This Italian pizza dough recipe is one of my favorite ways to create a light and crispy crust. It is absolutely perfect for homemade pizza night. Just add sauce, cheese, and your favorite pizza toppings!
In a large bowl, add water, oil, and sugar. Sprinkle yeast on top and let sit for about 5 minutes or until foamy.
Meanwhile in a medium bowl, combine flour and salt. Add gradually to the yeast mixture. Add more flour or water as needed while you work the dough.
Continue to mix pizza dough until it feels elastic. Turn it onto a floured surface.
Knead the dough for a minute and a half or until smooth. Do not overmix or the dough will become tough.
Place the dough in a medium bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and flip a few times to coat it. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour.
Punch dough down and knead on a lightly floured surface for 1-2 minutes or until smooth.
Divide into 2 (or 6) pieces and roll out into pizzas.
To Bake:
Heat a pizza stone in the oven at 425°F.
Roll pizza out to desired thickness, 1/4" for a standard pizza and slightly thinner for a thin crust pizza.
Brush pizza with olive oil and place on heated pizza stone, olive oil side down. Bake for 5-8 minutes or until underside is browned. If bubbles appear while baking, pierce with a fork.
Flip pizza onto a working surface. Add sauce and desired toppings to the browned side of the pizza crust and return to the oven for an additional 7-10 minutes or until cooked through and toppings are melted.
Notes
Divide dough into 6 pieces for individual pizzas, or 2 pieces for regular pizzas.Dough may be made ahead and frozen for up to 3 months.