Quick and Easy Pizza Dough (Thick Crust or Thin Crust)

This basic recipe can be put together two ways, giving you a thick crust pizza in 1 hour or a thin crust pizza in 1/2 hour. It will yield 1-12" thick crust pizza or 1-14" thin crust pizza.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 c warm water, (105°F)
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast ((1 pkg))
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 c unbleached all purpose flour, (divided*)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic ((optional))
• 1 tsp basil ((optional))

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- For A Thick Crust ---
2. 2Mix the sugar and warm water, until the sugar has dissolved. Add the yeast and set the mixture aside to rest for 5 minutes, until foamy.
3. 3Slowly mix in the oil, 2 ½ c of flour, salt, and spices (if using).
4. 4Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few turns, adding more flour as necessary to keep it from sticking, until a soft and supple dough forms.
5. 5Roll the dough out to a 12 inch circle, leaving a thicker rim around the edge, and place it onto a greased pizza pan.
6. 6Brush the dough with a little olive oil and prick it, lightly, all over with a fork. Set it aside to rise in a warm, draft free place for 30 minutes.
7. 7While the dough is rising, preheat your oven to 375F.
8. 8Once the dough has risen, par- bake it in the preheated oven for 5-7 min, just until puffy.
9. 9Remove the crust from oven. Top you pizza as desired. Then, return the pizza to oven to finish baking for 15-20 min.
10. 10Remove the pizza from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
11. 11--- For A Thin And Crispy Crust ---
12. 12Preheat your oven to 375F.
13. 13Combine the yeast, sugar, 2 ½ c of flour, salt, and spices (if using) in a bowl.
14. 14Mix in the oil and warm water slowly until the dough comes together.
15. 15Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few turns, adding more flour as necessary to keep it from sticking, until a soft and supple dough forms.
16. 16Roll the dough out to a 14-15 inch circle, and place it onto a greased pizza pan. Brush the dough with a little olive oil and prick it, lightly, all over with a fork.
17. 17(This dough doesn’t need to rise.) Place the dough immediately into the preheated oven to par-bake for 7-10 min, until lightly golden.
18. 18Remove the crust from oven. Top you pizza as desired. Then, return the pizza to oven to finish baking for 15-20 min.
19. 19Remove the pizza from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.