You have to try this Beer Pizza Dough! It's so easy and makes the best homemade pizza crust. Don't miss this family recipe and all of my tips!
Are we even Italian if we don't make pizza from scratch?!! It's just as important as knowing how to make Italian bread.
This Beer Pizza Dough has been a staple in our family for years. We've made it countless times, and yes, I do have several balls of dough in my freezer.
Because...homemade pizza is so much better (and cheaper!) than anything we can order for delivery. Let me show you how.
And don't miss my other bread recipes!
Recipe ingredients
Beer: Beer imparts a nice flavor to the dough and helps activate the yeast faster. Choose a light-colored, mild-tasting beer, rather than dark beer. We use Labatt Blue (affiliate link).
Flour: We usually use white, all-purpose flour or bread flour for this pizza dough. I've also made it with a 50-50 combination of white and whole wheat flour.
The all-white version is much easier to work with, but I do enjoy the taste of the half-whole-wheat crust, which seems to have a more pronounced beer flavor.
Yeast: You only need a small amount of yeast for this recipe, since the beer contains yeast. We always use instant yeast (affiliate link), also sold as "rapid rise" or "bread machine" yeast here. It doesn't need to be proofed and will make the dough rise faster.
Once opened, discard the yeast after four months, even if the expiration date hasn't passed. This will ensure the yeast is still fresh and performs well.
If you use active dry yeast, you'll need to proof it first and allow at least another hour for the dough to rise.
Oil: Cooking oil helps hydrate the dough and make it more elastic. Use olive oil, canola oil or vegetable oil. Olive oil will provide the best flavor.
Speaking of using oil in dough, you have to try this rosemary-garlic focaccia!
How to make pizza dough with beer
This homemade pizza dough requires kneading, which takes five minutes in my Kitchenaid stand mixer (affiliate link), but probably a few minutes longer by hand.
See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.
- Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl. Stir briefly to combine.
- Knead the dough in a stand mixer with the dough hook attached for five minutes, or by hand, until it comes together in a smooth ball.
- Cover the dough and let it rise until it doubles in size, which should take 1-2 hours.
- Punch down the dough and transfer it to a floured work surface. Use a smooth knife or dough cutter to divide the dough into portions for your pizzas.
- You can cover the balls of dough for a second rise of 1-2 two hours, if you wish, or proceed to make the pizza. A second rise helps to make the dough more tender.
How to make pizza using a standard oven
See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.
If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven, then set the oven to 500 degrees F. If you don't have a stone, just heat the oven for now.
When the oven reaches 500 degrees F, use oven gloves to remove the stone and place it onto your stove. If using a metal pizza pan, grease it with cooking spray.
- If using a stone, shape your dough on a floured surface, then transfer it to the stone. Otherwise, shape the dough in a metal pizza pan.
- Par-bake the crust for five minutes.
- Remove the crust from the oven. Add your toppings and bake the pizza for 10 minutes, or just until the crust is browned and the cheese is melted. A stone will cook the pizza faster than a metal pan, which could take 15 minutes.
If using an outdoor pizza oven
If you're using an outdoor pizza oven (affiliate link), you don't need to prebake the crust. Just shape the dough onto a pizza peel (affiliate link) and add your toppings.
Then, bake the pizza according to your oven's instructions.
Recipe tips
- If you're making pizza in a standard oven, a pizza stone (affiliate link) works better than a metal pizza pan. The stone will produce a browner, crispier crust.
- It's best to use a food scale (affiliate link) to weigh the ingredients and to weigh the portions of dough needed for each pizza.
How many pizzas can you make with this recipe?
This recipe yields two pounds of pizza dough. It's enough for three, round, 12-inch pizzas or two, round, deep-dish pizzas.
Or, you could make two rectangular, sheet-pan pizzas using standard half-sheet pans (affiliate link).
You also can double the recipe to make four pounds of dough.
How much dough do you need for each pizza?
- For a standard, round, 12-inch pizza, use 10-12 ounces of dough.
- For a deep-dish, round pizza, use 16 ounces of dough.
- For a sheet-pan pizza, (the standard half-sheet size), use 14-16 ounces of dough.
Frequently asked questions
Roll leftover pizza dough in olive oil and wrap it tightly in plastic. Store it in the refrigerator and use it within two days for the best results.
Be sure to bring the dough to room temperature before baking it. Allow a couple of hours for the dough to sit out, so it's easy to work with. If you try to stretch the dough and it snaps back, the dough is still too cold.
Yes, you can freeze this beer pizza dough for up to three months. It's best to divide it first into the amounts you'll need for single pizzas.
Coat the balls of dough lightly with olive oil, wrap each portion in plastic and label it with the ounces. Store the balls of dough in freezer bags.
The dough can be thawed in the refrigerator overnight. Then, take it out of the refrigerator a couple of hours ahead of baking it so it's at room temperature when you need to work with it.
Pizzas to make
Make a delicious pizza topped with this simple tomato sauce or this wonderful Italian meat sauce, plus shredded mozzarella. You can even add Italian beef meatballs or leftover sausage, peppers and onions!
Get creative! Try this Escarole-Stuffed Pizza featuring a double-crust. Make stromboli or calzones.
Or, make White Clam Pizza with buttery onions for an Italian appetizer. You can even make a sweet banana pizza with white chocolate for dessert!
Enjoy!
If you try this Beer Pizza Dough recipe, please leave a comment and a rating!
Beer Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pounds all-purpose flour (about 4 ½ cups; can use bread flour)
- 1 ⅛ teaspoon instant yeast (see notes if using active dry yeast)
- ¾ teaspoon sugar
- 1 ¼ cups warm water
- 1 ½ ounces beer
- ⅛ cup olive oil (One ounce. Can use canola.)
- 1 ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Weigh the flour if you have a kitchen scale. Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl. If using a KitchenAid stand mixer, use the dough hook and mix for a minute on the lowest speed. Increase the speed to two, and knead for five minutes, or until the dough becomes a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- If kneading by hand, stir the ingredients with a spoon and place the dough on a floured work surface. To knead, fold the dough in half toward you, then push the dough away from you while pressing down with the heels of your hands. Rotate the dough a few degrees, then repeat the folding and pushing. Continue doing this until the dough forms a smooth ball. It could take up to 10 minutes. (If your dough still feels sticky after a while, add a bit more flour. If your dough feels too dry, add a bit more warm water.)
- Place the ball of dough in a large, greased bowl and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let it rise for 1-2 hours, until it has doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough and transfer it to a floured work surface. You will have about 2 pounds of dough. Use a knife or dough cutter to cut the dough in half for two half-sheet pans, or divide the dough into three equal parts for 3, 12-inch round pizzas. (If you have a kitchen scale, you might want to weigh the dough segments to see if they're even.) Use 10-12 ounces of dough for a 12-inch round pan, and 14-16 ounces for a rectangular sheet pan. (If you want a deep-dish round pizza, use a pound of dough for a 12-inch pan.)
- You can cover the balls of dough for a second rise of 1-2 hours, if you wish, or proceed to make the pizza. A second rise helps to make the dough more tender.
- When the dough is done rising, place an ungreased pizza stone in the oven and preheat your oven to 500 degrees F. If using metal pans, don't add them to the oven yet. Just lightly grease the pizza pans (three rounds or two sheet pans).
- Make one pizza at a time. Shape the dough to fit your pan or stone. It helps to grasp the dough by the edges, hold it up, and let it stretch out. Rotate the dough a bit and continue, pressing the dough with your fingers in the thick spots to thin it out as you hold it. If using a stone, you can shape the dough on a floured surface until it's time to bake it, then transfer the dough onto the stone to bake.
- Bake the dough for 5 minutes before adding any toppings. Then add the sauce, toppings and cheese and bake for another 8-10 minutes on a stone, or 10-15 minutes on a metal pan. Since ovens vary, and the thickness of your pizza is a factor, keep an eye on your pizza to make sure it doesn't burn. (If you prefer that your cheese is not well done, you can add half of your cheese when you add the other toppings, bake the pizza for five minutes, then add the rest of the cheese before continuing to bake.)
- Let the pizza rest for a few minutes before slicing. Store leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer. (See notes.)
Notes
- This recipe works best if you weigh the flour.
- Active dry yeast will take longer to rise.
- If using active dry yeast, mix it with the warm water and sugar and let it sit for 10 minutes first. If it becomes frothy, it's good to use. Add it to the remaining ingredients.
- Recipe time does not include a second rise for the dough. If you do a second rise, you will need another one or two hours.
- This recipe yields two pounds of pizza dough. It's enough for three, round, 12-inch pizzas or two, round, deep-dish pizzas. Or, you could make two rectangular, sheet-pan pizzas using standard half-sheet pans (affiliate link).
- To refrigerate, coat the dough lightly with olive oil, wrap each portion in plastic and use it within two days. Bring the dough to room temperature before baking it. Allow two hours for it to reach room temperature.
- To freeze, separate the dough into portions for a single pizza, label it with the ounces, and then store the balls of dough in freezer bags for up to three months. The dough can be thawed in the refrigerator overnight and brought to room temperature the next day before baking it.
Nutrition
(Recipe Source: This is a family recipe passed on to us. Originally published on February 18, 2015 and updated now with new photos and additional information.)
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