Quick-Rise Homemade Pizza Crust
This quick-rise homemade pizza crust is soft, chewy, and perfect for loading up with all your favorite toppings. Brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with parmesan and garlic, this “hand tossed” crust is my go-to for homemade pizza night!
Quick-Rise Homemade Pizza Crust
If you have never made pizza at home, you might be thinking… really? Why would I do that when it is such an accessible convenience food located around every corner? And okay, sometimes we pick up Pizza after a long, busy day. But homemade pizza is a totally different thing. It is easy to make, super affordable, and you probably already have the ingredients on hand. Really could go on all day about why you should absolutely make this quick-rise homemade pizza crust but I’ll stop there.
Ingredients for homemade pizza crust
It’s super easy to make this at home. All you need is:
- 4 Cups Bread Flour
- 2 Cups Lukewarm Water
- 4 Tbsp Table Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Active Dry Yeast
- 4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for brushing
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 Cup Parmesan
How to make quick-rise homemade pizza crust
Making this homemade pizza crust is super simple. First you’ll need to activate the yeast by adding 4 Tbsp of sugar to 2 Cups of Lukewarm water. Stir the sugar to make sure it dissolves. Make sure your water is slightly warmer than your skin, but not hot. Hot water will kill your yeast!
Next, add the yeast to the lukewarm sugar-water.
Allow the yeast to “proof” for five minutes. It should look creamy and frothy and thick.
Once the yeast is frothy and happy, add the olive oil, flour, and salt.
Stir the dough until it comes together and forms into a ball. I like to use my hands for this because I find it is easier than a spoon.
Once the dough comes together, cover it with a clean towel and leave it to “rest” for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
Once the dough is risen, lightly sprinkle rice flour or semolina onto your pizza stone, or cookie sheet.
Turn out the dough and roll into a 13 inch crust. If the dough tightens and is hard to roll out, let it rest for a few minutes so that it “relaxes”, and continue rolling.
Next, lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan and garlic. Add other seasonings too if you like. Some good ones to experiment with are:
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Basil
- Black Pepper
Lastly, using a fork, poke holes all over the crust. This keeps it from bubbling and forming large air pockets and makes for a nice, evenly baked crust.
To bake:
Preheat the oven to 450. Put all your sauce and toppings on your pizza. Then, place the pizza stone or cookie sheet onto the bottom rack of your preheated oven. Let the assembled pizza bake for 20-25 minutes or until the toppings are melted and the crust is a golden brown.
faq for quick-rise homemade pizza crust
Should I pre-bake the crust? If you like a crunchier, firmer crust you CAN pre-bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven before adding your toppings. I personally like a soft, chewy crust, so I skip the prebake, dress it up, and leave it in the oven until the crust is a beautiful golden brown.
Is it cheaper to bake pizza at home? Absolutely! Not all convenience foods are cheaper to make at home after you factor in all the ingredients, but homemade pizza definitely is! I can make a whole table of pizzas for only a fraction of the cost.
Why didn’t my crust rise? If you’re struggling to get a good rise out of your crust, be sure the yeast is proofing when you add it to the lukewarm water. If it doesn’t turn frothy, it may be expired. Next, make sure that you get a good rise during the rest time. Finally, if you want a lighter, more risen crust, let the prepared crust sit on the baking sheet for 5- 10 minutes before adding toppings to give it a few more minutes to rise.
Can I freeze the dough before baking? Yes! One of the things I love about this dough is that it can be frozen for up to 3 or 4 months in an airtight container. You can roll it out and freeze it pre-shaped, or simply freeze the ball of dough in a Ziploc bag. Just allow it to come to room temp and either add toppings- if frozen pre-shaped. Or allow the dough ball to come to room temp and rise for 25-30 minutes, then shape and add toppings before baking.
Can I substitute All-Purpose Flour for the bread flour? You can. The texture of the crust will come out slightly different since All-purpose has a lower protein content. Less protein means less gluten development, which produces a less chewy crust. But it will still turn out delicious!
Tips to make the best pizza
Choose a good sauce. You can buy store bought pizza sauce and they are pretty good. but it’s really simple to make your own as well! You can check out this recipe for my Homemade Sausage Pizza to learn how.
Experiment with different toppings. To me, good pizza is all about the toppings. We get bored of regular ole cheese pizza and spice it up with flavors like Chicken Bacon Ranch, Buffalo, or BBQ Chicken Pizza.
Bake it long enough. There is nothing more sad than under-baked pizza. Slicing into a pizza to find a soggy, doughy crust is the worst! This has happened many times when ordering out! Don’t be afraid to let your cheese get golden brown. It is delicious and your crust will be happy and fully baked!
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Quick-Rise Homemade Pizza Crust
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Bread Flour
- 2 Cups Lukewarm Water
- 4 Tbsp Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Active Dry Yeast
- 4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tsp Salt
Topping
- 1/4 Cup Parmesan
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1-2 Tbsp olive oil for brushing
Instructions
- First, you need to proof the yeast. Add the sugar to the lukewarm water and stir until it dissolves. Then, add the yeast and let it sit for 5 minutes to proof. The yeast will look foamy and creamy when it is ready.2 Cups Lukewarm Water, 4 Tbsp Sugar, 2 Tbsp Active Dry Yeast
- When the yeast is proofed, add the olive oil, flour, and salt4 Cups Bread Flour, 4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2 tsp Salt
- Mix the dough until it forms together into a ball. Place it in an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Then, cover with a clean towel and let the dough rest and proof for 30 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll out to 13 inches in diameter. If the dough resists, let it rest a few minutes and continue rolling.
- Once the dough is shaped, brush it with a light layer of olive oil and top with parmesan and garlic. Add other seasonings to preference.1/4 Cup Parmesan, 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp garlic powder
- Finally, use a fork to poke holes in the crust. This keeps air pockets from forming.
- Once the dough is ready, add your toppings and bake at 450 for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.
This is so good and so easy! I love that it only has to rest for 30 min!!