My Go-To Homemade Pizza for Weeknight Dinners
I developed this 1-Hour Pizza Dough recipe during the pandemic, and ever since then, this has been the pizza dough recipe I make whenever I crave homemade pizza. Over the past few years, I have made countless pizzas with this dough, and it has become my favorite easy pizza dough recipe for busy days.
I work full-time in Japan, and making pizza from scratch is often much more affordable than ordering pizza. Pizza is not always a budget-friendly meal in Japan, partly because ingredients like cheese and other dairy products can be expensive. Making your own pizza at home with this quick pizza dough recipe allows you to enjoy a delicious homemade pizza while saving money. Plus, this dough only requires 3 minutes of kneading, making it a true lifesaver after a long day at work. When I come home tired but still want something comforting, having this dough ready in the fridge means I can enjoy homemade pizza without spending hours in the kitchen.
The best part is that once you prepare the dough, you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to one week. After work, simply take the dough out, add your favorite toppings, and bake. Having homemade dough ready means you can enjoy fresh pizza even on a busy weeknight.
Why I Recommend an Air Fryer for This Pizza
For this 1 hour pizza dough recipe, I personally recommend using an air fryer. After testing different setups many times, I found that an air fryer gives the best result for this dough.
An air fryer has a smaller cooking chamber, reaches high temperatures quickly, and can cook the pizza in a shorter amount of time.
Pizza dough tends to become firmer and harder the longer it needs to bake, so a shorter cooking time helps keep the crust softer and more tender. For my setup, the air fryer worked the best.
I use a 10.2-inch (28 cm) skillet and a COSORI 4.7L air fryer for this recipe. However, if you do not have an air fryer, you can still bake this same day pizza in your oven. Preheat your oven to the highest temperature it can reach for at least 30 minutes, then bake the pizza until cooked through.
Ingredients
- Warm water: 1 1/8 cups (265 ml)
- Sugar: 1 tbsp (6 g)
- Active dry yeast: 1/2 tbsp (4.5 g)
- Olive oil: 1 tbsp (15 ml)
- Salt: 1/2 tbsp (9 g)
- All-purpose flour: 2 1/2 cups (300 g)
- Olive oil: 3 tbsp, for greasing the containers and skillet
- All-purpose flour: for dusting
Instructions
- Combine the warm water, sugar, and active dry yeast in a large bowl. Mix well and let it sit for 5 minutes. This helps confirm that the yeast is active and also helps reduce the strong yeasty smell that can sometimes remain in the dough.
- Add the olive oil and salt, then mix well. Add the flour and stir with a spoon until no dry flour remains. Knead the dough directly in the bowl for 3 minutes.
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured cutting board and divide it into 3 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough and folding it underneath. Place two dough balls into the greased containers and one into the greased skillet.
- Cover the skillet with a lid and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. Cover the two containers and store them in the refrigerator. The dough will slowly ferment, developing gluten and more flavor. It can be kept for up to 1 week. You can bake it straight from the refrigerator without bringing it back to room temperature. If you have extra time, letting it sit at room temperature for 2–3 hours will create a lighter and airier texture.
- Once the dough in the skillet has doubled in size, gently punch it down to release the air. Stretch the dough to fit the size of your air fryer basket.
- Add your favorite toppings. Cover the skillet and cook over high heat for 1–2 minutes, until the bottom of the crust becomes lightly browned.
- Transfer the pizza to a preheated air fryer and cook at 450°F (230°C) for about 6 minutes. If using an oven, bake at the highest temperature possible until the pizza is cooked through. An air fryer needs shorter baking time and that will help keep the crust softer, which is why I recommend the air fryer whenever possible.
Ingredients
Method
- Combine the warm water, sugar, and active dry yeast in a large bowl. Mix well and let it sit for 5 minutes. This helps confirm that the yeast is active and also helps reduce the strong yeasty smell that can sometimes remain in the dough.
- Add the olive oil and salt, then mix well. Add the flour and stir with a spoon until no dry flour remains. Knead the dough directly in the bowl for 3 minutes.
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured cutting board and divide it into 3 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough and folding it underneath. Place two dough balls into the greased containers and one into the greased skillet.
- Cover the skillet with a lid and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. Cover the two containers and store them in the refrigerator. The dough will slowly ferment, developing gluten and more flavor. It can be kept for up to 1 week. You can bake it straight from the refrigerator without bringing it back to room temperature. If you have extra time, letting it sit at room temperature for 2–3 hours will create a lighter and airier texture.
- Once the dough in the skillet has doubled in size, gently punch it down to release the air. Stretch the dough to fit the size of your air fryer basket.
- Add your favorite toppings. Cover the skillet and cook over high heat for 1–2 minutes, until the bottom of the crust becomes lightly browned.
- Transfer the pizza to a preheated air fryer and cook at 450°F (230°C) for about 6 minutes. If using an oven, preheat and bake at the highest temperature possible until the pizza is cooked through. An air fryer needs shorter baking time and that will help keep the crust softer, which is why I recommend the air fryer whenever possible.
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