Personal-size pizza dough recipe for one

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Personal-size pizza dough recipe for one

The best homemade pizza dough for your personal pizza. Even with a short rise, it results in an airy, light, bubbly, and crunchy crust. This dough requires no kneading by hand, thanks to the high hydration. Once you try it, you won’t go back to dense pizza crust.

Prep Time10

Cook Time8

Rise + Rest Time1 15

Total Time1 40

Course: Main Course

Keyword: Homemade pizza, Pizza dough, pizza for one

Servings: 8-9 inch pizza

Calories: 433kcal

Author: Jaz

Ingredients

3/4 cup bread flour (preferably) or all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting, see note 2)
1/3 cup warm water (for beginners and if using all-purpose flour, remove 1 teaspoon of water from the total to reduce hydration to 79%)
3/8 teaspoon instant yeast (See note 3)
3/8 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoons olive oil (divided, 1/2 teaspoon while mixing dough and rest for coating the dough ball)
1 pinch garlic powder (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make pizza dough

Add flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and garlic powder to a mixing bowl.
Mix all the dry ingredients.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add water and 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil to the well.
Mix everything to form a rough dough ball.
Coat the dough ball with the rest of the olive oil. Fold the dough with a spatula 4-5 times.
Cover the bowl with a cloth or wrap and allow it to rise in a warm spot for at least 45 minutes. The dough won’t rise quickly enough if it’s not placed in a warm environment. One method I usually use is preheating my oven toaster to 475°F for 40-60 seconds, then switching it off and placing the dough inside. This creates a warm environment perfect for encouraging dough rising.
Once proofed, transfer the dough to a well-floured surface. Fold the dough from all four directions. Turn the seam side down. (See the recipe video to see how to fold.) Then, use your hands to shape it into a smooth, tight dough ball by pinching the dough in the center underneath with the edges of your hands. (Alternatively, hold the dough ball with the seam side up and pinch it to make a compact dough ball). Once done, gently press on the surface to shape it into a disc.
Cover the dough with the same bowl (turn the bowl upside down) and let it rest for 30 minutes.

To make pizza crust

Before shaping the pizza, preheat your oven to 475°F or to the highest setting available (the higher, the better for achieving a crispy crust).
Uncover the dough ball. Sprinkle some all-purpose flour or semolina on both the top and underside of the dough ball.
Gently press in the center to start stretching the pizza, being careful to avoid tearing or removing all the air. (Do not use a rolling pin)
After the initial stretching, hold the dough about an inch from the edge and rotate it on your knuckles. This dough has high hydration, so it will stretch with minimal effort. Be very gentle when stretching dough if you are using all-purpose flour.
Once stretched, place the shaped dough on the parchment paper. Give it a final stretch either while transferring it to the parchment paper or after transferring it while it lays on it.

To bake pizza

How you bake the pizza depends on your oven and the desired crust texture—whether soft or crispy with browned edges. The exact time will vary on the amount of your toppings.
If your oven can reach 500°F or above, use the higher temperature and reduce the cooking time accordingly. You will probably not need par-baking. The high heat can produce a beautiful crust in a shorter amount of time. (It usually takes 5-6 minutes if baking at 550°F.)
Baking at 475°F if your oven does not reach a higher temperature
Note: Both methods will result in an airy and bubbly pizza crust. The only difference is the crispiness you can get with par-baking. There's no need to par-bake if you are already baking at a very high temperature (500°F or above).
For a soft crust, add the sauce and toppings and bake at 475°F for 475°F for 8 minutes or more if using many toppings.
For a crispy crust, add some pizza sauce and par-bake at 475°F. The par-bake time will depend on the toppings and cheese you use. Shredded cheese melts faster compared to large chunks, so adjust accordingly. In some cases, you might not need parbaking. When I use shredded cheese, I typically use these timings: 1.5 to 2 minutes if I am using many toppings, and 3 minutes if using fewer toppings or making a simple cheese pizza. (You'll notice faint brown spots on the parbaked crust.) Then remove from the oven, add the rest of the sauce and toppings, and bake for an additional 7-8 minutes or more if using many toppings.

Notes

1. Yield: The recipe yields 8 to 9-inch pizza.

2. Flour: You can use either all-purpose flour or bread flour. Bread flour is much easier to handle with higher hydration, so preferably use that, but all-purpose flour also works; it just requires a little more gentle handling compared to bread flour. Bread flour will also give you a chewier texture. Additionally, bread flour is stronger because it has a higher protein content, so it can hold air bubbles more efficiently.

3. Active dry yeast: You can substitute instant yeast with the same amount of active dry yeast. Dissolve the yeast with the sugar in warm water, and cover for 5 minutes. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl, add the water mixture with yeast and olive oil, and follow the rest of the recipe as such.

4. Success tips:

This recipe works great even with short rise and gives a beautiful crust but longer cold fermentation can further enhance the taste.
Use warm water when making dough, no more than 110°F.
Keep the dough in a warm area, or it won't rise properly.
Avoid trying to make the pizza rise by adding too much yeast, as this can result in a very sour crust.
Measure the flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it with the straight edge of a knife, or even better, use a scale.
When making pizza, preheat the oven before you start shaping the dough. Once the dough is shaped, add the toppings immediately and place it in the oven. Make sure to prepare the sauce and toppings before you start shaping the pizza dough.
Do not use a rolling pin to shape this pizza or you'll knock out all the air.
For a crispy crust, it’s best to bake above 500°F, or you can par-bake as mentioned above. Using a pizza stone or a pan with holes can also help make the crust more crispy.
If you want to crisp the crust after the pizza is already made, place it on a hot skillet for 2-4 minutes.
If using a pizza stone, make sure to preheat it for 30 minutes to 1 hour at 475°F or higher.

Special tips for beginners:

If you can get your hands on bread flour, use that instead of all-purpose flour. It can absorb more liquid, making the dough handling much easier.
Don't hesitate to use dry flour on the work surface for dusting; you need it to make high-hydration dough work.
Use parchment paper to avoid the dough sticking to the pizza steel. Transfer the shaped pizza dough with the parchment paper to the pizza stone.

5. Reheating pizza

Place a skillet over the stove on medium-high heat.
First, heat the pizza in the microwave for 30-60 seconds or longer depending on whether the pizza is stored on the counter or in the refrigerator.
Then place the pizza on the hot skillet to crisp the crust.
Alternatively, you can reheat the pizza in the oven.

6. Storage and make-ahead

If your plans change and you're unable to make the pizza immediately, let the dough rise for the initial 45 minutes to 1 hour. Then, do the folds to shape it into a smooth dough ball. Transfer it to a bowl and coat with olive oil, cover it, and place it in the refrigerator, where it can be stored for up to 5 days.

When you're ready to make pizza on another day, remove the dough from the refrigerator an hour before you start. Allow it to rest for at least an hour before shaping and baking.

You can also freeze the dough. To make pizza from frozen dough, thaw it in the fridge overnight and take it out of the fridge an hour before making it, or thaw it at room temperature for 6-8 hours.

7. Par-baking to freeze crust

You can also par-bake the pizza crust and freeze it. To par-bake, bake the pizza crust (without sauce) for 2 minutes at 475°F or higher (if your oven goes higher). Place it on a cooling rack and then wrap it. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To use, thaw the crust in the fridge for 6-8 hours or on the counter for around 2 hours before adding toppings and baking.

8. Nutritional value: Nutrition is calculated for the whole pizza crust (toppings and sauce not included).

Nutrition