No-knead pizza dough! So EASY. Make it ahead so it’s ready when you want it. Use with any pizza recipe.
It seems that every time I decide to make pizza at home (usually on a Friday night) my well-laid plans are disrupted by a last-minute impulse to go to the movies or to meet with friends.
That’s why I love this dough recipe.
You can make it and let it rise, then use it — or change your mind and leave it in the fridge for the next day. Or even the day after that. Or even freeze it for a few weeks. It’s a very forgiving dough!
And if that weren’t enough to sell you on this pizza, you don’t have to do a bit of kneading.
Furthermore, an overnight rise in the refrigerator helps develop fantastic flavor. The dough is soft and full of delicious air bubbles.
This recipe makes about two pounds of dough, which is enough for four 10-inch personal pizzas or two larger pizzas. Use it to make any pizza recipe you like!
By the way, if you like this no-knead approach, check out Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois and My Bread by Jim Lahey. This pizza recipe was based on their no-knead techniques.
Easy No-Knead Pizza Dough Recipe
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Rising time: 2 hours
- Yield: 2 1-pound balls of dough (enough for 4 10-inch pizzas)
This recipe makes two 1-pound balls of pizza dough, which is enough for two large pizzas or four « personal sized » 10-inch pizzas.
Instant or rapid-rise yeast is actually a different strain of yeast from the usual granulated yeast. It is designed to be mixed directly into the flour. If you can’t find it, use the equivalent amount of active dry yeast and proof it in warm water according to the package directions.
Leftover dough can be placed it in a zip-top freezer bag and frozen for up to 3 months. Allow the dough to thaw in the fridge before using.
If halving the recipe (which is fine!), mix the dough by hand since the volume may be too small for your mixer to properly mix.
Ingredients
- 4 cups (500g) flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (slightly less than a full packet) instant yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 cups (350g) lukewarm water
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Method
1 Make the dough: In a stand mixer on low speed with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, yeast, and salt to combine. Add the water all at once and mix until the dough comes together and cleans the sides of the bowl, 30 to 60 seconds — you don’t need to knead it, just get all the ingredients mixed it together. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky, with no more visible streaks of flour on the surface.
To mix by hand, follow the same procedure using a large bowl and a wooden spoon.
2 Let the dough rise: Drizzle a large, clean mixing bowl with oil. Flour your hands and form the dough into a rough ball. Transfer it to the oiled bowl and twirl it around a few times to coat it with oil.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to rise for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature, until doubled in bulk.
After rising, you can refrigerate the dough for up to 48 hours; take dough out of the refrigerator about 1 hour before shaping.
3 Use the dough: Once risen, the dough is ready to be shaped into pizzas and baked. Use this dough for any pizza recipe you want to make and follow recipe instructions for shaping and baking times.
Any leftover dough can be placed it in a zip-top freezer bag and frozen for up to 3 months. Allow the dough to thaw in the fridge before using.
