This classic homemade pizza dough recipe is one to keep in your back pocket. Your stand mixer will do the heavy lifting here, while an overnight rest in the refrigerator will allow the dough to develop flavor and texture—and let you skip the usual hand-kneading. Using a small amount of whole wheat flour gives the yeast character and texture, leading to a dough with greater personality. All of the ingredients should be room temperature before mixing, including the water. Using tepid water slows the rising of the dough (warm water would cause it to ferment too quickly), giving it more time to develop. The resulting pizza crust has an airy lift and tons of crispy, chewy character and blisters beautifully in a hot oven.
This easy recipe comes from Brandon Gray, the chef behind Los Angeles pizza pop-up Brandoni Pepperoni. After a stint in the Navy and a few fine-dining kitchens, Gray launched Brandoni Pepperoni in April 2020; now his creations—inspired by the farmers market and named after West Coast hip-hop hits—are local favorites. Use this dough as the base for your favorite pizza toppings, or use one of Gray’s combinations: the Steady Mobbin (pesto and zucchini), Earfquake (Sun Gold tomatoes and fennel), and Chin Check (grilled chicken and vodka sauce).
What you’ll need
Stand Mixer
$400 $320 At Amazon
Scale
$25 At Amazon
Glass Measuring Cup
$26 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
Makes four 12" pizzas
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Whisk 2 tsp. honey, ½ tsp. active dry yeast, and 2½ cups water in the bowl of a stand mixer until honey and yeast are dissolved.
Step 2
Fit bowl onto mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add ⅔ cup (83 g) whole wheat flour and 3 cups (375 g) Italian 00 flour or bread flour and mix on medium-low speed, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until mixture resembles pancake batter, about 4 minutes. Add 3 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. plus 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt and remaining 3 cups (375 g) Italian 00 flour or bread flour; mix until dough forms a ball, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to high and continue to mix until dough is smooth and sticky and pulls away from sides of bowl, 8–10 minutes more.
Step 3
Remove bowl from mixer and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature 5 hours, then chill at least 12 hours and up to 2 days.
Step 4
Divide dough into 4 portions and form into balls; place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Cover with an upturned baking sheet and let sit at room temperature 4 hours.
