The Fantabulous Chronicles

Got a secret culinary alchemist in your kitchen? Do you possess a culinary gem of a recipe that can seamlessly shape-shift into something entirely different while maintaining its original deliciousness?

This pizza dough recipe is our kitchen MVP! It crafts fantastic pizzas, mouthwatering breadsticks, and calzones that could make an angel weep. I haven’t thrown it into the focaccia ring yet, but that’s next on my dough bucket list. The texture is spot-on, and the whole process is as straightforward as a one-lane highway.

But here’s the real magic—it’s a kiddo magnet! Little chefs-in-training adore whipping up this dough and turning it into their edible canvases. Truth be told, our family often snubs takeout for this homemade marvel, scoring a 9 out of 10 on the deliciousness scale. The one time we cave is purely for the sake of convenience—because sometimes, even dough virtuosos need a night off!

Ingredients: (Single Pizza)
1 Tbsp. Yeast
1.5 tsp. Olive Oil
1.5 tsp. Sugar
11oz Warm Water
3/4 tsp. Salt
2-3.5 Cups Flour

Ingredients: (2 Pizzas)
2 Tbsp. Yeast
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Sugar
22oz. Warm Water
1.5 tsp. Salt
5-6 Cups Flour

Ingredients: (5 Pizzas)
4 Tbsp. Yeast
2 Tbsp. Sugar
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
5.5 Cups Warm Water
1 Tbsp. Salt
10-12 Cups Flour

Directions:

1. In a cosmically large bowl, throw together warm water, yeast, sugar, and oil. Let it kick back for 5-7 minutes until it’s feeling frothier than a teenager’s latte.
2. Sprinkle in the salt and half of the flour, give it a good stir (or hit play on the mixer). Keep tossing in flour and mixing your dough like you’re dealing cards until you’ve got about a cup left. If the dough’s still clinging like a koala to a eucalyptus tree, add a bit more flour gradually. You want it soft, not clingy like a desperate ex. If you’ve gone flour-crazy, a splash of liquid and a little more mixing will save the day. It’s a forgiving dough, not a diva.
3. If the mixer’s in charge, let it DJ until the dough does a mic drop and sticks together. If it’s a mano a mano situation, flour up the countertop, drop the dough, and give it a good kneading. Add more flour if needed, but don’t overdo it—this isn’t a flour fashion show.
4. Grease up a rising bowl (or give the counter a spa day with some oil). Roll the dough in it, cover it, and let it nap for 30-40 minutes until it’s living its best puffy life. You can leave it on the counter under a cozy dish towel.
5. Preheat your oven to 420 for a Pizza Pan or crank it up to 500+ for a Pizza Stone. When the dough emerges from its beauty sleep, divide it into two portions for a dynamic pizza duo. You can stash it in the fridge at this point for up to 4-5 days—because pizza parties can be planned, and don’t have to be spontaneous.
6. If you’re unleashing the magic on a pizza stone, shape the dough on parchment paper or a sprinkle of cornmeal for a smooth slide onto the stone. For a crispier crust, let it groove in the oven solo for 5 minutes before the topping extravaganza. Add your favorite toppings and let the symphony continue for another 10 minutes. Voila, you’ve just orchestrated a pizza masterpiece!