as docking. It’ll allow steam to escape the dough while it’s in the oven, so you don’t end up with big bubbles in your crust.

Spread sauce over your crust. This no-cook pizza sauce is really good, and this homemade Italian seasoning is really good sprinkled on top.

Then, add cheese, plus any topping you want, and bake at 475 F. Start with 7-9 minutes, and add additional time as needed. Your pizza is done when the cheese has melted, and the crust is cooked through.

How to Store Your Pizza Dough

If you don’t plan to use your pizza dough right away, you can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Just stick it on the counter, and allow it to come to room temperature, before using.

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