Easy Homemade Pizza Dough

I've been making Giada's pizza dough recipe for years ever since my cousin Christine told me she makes it. I recently asked her if that's what she still makes, and she said she mostly makes the Sally's Baking Addiction pizza dough recipe these days, as well as the Stromboli recipe which uses the same dough. I finally gave it a try today and it was really good!

I used active dry yeast and let the dough rise for 1.5 hours, then punched it down and let it rise another 1.5 hours before I divided it and spread it in pans. The recipe doesn't say to punch it down, but I had the extra time and I'm used to doing that. I also used Caputo 00 Flour instead of all-purpose.

This recipe makes two 12" pizzas. I like making 3 pizzas because that perfectly uses up one 16-ounce block of mozzarella that I slice up (I never use shredded mozzarella on my pizzas). Since I had never made this recipe before, I did 1.5 times the recipe which worked out fine for 3 pizzas. My pans are 14" big, so next time I think I will double the recipe and see if I like it more with a slightly thicker crust.

Since it's a Friday in Lent, my topping options were limited. One of my sons will only eat cheese pizza, so I made two cheese pizzas with sauce and one "white" pizza with ricotta. I have not made a ricotta pizza in a very long time so I just experimented and I thought it came out pretty good. I like to use ricotta with simple ingredients like the Galbani Double Cream version or Galbani Classic version. I lightly sautéed a few cloves of chopped garlic in olive oil and spread that over the sliced mozzarella. Then I mixed about 8 ounces of ricotta with salt, pepper, oregano and some Romano cheese and spread that on top of the mozzarella and garlic/olive oil mixture and then put more grated Romano cheese on top. Next time I'll put the mozzarella on top of the ricotta to see which way I like better.

This recipe was really good. My husband and sons seemed to enjoy the extra crunch from the cornmeal (my mom has used cornmeal on her pizza pans for years but I usually just use olive oil on my pans). I'm happy to have another delicious pizza dough recipe to use so I'm not always making the same one!

Easy Homemade Pizza Dough

Recipe Courtesy Sally’s Baking Addiction

 

Follow these basic instructions for a thick, crisp, and chewy pizza crust at home. The recipe yields enough pizza dough for two 12-inch pizzas and you can freeze half of the dough for later. Close to 2 pounds of dough total. This recipe is also in my New York Times best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.

 

1⅓ cups (320ml) warm water (about 110°)

1 Tablespoon (13g) granulated sugar

2¼ teaspoons (7g) Platinum Yeast from Red Star instant yeast (1 standard packet)*

3½ to 4 cups (438–500g) unbleached all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed

2 Tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing 

1 teaspoon salt

Sprinkle of cornmeal, for dusting the pan

 

Whisk the warm water, granulated sugar, and yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes. If you don’t have a stand mixer, simply use a large mixing bowl and mix the dough with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula in the next step.

 

Add the flour, olive oil, and salt. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

 

Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 5 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 full minutes. If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise.

 

Rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with oil—just use the same bowl you used for the dough. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 60–90 minutes or until double in size (see note at the bottom of recipe for rise time depending on which yeast you use).

 

Preheat oven to 475°. Allow it to heat for at least 15–20 minutes as you shape the pizza. (If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven to preheat as well.) Lightly grease baking sheet or pizza pan with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal, which gives the crust extra crunch and flavor.

 

Shape the dough: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough in half. (If not making 2 pizzas, freeze half of the dough for another time. See freezing instructions below.) On a lightly floured work surface using lightly floured hands or a rolling pin, gently flatten the dough into a disc. Place on prepared pan and, using lightly floured hands, stretch and flatten the disc into a 12-inch circle, about 1/2-inch thick. If the dough keeps shrinking back as you try to stretch it, stop what you’re doing, cover it lightly for 5–10 minutes, then try again. Once shaped into a 12-inch circle, lift the edge of the dough up to create a lip around the edges. I simply pinch the edges up to create the rim. If using a pizza stone, place the dough directly on baker’s peels dusted with cornmeal.

 

Cover dough lightly with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for a few minutes as you prepare your pizza toppings.

 

Top & bake the pizza: Using your fingers, press dents into the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. Lightly brush olive oil over the top of the crust (optional). Top with the toppings of your choice and bake for 13–15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

 

Slice hot pizza and serve immediately. Cover leftover pizza tightly and store in the refrigerator.

 

NOTES:

Freezing Instructions: This recipe yields enough dough for two 12-inch pizzas, a little less than 2 pounds (900g) total. After the pizza dough rises and you divide the dough in half (step 5), you can freeze one of the balls of dough to make pizza at a later time. Or you can simply freeze both balls of dough separately. Lightly coat all sides of the dough ball(s) with nonstick spray or olive oil. Place the dough ball(s) into individual zipped-top bag(s) and seal tightly, squeezing out all the air. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the frozen pizza dough in the refrigerator for about 8 hours or overnight. When ready to make pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to rest for 1 hour on the counter. Preheat the oven and continue with step 5, punching down the dough to release air if needed.

 

Overnight/All Day Instructions: Prepare the dough through step 3, but allow the dough to rise for 8–12 hours in the refrigerator. (If it needs to be in the refrigerator for longer, use cooler water (about 70°) in the dough, which will slow the dough’s rise and allow for more time.) The slow rise gives the pizza dough wonderful flavor! When ready, continue with step 4. If the dough didn’t quite double in size overnight, let it sit at room temperature for 30–45 minutes before punching down (step 5).

 

Yeast: Red Star Platinum yeast is an instant yeast. You can use active dry yeast instead. The rise time will be at least 90 minutes.

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cupcakes

This recipe is the Hershey's chocolate cake recipe adapted to use for chocolate cupcakes. The ingredient amounts in the recipe are the same as for the cake, but this recipe gives the reduced baking time for cupcakes. I also included a half recipe below, which is what I just made today for my twin sons' 8th birthday tomorrow. We aren't having a party this year and I didn't want a ton of cupcakes so a half recipe was perfect, in addition to the half recipe of vanilla cupcakes I made. I filled mine 3/4 full and made 12 cupcakes instead of 18. I also used Ghirardelli Cocoa instead of Hershey's. Note that these cupcakes may come out flat on top or may even sink in, but this didn't happen with mine since I filled them more than halfway.

I paired these with this Not-So-Sweet Whipped Frosting recipe that I've been making for a few years. I also mixed in some Freeze Dried Raspberry Powder to the frosting for some of them, which was delicious (shout out to my niece Emma for the idea)!

Hershey’s "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cupcakes

 

This chocolate cupcake recipe is easy to whip up in the kitchen and sure to please the crowd no matter how you celebrate birthdays, Easter gatherings and other fun get-togethers throughout the year. Bake moist chocolate cupcakes in the oven using HERSHEY’S cocoa or HERSHEY’S SPECIAL DARK cocoa if you prefer a more decadent cupcake flavor. Then, try creating homemade frosting to cover each cupcake. Life just got a lot sweeter with this simple chocolate cupcake recipe that will add more joy to your everyday snacking.

 

1¾ cups unsifted all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

¾ cup Hershey’s Cocoa

1½ teaspoons baking soda

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

½ cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup boiling water

 

Heat oven to 350° F. Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper or foil bake cups.

 

Stir together dry ingredients in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients except boiling water. Beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Fill muffin cups ½ full with batter.

 

Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. Frost with chocolate frosting and garnish with sprinkles, if desired.

 

Makes 36 cupcakes.

Hershey’s "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cupcakes (Half Recipe)

 

This chocolate cupcake recipe is easy to whip up in the kitchen and sure to please the crowd no matter how you celebrate birthdays, Easter gatherings and other fun get-togethers throughout the year. Bake moist chocolate cupcakes in the oven using HERSHEY’S cocoa or HERSHEY’S SPECIAL DARK cocoa if you prefer a more decadent cupcake flavor. Then, try creating homemade frosting to cover each cupcake. Life just got a lot sweeter with this simple chocolate cupcake recipe that will add more joy to your everyday snacking.

 

¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons unsifted all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

6 Tablespoons Hershey’s Cocoa

¾ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg

½ cup milk

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup boiling water

 

Heat oven to 350° F. Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper or foil bake cups.

 

Stir together dry ingredients in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients except boiling water. Beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Fill muffin cups ½ full with batter.

 

Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. Frost with chocolate frosting and garnish with sprinkles, if desired.

 

Makes 18 cupcakes.

My Favorite Royal Icing

My twin sons' 8th birthday is coming up and as I was trying to figure out what to make to send in to school for them to share with their classmates, I realized I only have 2 birthdays left of them being in single digits so I should use these number cookie cutters again that I bought and used when they turned 5.

I used this sugar cookie recipe (it's easy and great because it doesn't need refrigerated like some do), this royal icing recipe and these dye-free sprinkles (I used the entire bottle of sprinkles for these). For the cookies I use a Cookie Rolling pin, which makes rolling out the cookie dough so easy. It makes 1/4" thick cookies but they also have a thicker 5/16" rolling pin. I got 54 "8" shaped cookies out of a double recipe.

I like the make the cookies one day, freeze them, and then make the icing another day. One recipe of this icing is enough for two to three recipes of the sugar cookies that I make, depending on how thick the icing is. The cookies are a little soft and I like to dip them in the icing rather than pipe it on, so doing that when they are frozen and less likely to break works well. I find it easiest to dip the cookies in the icing, let the excess run off, then turn the cookie right side up and lightly shake it so the icing will even out. I use a toothpick to pop air bubbles and smooth out the icing, then I top with sprinkles (note that sprinkle colors might run on the white icing) and let them set for at least 2 hours (longer if it the icing is thick) before putting the cookies back in the freezer.

For the icing I use Wilton Meringue Powder, which you can find in the baking aisle of your grocery store. If they don't have it, Amazon does although it likely costs more there. This should stay good for about 2 year after opening it. Watch this video to give you an idea of what the final icing consistency should be. 

This recipe is very simple, only requires 3 ingredients and makes the cookies look really nice. If you like making sugar cookies, give it a try!

My Favorite Royal Icing

Recipe courtesy Sally’s Baking Addiction website

 

Here is my classic easy royal icing made with meringue powder. It’s easy to work with, sets quickly, and won’t break your teeth when it dries. It has the most delicious taste and texture and makes decorating sugar cookies fun and simple. Use this traditional royal icing recipe for both flooding and outlining your sugar cookies.

 

4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted, plus more as needed

3 Tablespoons Wilton meringue powder (not plain egg white powder)

9 Tablespoons room-temperature water, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon of your favorite flavored extract, such as lemon, coconut, or peppermint (optional)

Gel food coloring (optional for decorating)

 

In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix the confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder.

 

Add the water and a flavoring (if using), and whip on high speed for 1.5–2 minutes. When lifting the whisk up off the icing, the icing should drizzle down and smooth out within 5–10 seconds. If it’s too thick, whip in more water, 1 Tablespoon at a time. I usually need 10 Tablespoons, but on particularly dry days, I use up to 12–14 Tablespoons. Keep in mind that the longer you whip the royal icing, the thicker it becomes. If your royal icing is too thin, just keep whipping it to introduce more air, or you can add more sifted confectioners’ sugar.

 

If you’d like to tint the icing, divide it into separate bowls for each color, or tint the entire batch one color. A little gel food coloring goes a long way, so use a toothpick to dot the gel into the icing. Stir it in and then add more to deepen the color if desired. Keep in mind that the more you stir, the thicker the icing becomes. If needed, stir in a few drops of water to maintain the target consistency.

 

When applied to cookies or confections in a thin layer, icing completely dries in about 2 hours at room temperature. If the icing consistency is too thin and runny, it will take longer to dry. If the icing is applied very thickly, it will also take longer to dry. If you’re layering royal icing onto cookies for specific designs and need it to set quickly, place cookies in the refrigerator to help speed up the setting.

 

NOTES:

You can prepare this royal icing 2-3 days ahead of time. I recommend transferring it to a smaller bowl or container and tightly sealing for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to use it, let it come to room temperature, then mix it up with a whisk a few times as it may have separated. Whisking in a few drops of water is helpful if it thickened.

 

When you’re not working directly with the royal icing (for example, you are decorating cookies but you still have some icing left in the bowl that you intend to use next), place a damp paper towel directly on the surface of the royal icing. This prevents it from hardening.

 

Sugar cookies decorated with royal icing freeze well up to 3 months. Wait for the icing to set completely before layering between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container. To thaw, thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

 

Many royal icing recipes, including this one, yield a lot of icing. Any leftover royal icing can be frozen for up to 2 months. Place leftover royal icing into zipped-top freezer bags. If you have more than 1 color, each color should have its own bag. Before sealing, squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible. Freeze on a flat shelf surface in your freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before using again.

Photo of police officer retirement party cookies from April 2022:

Photo of Easter cookies from April 2022:

Photo of Christmas cookies from December 2022:

Photos of 5th Birthday cookies from January 2023:

Photos of 8th Birthday cookies from January 2026:

Gaines Family Chili

Last month I was craving chili and found this very simple recipe (a printable version is here). The only thing you need to chop is one onion, so this is the perfect weeknight recipe since it comes together so quickly. All of the flavor comes from the canned tomatoes and beans which are already seasoned. Two 26-ounce cans of beans sounded like a lot to me, so I used two 15-ounce cans instead and I thought that was perfect. I had never seen or heard of Ranch Style Beans before but luckily our commissary had them. I used mild Rotel but if you like more heat, use original or hot. I did not use Fritos but I left it in the recipe.

I was skeptical about this recipe but I was surprised at how good it was. I'm so used to making a big recipe of chili that uses ground beef and ground pork and requires chopping peppers, onions and garlic and using various spices and then having it cook for several hours. This recipe only takes about 45 minutes. I made cornbread to go with it (and spaghetti because I love spaghetti with chili) and this was the perfect fall dinner. This fits perfectly in a 4-quart dutch oven (pictured below), or has a little room to spare in a 5.5-quart dutch oven.

If you are new to cooking or running low on time, this is the recipe to make!

Gaines Family Chili

Recipe from Magnolia Table, Volume 1 Cookbook

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large white onion, finely chopped

2 pounds ground beef (80% lean)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Two 10-ounce cans mild diced tomatoes and green chiles, such as Ro*tel, undrained

Two 26-ounce or 15-ounce cans Southwestern-style beans, preferably Ranch Style brand, undrained

One 10.25-ounce bag Fritos

2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add the onion and sauté until translucent and tender, about 8 minutes.

 

Add the beef and a couple of pinches each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring often to break up the meat, until it loses its pink color, 6 to 7 minutes.

 

Stir in the tomatoes and beans with their juice. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

 

Ladle the chili into bowls. Serve topped with Fritos and grated Cheddar and accompanied by cornbread.

 

Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

 

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Zuppa Toscana

I recently came across this soup recipe and made it tonight - it was so good! I don't think I have ever put potatoes in soup before (I always add pasta), but this was delicious and is the perfect recipe for anyone who is gluten-free. Apparently this soup is served at Olive Garden, which I do not go to so I've never had it. There are many copycat recipes out there and most have bacon and kale in them but this one was more appealing to me. This recipe is very straightforward and easy and I much prefer spinach over kale. Sadly I can't have heavy cream but I found a Country Crock dairy-free alternative that I used, which worked well (this Silk one is even better). It would have tasted just fine without it though (if you leave it out, replace it with a bit more broth). I really love the addition of flour which makes the broth thicker than most soup recipes. I did find that it needed more salt and pepper so I increased those amounts below, and I still added more of both at the end of cooking. Otherwise I followed the recipe and wouldn't change a thing next time.

This recipe did not make that much but it was enough for my use tonight, so depending on how many people you are cooking for you might need to double or even triple the recipe. My husband wasn't home but I had 2 bowls of it, one of my sons had a very small bowl of it and I gave the rest to a friend who isn't feeling well. I also made bread this morning and dipping the toasted crusty bread in this soup was amazing.

This is a delicious, hearty soup - a great fall and winter recipe that I'll be making again very soon!

Edit: This soup was so good that I made it again the following night when my husband was back home. He loved it! This will be in our dinner rotation for sure.

Zuppa Toscana

Recipe from Once Upon a Chef Blog

 

Make delicious Zuppa Toscana at home with this easy recipe! It’s filled with sausage, potatoes, and spinach in a creamy broth that feels like a satisfying meal on its own. 

 

1 pound Italian sausage (mild or spicy, depending on your preference), removed from casings

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken broth

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, diced into ½-inch pieces

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for more heat)

2 cups baby spinach, stems removed, packed

½ cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving

 

In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the sausage over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces as it browns, 5 to 7 minutes. Once browned, use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a colander in the sink to drain, leaving about 1 tablespoon of the drippings in the pot for sautéing the vegetables.

 

Add the diced onion and carrots to the reserved drippings (if the pot seems dry, add a bit of oil). Sauté over medium heat until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Do not brown. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.

 

Gradually pour in the chicken broth, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the potatoes, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using). Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent the potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

 

While the soup simmers, transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate. With more paper towels, blot the sausage to absorb any excess grease.

 

Add the baby spinach and cooked sausage to the soup. Simmer until the spinach is wilted, a few minutes. Stir in the cream and cheese and continue to simmer until everything is warmed through. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve hot, passing more cheese at the table.

 

Serves 4.

 

Notes:

Make-Ahead Instructions: You can prepare the soup up to 2 days in advance. After cooking, let it cool to room temperature, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. You may need to add a splash of broth or water if the soup has thickened too much.

 

Freezing is not recommended.

 

This soup is endlessly adaptable, so don’t be afraid to play around with ingredients depending on what you’ve got on hand. A few ideas:

·       Swap the sausage: Use turkey or chicken sausage in place of pork.

·       Toss in extra veggies: Diced bell peppers or mushrooms would be great; just sauté them first. If you want to swap out the spinach, kale or Swiss chard would work well. (Because they’re both sturdier than spinach, add them a little earlier so they can soften up.)

·       Add beans for heartiness: White beans (like cannellini or great northern) give the soup one more layer of texture and add a creamy bite.

Before adding the cream in

Focaccia

A while ago I tried this Focaccia recipe that I saw on Meghan Markle's Netflix series called With Love, Meghan. I've never paid any attention to her but I like cooking shows and this recipe looked so simple that I decided to try it. The other focaccia recipes I usually make take longer and are much bigger recipes so I end up freezing half of it. This is a better size for my small family and comes together easily for a weeknight meal.

This recipe is super simple to make and doesn't take very long at all. I bake it in my 12" Le Creuset skillet. The first time I made this, I had a very tough time getting it out of the skillet, so now I line the skillet with parchment paper which makes it much easier. I top it with flaky sea salt and bake it for 20 minutes. It is really good and easy! If you've ever wanted to make homemade bread but were intimidated by it, this is a great first recipe to try.

Focaccia

Recipe from With Love, Meghan

2 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling/coating the pan as well as the focaccia
1 teaspoon instant yeast or 1¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit)
1-3 sprigs of rosemary leaves
Flaky sea salt, to taste

 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the water, yeast, flour, and olive oil until a shaggy dough forms.

 

Add the salt and mix until the dough comes together. It will be sticky.

 

Coat the top of the dough with a thin layer of olive oil and cover with a tea towel.

 

Place dough in a warm place and let rise for 2 hours.

 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

Once the dough has risen, turn it out into a well-oiled (or parchment paper lined and oiled) enameled cast-iron braiser, skillet or baking pan.

 

Gently stretch the dough to the edges of what you are baking it in. Be gentle and patient at this step. It may take a few tries to get the dough to that shape.

 

Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and put in a warm place to let rise in the pan for another 30 minutes.

 

Once dough is ready, coat your hands in olive oil and gently dimple the top of the dough to create small wells with your fingers.

 

Drizzle generously with more olive oil, rosemary, and flaky sea salt.

 

Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly golden.

 

Remove from the oven and carefully from the pan.

 

Slice, serve, and enjoy!