There are some nights where getting dinner on the table is a real challenge. You’re busy, you’re tired, and sometimes, you just can’t make the effort. Instead of settling for a mediocre store-bought pizza on those busy nights, wouldn’t it be better if you had a homemade option in your freezer all ready to go? Making your own frozen pizzas isn’t that difficult, and that moment when you pull a homemade pizza from the oven will make your advance planning well worth it.
Homemade pizza starts with homemade dough. Assemble the ingredients, and if you have a stand mixer, you’re going to want to get it out. It makes kneading a whole lot easier.
To start, combine half of the flour with the salt and yeast. Heat the honey, water and olive oil and then add that mixture to the dry ingredients.
With the mixer on low, slowly add the remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time. At first dough will be very wet, but as you add the flour it will come together in a ball and clear the sides of the bowl.
Stop adding flour when the dough is thick and is only slightly sticky to the touch. It shouldn’t be so sticky that it sticks to your fingers. (Don’t worry if you don’t use up all the flour, that’s totally fine!)
Continue kneading the bread until the dough is smooth and elastic. If you pull it, it should stretch a bit before breaking. This will take about five to seven minutes. Then place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place for about an hour until it has doubled in size.
Gently punch down the dough to release the gases and then knead a few times to bring it back into a ball. Let it rest for about 10-15 minutes. This will make it easier to roll out.
Divide the dough in half, and then roll out each half into a circle about 10 inches wide.
Transfer the dough to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and let it rise again while you preheat the oven. Bake until the pizza dough puffs and the top appears dry, about 3-5 minutes. The crust will not be completely cooked, only par-baked. This keeps it from getting soggy in the freezer.
Let the par-baked crusts cool and then top them with whatever toppings you like. This pizza was topped with a kid-friendly combo of marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni and olives. If you’re looking for other inspiration, I really like the look of this pesto and cheese pizza or this BBQ chicken pizza.
Double wrap your prepared pizzas with plastic wrap and then place directly in the freezer. And that’s it! You’re all ready for an easy homemade meal on a busy night.
When ready to bake, remove from freezer and plastic wrap. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake from at 450 degrees until crust is golden and cheese is melted. Dinner = done!
Ingredients
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3 1/2to 4 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
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1envelope regular active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
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1teaspoon salt
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2tablespoons honey
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1cup water
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1/3cup olive oil
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Favorite pizza toppings, as desired
Directions
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1In bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook, or in large bowl if you plan to knead by hand, mix 2 cups of the flour, the yeast and salt.
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2In 1-quart saucepan, heat honey, water and olive oil over medium-low heat 3 to 4 minutes or until honey is melted and mixture is smooth. Pour into bowl of dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
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3With mixer on low speed, begin adding the remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until dough clears the bowl and is only slightly sticky to the touch. You may not need all 4 cups of the flour. Continue to knead dough 5 to 7 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
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4Place dough in greased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
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5Gently punch down dough, and knead by hand a few times. Let rest 10 minutes.
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6Line large cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. Divide dough in half; roll each half into 10-inch circle. Transfer to cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise while you heat oven to 450°F.
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7Bake 3 to 5 minutes or until puffed and top appears dry but not at all browned. Cool completely.
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8Top as desired, then double wrap in plastic wrap. Store in freezer up to 2 months.
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9When ready to bake, remove from freezer and remove plastic wrap. Place on cookie sheet lined with cooking parchment paper, and bake at 450°F 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is melted.
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