Homemade Pizza Two Ways

This post is sponsored by Watkins 1868. All opinions are my own.

Let’s have a pizza party. A homemade pizza party. Yes. Let’s do this.

If you have never made homemade pizza dough before, let me assure you – you need not be intimidated. I promise this dough is so simple, and so delicious, you are going to struggle not to make homemade pizza all the time. 

That said, this pizza dough is a 72 hour pizza dough, so you will need to allow yourself some time for the dough to develop. 

Why 72 hours? Well because like a fine wine, pizza dough just gets better with age. Trust me on this – it’s so worth the time. 

Yes it takes some patience to wait for the 72 hours to be up, but what’s amazing about this pizza dough,  is that it whips up in minutes, and you can literally forget about it in your fridge for 3 days. So while you plot your epic pizza toppings, your pizza dough is chilling, and getting better and better. The buildup of excitement is real.

Homemade pizza. We got this.

When it comes to pizza, I’m a girl who likes to keep it pretty simple. Give me some olive oil, herbs, a bit of cheese, and I will be over the moon. 

This recipe will make enough for two 10 inch pizzas, so you can keep it simple with one set of toppings, or you can get extra and make two different pizzas. 

Today we are getting extra, so I opted for the latter.

If you like a little bit of heat on your pizza, then this Garlic Red Pepper Oil & Parmesan Pizza has your name on it. This one is made with Watkins 1868 Organic Garlic Powder, Organic Crushed Red Pepper and topped with a mound of fresh parmesan. 

I’m not sure if it gets any better than a simple cheese pizza. So I’ve also got a Cheesy Black Pepper Pizza is loaded with fresh mozzarella and topped with Watkins 1868 Organic Ground Black Pepper and Organic Italian Seasoning.  

Homemade Pizza 2 Ways

72 Hour Pizza Dough

Things you need …

3 cups bread flour
2 tsp dry active yeast
1 tsp granulated sugar
2 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups warm water

How to Make …

In a large bowl, whisk together bread flour, salt, yeast and granulated sugar. Drizzle warm water over dry ingredients and use a spoon to mix into a rough shaggy dough. Cover dough with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 30 minutes. 

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for 5-6 minutes or until a smooth elastic dough forms. Lightly oil a large bowl and place dough into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for 24 hours. 

After 24 hours, turn dough back onto a clean dry work surface and divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Working with one dough ball at a time, take an edge section of the dough and gently pull it outwards and then fold it into the middle; take the next edge section and repeat, working your way around the dough (about 5-6 times). The dough ball will get tighter and start to form a ball as you do. Once you have made your way around the dough turn the ball upside down onto your un-floured work surface. Gently cup your dough ball and roll the ball in between your hands 6-8 times, allowing the seam on the bottom to pull tight.

Lightly grease two bowls with olive oil and place the dough balls into the bowls. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit in the fridge for an additional 48 hours. During the time the dough will develop amazing flavour. 

When you are ready to bake your pizza, remove the dough from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature for 30 minutes before stretching. 

Proceed with recipes as per instructions below.

Garlic Red Pepper Oil & Parmesan Pizza

Black Pepper Cheese Pizza 

Things you need…

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups fresh grated mozzarella
1 tsp Watkins Organic Ground  Black Pepper
1 tsp Watkins Organic Italian Seasoning

How to make…

Preheat oven to 550F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place room temperature dough onto parchment paper, and use your fingers to gently press the dough from the centre outwards. Work slowly and gently, avoiding pulling. Let dough sit for 15 minutes to allow the dough to relax. After 15 minutes,  gently press and stretch it one more time – you will find you can stretch it farther after it relaxes. 

Drizzle olive oil on top of pizza dough and use your fingers to spread the oil. Sprinkle pizza with grated mozzarella. 

Bake pizza for 11-14 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. 

Remove from oven and sprinkle with black pepper and italian herbs.  Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before slicing and serving.