An easy pizza dough recipe for one pizza.

I’m guilty of ordering pizza from local pizza places … like … a LOT.  But after testing this small batch pizza dough recipe quite a few times, it’s going to be a regular in my house!

This pizza dough is thick and chewy, and makes a perfect 10″ thicker “hand tossed” pizza crust, or a 12″ thinner pizza crust.  There are only five ingredients, and besides waiting for an hour for the dough to rise, it’s an incredibly quick and easy recipe.

Ingredients for Small Batch Pizza Dough:

• Instant Yeast
• All Purpose Flour
• Salt (I always use Diamond Kosher)
• Beer (A light beer, like a domestic lager)
• Olive Oil

How to Make Beer Pizza Dough with a Stand-Up Mixer:

I recommend this route, if it’s available to you.  Combine the dry ingredients in the bowl of the mixer, then add the beer and olive oil.  Attach the dough hook, and turn it to a medium-low speed for ten minutes. 

The dough should be tacky, but it should pull away from the sides of the bowl.  If your dough is still sticking to the sides, just add all-purpose flour one tablespoon at a time until it pulls away.

Once the dough is the right consistency, remove it from the bowl.  Add a drizzle of olive oil to the bowl, then use your hand to coat the bowl with the oil.  Place the dough back inside the bowl, and turn the dough so that the entire surface is coated in oil, too.  Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and place it in a warm place for an hour until it’s doubled in size.  This may take up to an hour and a half, which is totally fine!

 

How to Make Beer Pizza Dough withOUT a Stand-Up Mixer:

Combine the yeast, flour, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Add the beer and olive oil, and use a wooden spoon to stir the ingredients until they are combined.  

Lightly flour a clean surface, and knead the dough on the surface for 10-15 minutes until the texture of the dough is smooth and tacky.  This could require adding a tablespoon or two more of flour to the dough, but that is totally fine.  If the dough is sticking to your hands or the surface, keep adding a little flour to the dough until it completely pulls away from both your hands and the surface.

Once the dough is the right consistency, add a drizzle of olive oil to the mixing bowl and use your hand to coat the inside of the bowl with the oil.  Place your pizza dough inside of the bowl, and turn the dough in the bowl to coat it with oil, too.  Cover the bowl with either a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and place it in a warm spot for an hour, up to an hour and a half until it is doubled in size.

What if my Beer Pizza Dough isn’t Rising?

Chances are it may be in a place that’s too cool.  A trick I use during the wintertime, when I’m not trying to go broke by keeping my house super warm.  Preheat the oven to 350 F, but turn it off after about 2 minutes.  This makes your oven *just* warm enough to nurture your beer pizza dough without baking it.  Place the bowl in the oven (be sure the bowl is covered with a damp towel or plastic wrap), and let it sit for an hour until it is doubled in size.

Tips for Making the Best Beer Pizza Dough:

1. Test the yeast to make sure it’s alive.  This beer pizza dough recipe can be forgiving, because there is yeast in the beer that will also contribute to the rise in the dough.  However, if you have really old yeast or yeast that hasn’t been stored properly, it won’t work for any recipe.  You can test a small amount of yeast in warm water (not too hot, because it can kill your yeast), and wait for it to bloom.  The water should be between 90 F – 105 F, and the yeast should start to bloom after ten minutes in the water.
2. Use room temperature beer, or at least let the beer sit on the counter for a bit before using.  Cold beer will make the dough cold, which means it will take a lot longer to rise.  If you have the time, take the beer out of the refrigerator and pour it into your measuring cup at least 15 minutes before using it!  Room temperature is best, but warmer than refrigerator temperature totally works, too.
3. Use salt according to your taste.  I use Diamond Kosher salt for almost all of my cooking and baking, but it’s not available everywhere.  If you are using Diamond Kosher, you probably know that it technically isn’t as “salty” as other kosher salts, or sea salt or table salt.  If you are using any other Kosher salt, use 1/4 teaspoon of salt.  If table salt is your go-to, only use a pinch of it.  Table salt is *way* saltier than other salts, so a little goes a long ways!
4. Pay attention to the texture of the dough.  This applies to pre-rising texture and post-rising texture.  Before it rises, it should be tacky and smooth.  After it rises, it should be silky, soft, and smooth.  
5. Bake your pizza dough at a high temperature.  Most homemade pizza recipes call for baking at 500 F, but this recipe can still be delicious if baked at a lower temperature.  450 F is about as low as I would recommend, but you could possibly make 425 F work, as well.  (If your oven doesn’t go above that.)

If you make your own small batch beer pizza dough, I would love to see it on Instagram!  And if you haven’t signed up for recipe updates and a weekly newsletter with new and favorite small batch recipes, you can do that right here.  As always, feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions you may have!

xx Sara