Build Your Own Pizza Recipe

Activate yeast and combine

In a medium bowl combine warm water (about 105–115°F / 40–46°C), sugar and instant dry yeast. Stir and let sit 5 minutes until foamy. If not foamy, yeast may be inactive — start over with fresh yeast.

Mix dough

In a large bowl whisk together flour and salt. Add the foamy yeast mixture and olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy dough forms.

Knead

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Alternatively, use a stand mixer with dough hook on low-medium for 4–5 minutes.

First rise

Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the dough inside, turning to coat. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 1 to 1.5 hours, until doubled in size.

Divide and rest

Punch down the dough, divide into two equal portions for two 12-inch pizzas (or keep whole for one large). Form each into a ball, cover and let rest 15–20 minutes before shaping to relax the gluten.

While the dough is rising, make the sauce. In a small saucepan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook 20–30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.

Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste if using, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, pepper and sugar. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.

Simmer sauce for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust salt or sugar. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature before spreading on the dough.

Preheat oven and prepare baking surface

Place a pizza stone or inverted rimless baking sheet on the middle rack and preheat oven to 500°F (260°C) for at least 30 minutes. If you have a pizza steel, use it. If oven max is lower, preheat to highest temperature and allow extra time for stone/steel to heat.

Shape dough

On a lightly floured surface, press and stretch one dough ball into a roughly 12-inch round (about 1/4" thick at center). For a thin crust, stretch thinner. Transfer to a piece of parchment paper or a well-floured pizza peel.

Sauce and cheese

Spread about 1/2 cup of the cooled tomato sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2–1 inch border for the crust. Sprinkle 1 cup shredded mozzarella evenly over the sauce and a tablespoon of grated parmesan. Add any selected optional toppings (pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, onions, olives) evenly across the pizza. Do not overload — too many moist toppings can make the crust soggy.

Brush crust and transfer

Brush exposed crust lightly with the reserved 1 tablespoon olive oil to promote browning. Using the peel, transfer the pizza on the parchment (or directly) to the preheated stone or baking sheet.

Bake

Bake at 500°F (260°C) for 8–12 minutes, or until the crust is golden and cheese is bubbling with some brown spots. Baking time will vary with oven temperature and thickness of the crust — check at 7 minutes and adjust as needed.

Finish

Remove pizza from oven and slide onto a cutting board. Let rest 2–3 minutes. Sprinkle fresh basil leaves and crushed red pepper flakes as desired. Slice and serve.

Repeat

Repeat shaping, topping and baking for the remaining dough ball. If making one large pizza, adjust sauce/cheese quantities accordingly and bake time may increase by several minutes.