If you love pizza, then you have got to try The Best Pizza Crust Ever! Fragrant and flavorful with Italian herbs and Romano cheese. Your family will thank you!
Oh Pizza, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…
At my house, we love pizza. I mean, we LOVE pizza.
And the best pizza is always homemade.
And homemade pizza starts with homemade pizza dough!
That way you have the perfect thickness of crust, the ideal combination of toppings, and the exact amount of sauce for you.
We eat so much pizza, that I go to the trouble of canning up about a gazillion gallons of this pizza sauce every year.Â
I even have individual deep dish pizza pans and three different sizes of regular pizza pans. Did I mention that we LOVE pizza?
Over the years I have tried a ton of different pizza dough recipes.
The sourdough crust is good, but I have found the hands down, go-to pizza crust. And it’s not even a crust recipe.
It’s a bread recipe.
I know, right?!?
Who uses a bread recipe for pizza crust?
Well, uuhhmm, I do…and it makes the most amazing pizza crust you’ve ever eaten.
In the beginning, I made bread with it (like I was supposed to), and then I got a little crazy and I made some bread sticks to go with spaghetti one night.
Then I had the brilliant idea (yes I did say brilliant, because that’s what it was; brilliant) to make pizza crust out of it. It was love at first bite.
I’ve never looked at another pizza crust the same way again.
I have gone so far as to make the pizza crust in the mini pans and freeze it so that we can have pizza whenever we want without having to wait for the dough to rise.
I have even, at times, used half the dough for a free form loaf of bread and the other half for pizza dough.
All at the same time.
What can I say, I live on the edge.
So in an effort to spread the love, I am about to share with you The. Best. Pizza. Crust. Ever.
Italian Herb and Cheese Pizza Crust
- 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2 cups warm water
- 1/4 cup olive oil + extra to oil bowl
- 1 Tablespoon sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons dried basil, or 6 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil leaves
- 2 Tablespoons dried oregano, or 6 Tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, or 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon homemade onion powder, or 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup finally grated Romano cheese
- 5-7 cups unbleached all purpose flour
Put water and yeast in a large mixing bowl and stir to dissolve. Allow to sit for a few minutes to activate the yeast.
Add all the other ingredients except flour and combine thoroughly.
Add 2 cups of flour and mix well. Continue adding flour a cup at a time until dough becomes shaggy and leaves the sides of the bowl.
Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead for about 8 minutes until the dough is smooth and not sticky.
Clean out mixing bowl and oil with olive oil. Place dough in bowl and turn to grease top.
Cover with a clean kitchen towel or bread cloth. Get the towel wet and wring it out so it’s just damp so the dough doesn’t dry out.
Let dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled.
After dough has risen, punch down and turn out onto a lightly floured board.
Forming the Pizza Crust
Put a smidge of olive oil in your pizza pan. Spread it all over so the dough doesn’t stick.
Now, cut off a portion of the dough and roll it or press it out to fit your pizza pan.
You can also make a free-form crust and bake it on a baking sheet or pizza stone. You can also make some free form ones in an iron skillet and bake them in the oven in the skillet.
So many options!!!
How much dough you need will depend entirely on how big your pans are and how thick you like your crust.
This recipe makes enough pizza dough for 2 12-inch pizzas with a thicker crust. I prefer thin-crust pizzas, so I make 2 larger ones and an 8-inch one as well.
Heat your oven to 450° F.
If you are using a pizza stone, put it in the oven before heating and let preheat for at least 20 minutes.
While your oven heats, get out your favorite pizza toppings (or not if you are going to be freezing them :)).
When your oven is heated up, re-roll or re-press the dough to fit the pans. It tends to shrink a little.
Use a fork to prick holes all over so that the dough doesn’t puff up.
Place in oven. The crusts need to bake for about 15 minutes.
I like to take them out after 7 ish minutes and remove them from the pans and put them back in directly on the pizza stone.
That makes the bottom crust crisper.
After 15 minutes remove them from the oven and top with your favorite fixins.
Return to oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese has browned to your liking.
Sit back, relax, and receive praises from your family for making them The. Best. Pizza. Ever!
Frequently Asked Questions About Homemade Pizza Crust
Pizza crust can get soggy when it’s not baked at a high enough temperature, or when there’s too much moisture in the dough. To keep your crust from getting soggy, pre bake the dough for about 15 minutes before adding the toppings. You can also use a pizza stone that will absorb some of the moisture from the dough as it bakes.
You absolutely can! To freeze the crusts, go ahead and pre-bake them for 15 minutes. Then allow them to cool completely and place in a zip top freezer bag or wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place in the freezer for up to 5 months.
To use: remove from freezer and top with your favorite toppings. Place into a preheated 400°F oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is brown and bubbly. You could also allow to thaw first and bake in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes.
Yes you can. After the first rise, punch down and form into a ball. Divide the ball into the number of crusts you want to make and wrap each dough ball individually and place in a zip top freezer bag. Toss in the freezer for up to 5 months.
To use: let the dough ball thaw completely and come to room temperature. Press into the pizza pan and pre-bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven. Then top with your favorites and bake till the cheese is brown and bubbly.
More dinner recipes you might enjoy:
Italian Herb and Cheese Pizza Crust
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp yeast or 1 packet yeast
- 2 cups warm water
- 1/4 cup olive oil + extra to oil bowl
- 1 Tbsp sea salt
- 6 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil or 2 Tbsp dried basil
- 6 Tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano or 2 Tbsp dried oregano
- 4 cloves finely chopped garlic or 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/3 cup finely chopped onion or 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 cup Romano cheese grated
- 5-7 cups flour of your choice I have used all white and I have used a mixture of 1 cup whole wheat with the balance white
Instructions
To make dough
- Put water and yeast in a large mixing bowl and stir. Allow to sit for a few minutes to activate the yeast.
- Add all the other ingredients except flour and combine thoroughly.
- Add 2 cups of flour and mix well.
- Continue adding flour a cup at a time until dough becomes shaggy and leaves the sides of the bowl.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead for about 8 minutes until the dough is smooth and not sticky.
- Clean out mixing bowl and oil with olive oil.
- Place dough in bowl and turn to grease top.
- Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled.
- After dough has risen, punch down and turn out onto a lightly floured board.
To form crust
- Cut off a portion of the dough and roll it to fit your pizza pan.
- You can also make a free form crust and bake it on a cookie sheet. How much dough you need will depend entirely on how big your pans are and how thick you like your crust.
- Heat your oven to 450 F. If you are using a pizza stone, put it in the oven before heating and let preheat for at least 20 minutes.
- When your oven is heated up, re-roll or re-press the dough to fit the pans.
- Use a fork to prick holes all over so that the dough doesn’t puff up.
- Place in oven and bake for about 15 minutes. I like to take them out after 7ish minutes and remove them from the pans and put them back in directly on the pizza stone. That makes the bottom crust crisper.
- After 15 minutes remove them from the oven and top with your favorite fixins.
- Return to oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese has browned to your liking.