Homemade Pizza in less than an hour ~ and that’s completely from scratch ~ from flour and water to hot pillowy cheesy pizza in under 60 minutes!
Meet my Sweet Basil Pizza. I made her in less than an hour from start to finish. I’ve been wanting to make pizza for the longest time, but I think the thing that put me off was the time commitment. So when I finally got a free afternoon I decided to stop procrastinating and give it a whirl. What I found out was life altering, pizza, real live from scratch pizza in under an hour…really. On your mark… get set … go!
It all starts with pre-heating your oven to 500F. You want to give it time to get nice and hot, as near as possible to a classic pizza oven. You’ll add a bit of sugar, oil, and yeast to some warm tap water. Then you’ll weigh out your flour. I prefer weighing flour because it’s so much more accurate, but I gave you a cup measurement as well. Pour the liquid into the flour and mix it up into a dough. I do this in my stand mixer, which also does the kneading for me. You can also do it by hand, either way, you’re on schedule.
Divide the dough into two pieces (I made a double batch above.) This recipe will make enough for 2 medium sized pizzas. If you don’t want to use it all, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for up to a week. You’re going to let it sit for 15 minutes, which gives you time to get out your sauce and slice your cheese.
Roll the dough out on a floured surface into whatever shape suits your fancy. I went with round.
Now comes the fun part, the toppings. I spread one with a thin layer of freshly made basil pesto, and topped that with thin slices of mozzarella. I made another with a classic red sauce.
If you’d like a real treat, try making your own fresh homemade ricotta cheese for a gourmet topping ~ How To Make Homemade Ricotta Cheese.
Bake for about 10 minutes, till golden and bubbly. I finished both with a shower of fresh basil leaves.
The crust is light and pillowy. Not bad for under an hour!
This recipe won’t replace all pizza dough recipes, because a longer rising time does develop flavor and texture that you won’t get in my fast version. But for a quick family dinner, for hungry kids, or for a great appetizer, this recipe is fantastic.
Other easy recipes to try ~
Reader Rave ~
“I absolutely love how fast this recipe is! What an amazing thing to make delicious homemade pizza so quickly! I have been making it a lot in the past month and I replaced the sugar with an equal amount of honey and replaced the flour with 50% whole wheat (and then adding enough water to compensate for the increase in flour absorbency). Thanks for the recipe!” ~ Darby
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Homemade Pizza in less than an hour!
Ingredients
dough
topping
- approximately 1/2 cup fresh pesto or pizza sauce
- 1 ball mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
- fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Set your oven to 500 degrees. Set the rack on the lowest setting.
- Measure out a cup of warm tap water and stir in the sugar, the oil, and the yeast. Let sit for a few minutes.
- Put the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Give the flour and salt a quick mix to combine.
- Turn the mixer on low. Pour the liquid into the bowl as the hook turns. The dough will slowly come together in a couple of minutes. If it seems very dry add in a little more warm water. a few drops at a time until the dough is one mass. Let the mixer knead the dough, on low, for about 8 minutes. The dough should be soft and elastic.
- Put the dough on a floured surface and rub the top with more flour. Cover in plastic and let sit for 15 minutes.
- Divide the dough in two and shape each half into a round ball. Roll out on a floured surface to your desired size. You can roll the dough thickly or thinly depending on your preference.
- Place the dough on a lined baking sheet, I use a Silpat mat. Spread a light layer of your topping sauce, and then arrange thin slices of cheese on top. Don't be tempted to use too much sauce, and don't spread the sauce all the way to the edge, leave an inch or so border.
- Bake for about 8-10 minutes until the crust is golden and the topping is bubbling.
- Scatter fresh basil leaves over the top just before serving and eat immediately!
Notes
Thanks for pinning this Homemade Pizza in Less Than an Hour!
mm…that CRUST! This is killing me as I am a carb. fan.
oh I just LOVE this pizza and in less than an hour makes me love it even more!
Gorgeous Sue! As usual, your posts amaze me. That pizza looks fantastic!
I love this idea because, you’re right … sometimes we just need a quick pizza fix 🙂 Love the toppings, too. My kind of pizza!
This is beautiful Sue. Like John above it has been too long since I’ve made homemade pizza. I am going to try to adapt this to be a gluten-free crust and keep everything else exactly the same. Your photos make me want to jump through the screen of my computer!
Great idea to try and adapt it to gluten free!
This looks terrific! I haven’t made pizza in the longest time. Mainly because we’re so spoiled — we’re withing a half hour walk of a half dozen places that make superb pizza, all a different style. But nothing beats one’s own, does it? Good stuff — thanks.
I hear ya! We’ve got a couple of pretty good joints nearby too, it’s dangerous!
Nothing beats homemade pizza and this one looks so perfect!
Thanks Matt – I had the kids in mind when I made this – I can’t stand frozen pizza and this is almost as quick!
Sue, Sue, Sue. I don’t mind telling you … I have a pizza problem and now I need an intervention! This is a gorgeous pie(s)! The dough/crust looks so soft and perfect. If I was lost on a desert island and could only have one food it would be pizza. Bravo!!!
Thanks Tricia <3
Dear Sue, There really is nothing like homemade pizza! This looks delicious!! I love both pies and I know there would not be any leftovers.
It is so much better to make your own pizza and the savings it a treat too.
Blessings, xo Catherine
I didn’t think about the savings, but my gosh, you’re so right. The flour and water cost pennies!
For some reason, I had it stuck in my mind that it had to rise for an hour to make it, which has deterred me many times from making dough. But now I can in a pinch! I’m excited to try this out for those nights when I want quick pizza on the table.
I know, me too, that’s what kept me from doing it for the longest time.