Pizza Dough Mix Instructions and Tips

How to Make Thick Crust Pizzas

With your bread machine:  Use the dough setting. This will knead the dough and let it rise. Baking will take place in your regular oven. Add the following ingredients in accordance with the machine owner’s manual:

  • 3/4 cup water at 80°F
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 packet of mix
  • 1 packet of yeast (included)

Remove the dough from the bread machine at the proper time.  If you leave the dough in the machine, it will continue to rise and may overflow.

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. If you are going to bake your pizza on a baking stone, place the stone in the oven to preheat. If you are going to bake your pizza on a pan, grease the pan and sprinkle it with ground corn or semolina flour. Your mix will make a 15-inch medium thick crust or two 10- or 11-inch crusts. Do not use light colored pans; they will reflect the heat.
  2. Form the crust. A pizza crust of uniform thickness is a better crust. If you are baking on a pizza stone, roll the dough to a uniform thickness of about 1/4 inch with a rolling pin or pizza roller. If you are baking a pizza in a pan, form the crust in the pan using a pizza roller or your hands. Once the crust is formed, let it rise for about 30 minutes or until soft and twice as thick.
  3. Spread marinara, white sauce, or olive oil on the risen crust. Load the crust with toppings. (Most meats and many vegetables should be precooked.) Use a pizza peel to transfer the pizza to the hot baking stone.
  4. Bake the pizza for 15 to 20 minutes on the lowest rack in the oven. Baking times will vary depending on the pan and the toppings. When you think the pizza is done, remove the pizza from the oven and lift an edge and see if the underside of the crust is browned.  If it has not started browning, return the pizza to the oven for a few minutes.  When done, immediately remove the pizza to a wire rack so that the bottom of the pizza does not sweat.  Serve hot.

With your stand-type mixer: Place half the mix and the yeast to the bowl of your stand-type mixer. Add the 3/4 cup warm water (the water should be 110 degrees) and oil and beat with a dough hook until it is partially mixed—about 30 seconds. For a softer dough, add an extra tablespoon of water. The purpose of this mixing is to hydrate the yeast. Add the rest of the mix. Knead the dough with the bread hook. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with plastic, and let it rise until doubled. Continue with the pizza as above. 

How to Make Quick Thin Crust Pizzas

Using this method for thin crust pizzas, you should have pizza out of the oven in less than 30 minutes including the baking.

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. If you are going to bake your pizza on a baking stone, place the stone in the oven to preheat. If you are going to bake your pizza on a pan, you will need a 14 or 15-inch dark-colored pan.  Do not use light colored pans; they will reflect the heat.
  2. Place half the mix and the yeast to the bowl of your stand-type mixer. Add the warm water (the water should be 110°F) and oil and beat with a dough hook until it is partially mixed—about 30 seconds. For a softer dough, add an extra tablespoon of water. The purpose of this mixing is to hydrate the yeast. Add the rest of the mix. Knead the dough with the bread hook.  Once the dough is kneaded, place the dough on your baking pan if you are going to use a pan or on the counter if you are using a stone. Form the crust using a pizza roller, rolling the dough uniformly to the edges of the pan.
  3. Spread a white sauce, marinara sauce, or olive oil on the dough. Spaghetti sauce will do. Our favorite sauce is French onion dip. Place the filling material on in layers. Meats should be precooked. Spinach or meat should go on the bottom. Diced onions, peppers, or olives go in the next layer. Cover with grated cheese. At least some of the cheese should be mozzarella.
  4. Bake for 13 to 17 minutes or until the edges of the crust are browned and the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Baking times will vary depending on the pan and the toppings.
  5. Remove the pizza from the oven. Slide the pizza to a cutting board and cut with a pizza roller. Serve immediately.

The pizza dough will begin to rise as you place the sauce and toppings on the pizza.  It will also rise in the oven.  This will create a medium thick crust.

For a very thin crust, cut the dough ball in half and make 2 pizzas out of 1 pizza crust mix.

  • For an extra crispy crust, transfer the pizza to your oven rack half way through baking. The heat from the bottom will make the crust crispy.

Baker’s tip:  If you are not going to serve your pizza immediately, place the pizza on a wire cooling rack.  A hot pizza left on the pan or cutting board will sweat and make the crust soggy.