Lunch & Supper

This Fast & Easy 30 Minute Pizza Crust is ready to eat in about 30 minutes. Perfect for days when time is running short and everyone is hungry!

You may be reading the title of “Fast & Easy 30 Minute Pizza Crust” and thinking it’s a hoax. Truly ready to eat from start to finish in around 30 minutes ( give or take a few minutes). This pizza crust is a staple recipe at my house. With only some flour, yeast, salt, and water I can have the foundation of one of my family’s favorite meals ready to eat in around 30 minutes. Pizza is my go to meal for the weekend because it is so versatile: pile on leftovers and you have an easy way to use up the odds and ends of your week’s meals.

Step 1: Flour

In a medium to large bowl, add 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour. I have also used half and half of all purpose and whole wheat flours. Using whole wheat does slightly change the texture, but I like to add it to make this recipe slightly more healthy. Organic flour is always my first recommendation, but is not a deal breaker. Full disclosure: the flour you see in the picture below is neither organic nor unbleached ( the NERVE, I know.) I was using up flour my husband had purchased for me from a store that ONLY carries bleached flour. Small towns have their perks, but variety in grocery selection is not one of them!

Step 2: Yeast

To the flour, add 1 heaping teaspoon of yeast. Most recipes have you “proof” your yeast in a bowl of warm water before adding in the dry ingredients. If you use yeast often, and know that what you have is fresh, proofing isn’t necessary. If you can’t remember the last time you used the yeast in your fridge, I would recommend proofing it in the amount of water listed below. This will add 3-5 minutes into your total time. If the yeast has been stored properly and purchased within the past year, skip the proofing and save some time.

Step 3: Salt

Next, add 1/2 teaspoon of good quality salt. We tend to use pink Himalayan salt. Redmond real salt and Celtic sea salt are also excellent options. If all you have is regular table salt that is perfectly fine, I just try to swap in healthier ingredients whenever possible!

Step 4: Water

Mix dry ingredients together and add 3/4 cup warm water to dry ingredients. Making a “well” in the middle of the flour makes mixing easier. If I was an incredibly detail oriented person I would have a specific temperature for you. However, I am not, so I don’t. I have made this recipe countless times without knowing the temperature of the water and never messed this up, so take heart! This recipe is called ‘Fast & Easy 30 Minute Pizza Crust’ for a reason! It is fast because I don’t bother with traditional steps like proofing, and easy because you don’t have to be incredibly precise. I usually feel the water as it runs from the faucet and wait until it feels comfortable. If the water is too warm, you can always pour a bit off and add back to the correct amount with cool water.

Step 5: Combine

Combine water with dry ingredients to form a very loose dough. If you are making this in a stand mixer you may not even really notice this step and that is fine. I’m more writing to my home gals that still mix their dough the old fashioned way. Once the dough looks something like this, with lots of dry flour in the bottom of the bowl and flaky moistened bits on top, I switch from using a rubber spatula to working the dough with my hands. Continue to work the dough together until it comes together and forms a ball.

Step 6: Knead & Rest

Now that the dough has come together, it is time to knead. Kneading is very therapeutic, don’t you agree? You only knead the dough until it is smooth, about 2-3 minutes. We don’t want to overwork the dough, but we do want to develop the gluten just a little to create a crust that is slightly chewy. I don’t bother with kneading the dough on a counter or cutting board. Just knead it right in the bowl to save time and make clean up easy. I seriously like to break all the rules. I didn’t lie when I said this recipe was fast and easy. Now it’s time to let the dough rest for 15 minutes in a covered bowl while the oven preheats to 500° F. Use this time to prepare any toppings you desire for your pizza.

Step 7: Stretch Pizza Dough On Pan

On a greased standard sized rimmed baking sheet ( AKA, cookie sheet) begin pushing and stretching the dough until it completely fills the pan. This may be easier at some times than others. I find that the warmer the room is, the easier the dough stretches. Don’t give up, it will fill the pan and is supposed to be pretty thin. If any holes appear, simply push a little more dough over to patch the hole. I like pretty thin edges with a thicker crust as you get to the center. If you prefer more uniformity throughout your dough feel free to spend a little extra time to make sure the middle is the same thickness as the edges.

Step 8: Place Desired Toppings And Bake

Now the fun part: putting all those delicious toppings on your pizza! Sometimes we keep it simple and other days we opt for fancier sauces and toppings. Sometimes I simply throw whatever leftovers we have that would go well on a pizza. Once toppings are on and the oven has fully preheated, slip the pizza into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes depending on how crispy and melt-y you like your pizzas. For my oven I have found that 10 to 10.5 minutes works best.

Some topping ideas: Besides the obvious pepperoni (we use turkey pepperoni), there are so many lovely things to pile on! Sometimes we make a garlic Parmesan white sauce and place grilled chicken, pepperoncinis, mushrooms, olives, and spinach on top. One of our favorites is taco pizza, use salsa for your sauce and place whatever taco-y items you please. Sprinkle on some shredded pepper jack cheese and you have a winning meal! We also regularly make breakfast pizza and everyone gobbles it up!

Step 9: Serve & Eat!

We prefer to transfer the pizza from the baking sheet to a large cutting board to serve. It makes slicing the pizza much easier. This time around, the pizza was finished from beginning to end in 35 minutes. I call this a win as nearly half of that time the dough is resting and requires zero input from you. 30 Minute Pizza Crust is a life saver on nights when I don’t feel like making anything. When you live 20 minutes from the nearest town, running out to grab something “quick” just doesn’t happen. This is our version of fast food that everyone loves and gives me a little bit of a break.

One Of Our Favorite Sabbath Meals:

I often will prepare this 30 Minute Pizza Crust dough sometime on Friday and either bake it for supper that night, or assemble everything and store in the refrigerator to be baked on Saturday for our lunch. It tastes great cold as well, but I don’t mind throwing it in the oven on Sabbath. We make this recipe 2-3 times a month on average and never tire of it!

What are some of your favorite toppings? I love how we can take a basic recipe like this and make it suit our family’s tastes with very little effort.

I pray you all have a blessed week!

Shalom,

Olivia