Homemade Pizza Dough
Creating homemade pizza from scratch is an art that brings together the joy of cooking and the deliciousness of Italian cuisine. This Italian pizza recipe starts by crafting a perfect pizza dough that forms the foundation of our masterpiece. For a single large pizza, mix 4 cups of flour with 1 ½ cups of warm water in a large bowl. Add 2 ½ teaspoons of salt (or 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt) and ¾ teaspoon of active dry yeast, stirring until you achieve a shaggy mass. Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 8-10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Once kneaded, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with a damp cloth, and allow it to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours or until it has doubled in size. This slow fermentation develops the flavor and texture of our dough.
While the dough is rising, let’s prepare the toppings for our favorite Italian pizza recipe. Start by heating 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, adding 2 cups of sliced portobello mushrooms. Sauté them for 5-7 minutes until they are tender and slightly caramelized. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and 3 cloves of minced garlic, cooking for an additional minute to infuse the flavors. Next, stir in 4 cups of fresh spinach and cook just until wilted. Remove everything from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Once the dough has risen, punch it down and roll it out on a floured surface to a thickness of about ¼ inch, fitting it to your pizza stone or baking sheet. Preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C), ensuring that it’s hot enough to achieve that crispy crust we all crave.
3 Cheese Italian Pizza
Now, it’s time to assemble our pizza! Start by spreading the ricotta cheese evenly over the base. Then, layer the sautéed mushrooms and spinach mixture on top. Next, slice 2 ripe tomatoes and place them strategically for bursts of freshness throughout. Sprinkle ¾ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese for a rich umami flavor, followed by 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese, which will melt beautifully and create that beloved cheesy stretch. Season your pizza with salt, pepper, and a dash of garlic powder, enhancing the flavors of our Italian pizza recipe.
To finish, tear fresh basil leaves and scatter them on top of the pizza, adding a fragrant touch just before it goes into the oven. Slide your pizza into the hot oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.
Once out of the oven, allow the pizza to cool for a minute before slicing. The combination of earthy mushrooms, vibrant spinach, and creamy cheeses laid out on a perfectly baked crust is sure to impress anyone who takes a bite. Enjoy your homemade Italian pizza with a drizzle of olive oil or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for an extra hint of flavor. Making your own dough and pizza allows you to customize your toppings, ensuring that each bite is a taste of perfection straight from your kitchen. Bon appétit!
3 Cheese Italian Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 4 cup flour
- 1 ½ cup water
- 2 ½ tsp salt (or 1 tbsp Kosher salt)
- ¾ tsp active dry yeast
Toppings
- 4 cup spinach fresh
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cup portobello mushrooms
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- fresh basil
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese fresh
- 2 cup mozzarella cheese
- Salt pepper, and garlic powder to taste
Instructions
Pizza Dough Directions (The day before)
- Combine all ingredients in a mixer at low speed until well combined; about 2 minutes.
- Cover the bowl and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
- Then mix at medium speed for 5 to 6 minutes until smooth and silky.
- Turn out onto a floured board and knead by hand for a few turns.
- Cut into four 7-ounce pieces.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight
Working with Dough (Next Day)
- Remove from refrigerator for about 2 hours prior to using.
- To make your pizza balls, shape each piece of dough into a ball.
- Gently roll your dough into a ball, then stretch the top of the ball down and around the rest of the ball, until the outer layer wraps around the other side.
- Pinch the two ends together to make a smooth ball with a tight outer “skin.”
- Set your ball seam-side down where it can rest.
- Dust your pizza balls with flour, and store them under a damp towel, in a proofing tray, or under plastic wrap.
- This will prevent the outside of the ball from drying out creating a crust, and becoming difficult to work with.
- The top of the pizza ball should be soft and silky.
- Your pizza balls will need to rest for about an hour to become soft and elastic so that they can be easily stretched into a thin crust pizza.
- Making Pizza
- In a large pan place olive oil and fresh minced garlic, and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until you can start to smell the garlic.
- Then add fresh spinach and cover.
- Stir occasionally until the spinach is cooked down.
- In another large pan place 2 tbsp of butter and washed Portobello mushrooms cook on med-high until mushrooms are soft.
- Slice 2 large tomatoes into thin slices.
- Chop up a few Basil leaves.
- Sprinkle flour on a large cutting board and roll dough with a rolling pin until desired thickness and size.
- Spray a pizza pan with cooking oil and place pizza dough on the pan.
- Take the juice and oil from the spinach and spread them on the edges of the dough with a pastry brush.
- Spread Ricotta cheese over the dough.
- Grate fresh Parmesan cheese over the Ricotta cheese
- Place mushrooms, spinach, and basil on top of cheeses, and then arrange the tomato slices on top.
- Shake salt, pepper, and garlic powder over pizza to taste.
- Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese over the pizza evenly.
- Cook at 450 for approximately 25-30 minutes. Times vary depending on the oven so start checking on the pizza after 15-20 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information has been calculated using an autogenerating online calculation and is intended for informational purposes. For accurate nutritional information, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used.
Enjoy some of our other Italian-inspired recipes & articles:
- Italian Cube Steak Sandwich Recipe
- Healthy Italian Turkey Meatballs Recipe
- Italian Authentic Dishes: Cooking Your Way Across Italy
- Easy Copycat Olive Garden Toasted Ravioli to Cook at Home