Making Your Own Pizza Dough – Recipe, Plus Cost Difference (Store vs Homemade)
The hardest part of making your own homemade pizza is making the crust. Planning ahead does play a huge part in making the perfect dough. See this recipe and make your own Homemade Pizza Dough.
Homemade Pizza Dough
The hardest part of making your own homemade pizza is making the crust. Planning ahead does play a huge part in making the perfect dough. One of my favorite homemade pizza dough recipes requires the dough to rise for an hour. But I have to admit, I am sometimes in a hurry to make dinner and can’t wait an hour for the dough to rise.
One way to make your own shortcut is to double your pizza dough recipe. Once your ready to top your pizza dough, take the extra, divide and freeze. This way you will have extra dough available and ready. The day you plan to use the dough, transfer from the freezer to the fridge in the morning to thaw for dinner in the evening. Or use my super quick method (you can tell I do this often): to unfreeze I place in a warm bath of water and within 20-25 minutes your ready to start.
Is Homemade Pizza Dough Cheaper Than Store Purchased?
Can a homemade pizza beat the $4.99 Boboli 12-Inch crust or Pillsbury refrigerated dough priced on sale for $2.99?
My first quick answer is…”hmmm, I don’t know”. So I thought I would break the cost down in my very precise mathematical mode of operation and calculate it out.
Here goes:
Homemade Pizza Dough Crust Cost Breakdown
Yeast
This cost will really depend on if you are purchasing the bulk jars or the 3 packs of yeast. We make pizza often and let us not forget all the extra baked goods in our home, so bulk is how we purchase.
A 4-ounce store brand jar is often on sale for $3.49. 2 teaspoons of yeast is equivalent to 0.25 ounces. That means there are 16 servings in a jar. After doing the math 2 teaspoons costs just $0.42.
Flour
I generally buy my flour when it’s on sale. Typically a 5 lb bag of flour when on sale costs around $2.49. Generally speaking, there are typically 17 cups of flour in a 5 lb bag. That means each cup costs $0.15, and the two cups necessary for the pizza dough add up to $0.30.
Olive Oil
My bottle of Olive Oil costs around $3.50 for 8 oz. Which means that 2 tablespoons cost $0.21.
Salt
The teaspoon that this recipe calls for costs a little less than $0.007. For the basis of calculation lets just round this cost up to the nearest penny.
Sugar
A 4-pound bag of sugar costs $1.49. There are 9 cups of sugar in a 4-pound bag. That is $0.16 per cup. We a literally only using 2 teaspoons of sugar. This is so hard to measure out based on cost. But in reality, it may cost us just $0.01.
Water
I am going to say that the tap water from our home cost next to nothing. But for the basis of calculations and to give it a cost, let us call it a penny. $0.01
Total Cost for Homemade Pizza Dough (Drum Roll Please), Just $1.23
That price is just screaming BARGAIN. On that note here is a very simple pizza dough recipe that our family loves.
And remember homemade just tastes better. No extra ingredients that you can not pronounce.
Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
- 1 Package active yeast (2 tsp)
- 1 Cup Warm Water
- 2 Cups Bread Flour (I always get away with All-Purpose)
- 2 TBSP Olive Oil
- 1 TSP Salt
- 2 TSP Sugar
- • In a small bowl dissolve yeast in warm water, let stand until creamy (10 minutes)
- • In a large bowl combine 2 cups flour, olive oil, salt & sugar.
- • Combine wet mixture with dry. Mix with a dough hook until dough becomes stiff.
- • Mold dough into a ball, place in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
- • Once the dough has doubled in size your ready to make your pizza
Tips For Making a Better Pizza
Pizza Stone for Best Crispy Crust Pizza, Only Stoneware with Thermarite (Engineered Tuff Cordierite). Durable, Certified Safe, for Ovens & Grills. 14 Round 5/8 Thick, Bonus Recipe Ebook & Free Scraper
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- Use a Pizza Stone or Pizza Screen Pan. (I own both and prefer the screen, we like a crispy pizza) – if using a pizza stone pre-heat stone as well prior to placing dough on it to cook. How to transfer your already top pizza to a pre-heat stone. I like the parchment paper method. Roll your dough on a floured piece of parchment paper. Make your pizza. Once topped, slide your pizza using the parchment paper onto the preheated stone and bake. Leave the paper intact.
- Pre-Heat your oven to 450 degrees. (I have heard of others go even higher).
- Always place your pan in the center of the oven rack.
- Let your pizza rest a few minutes after baking and before cutting. It makes cutting the pizza a lot easier.
Other Homemade Frugal Recipe Ideas
Make Your Own Homemade Dry Onion Soup Mix
Delicious Homemade Dinner Rolls
I love saving money and making a better pizza at home. Kenji from Serious Eats has some great recipes as well. http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/01/foolproof-pan-pizza-recipe.html – same recipe will work for thinner crust- just use a cookie sheet in place of iron skillet. Lots of advice http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/04/essential-tips-for-better-pizza-how-to-make-pizza-at-home.html
Can you use vegetable oil instead of olive oil?
HI Julie, Yes you can! The difference will be in the taste. I am sure you probably won’t notice much. But in a pinch absolutely you can use vegetable oil.
What about if i do not have a mixer and i hand mix !??!?!? Am i crazy? How long do i mix by hand?
You can certainly mix by hand. Just a little easier to use a hand mixer. I would double the time it takes the electric mixer to do it.
Aurora is very happy when we make this !!! she appreciates this recipe !