The Best Homemade Pampered Chef Pizza Crust & Vegetable Pizza Recipe

Every great pizza starts with a great crust. To get that crispy, chewy texture that’s the hallmark of a great pizza, you’ll want to make the dough from scratch. Now, I know what you might be thinking...pizza can't be apart of a healthy lifestyle, right? Wrong!

It's okay to be able to indulge in a slice of pizza once in a while, especially when it is topped with some extra veggies. This Vegetable Pizza Recipe will have you coming back for a second slice! - Try not to have one too many though. Indulging in unhealthy carbs such as pizza crust will kick you off your Macros easily if you are tracking them.

At a glance, you might think that making pizza crust from-scratch requires some additional tools and ALOT of time to make and for the dough to rise. BUT, Pampered Chef's Vegetable pizza crust requires only a few pantry staples, VERY little time of kneading (no stand mixer needed), and a little bit of time to rise.- And don't worry, I will be with you every step of the way so you can have all of the info that you need to start making yummy pizza crust right in your own kitchen!

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Pizza Crust Ingredients

In addition to salt and sugar, here are the other four ingredients you need.

• Flour: Nothing fancy here—just all-purpose flour.

• Yeast: To make working with yeast simpler, Julie uses instant yeast, also called rapid-rise yeast, instead of active dry yeast. Unlike active dry yeast, instant yeast doesn’t need to be dissolved in water first; it can be mixed right into the dry ingredients.

• Water: When using instant yeast, the water you add should be between 120-130°F (49–55°C). You can use hot tap water, but to get an accurate temperature, Julie recommends using a thermometer to check the temperature. If the water is 140°F/60°C or higher, all types of yeast will die and the dough won’t rise.

• Oil: Julie prefers olive oil because it has a more distinctive flavor than vegetable oil. Oil is important in dough because it makes it tender and keeps the moisture from the toppings from making the crust soggy.

Measurements

• 1¾ cups (425 mL) all-purpose flour

• 1½ tsp (7 mL) instant yeast

• 1 tsp (5 mL) salt

• 1 tsp (5 mL) sugar

• ¾ cup (175 mL) warm water (120–130°F/49–55°C)

• 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil, plus more for brushing

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all the dry ingredients. Add the warm water and olive oil. Stir until combined. If it seems too dry (has a crumbly exterior and unable to form a smooth ball) you can add an additional teaspoon of warm water.

2. Transfer onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until it forms a smooth, firm ball, about 5–6 minutes.

3. Brush the bottom of a bowl with olive oil, add the dough, and brush oil on the top to coat.

4. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 1–2 hours.

5. When ready to make a pizza, place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and flatten with your hands, starting at the center and working outwards, turning and stretching into a 12" (30-cm) round disk, forming a lip around the edge.

Let the Dough Rise

Letting the dough rise is super important. This process is what makes the crust light and airy.

1, Knead the mixed ingredients until a smooth, firm ball forms. Then place the dough ball in a large bowl that you’ve brushed with olive oil, then brush some more olive oil on the top of the dough.

2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel, and let the dough rise until it’s doubled in size, about an hour or two.

Here's a hint: You can cut this step in half with a pressure cooker; it takes just an hour to rise on the PROOF setting. (You can Order Yours through Pampered Chef Here)

How to Stretch Dough

When you’re ready to make your pizza, place the dough on a lightly floured surface. I highly suggest using a Pastry Mat like Pampered Chef's. This will give you a non slip surface and keep your counters clean while handling dough.

When you start to work with the dough, it's best if you flatten the dough with your hands, starting at the center and working outwards.

The dough will be soft and easy to maneuver. You can use a rolling pin if that makes it easier. I suggest the rolling pin by Pampered Chef. This French-style rolling pin gives you the ability to have better control as you roll out dough.

Just know that if you go this route of rolling out the dough, it might flatten some of the bubbles and cause the pizza crust to taste more dense. I always use my hands because it has a more airy, lighter taste.

You can keep turning and stretching until the dough becomes a 12″ (30-cm) circle.

Use a Pizza Peel and Pizza Stone

Pizza crust gets even crispier when cooked on a preheated stone. Pampered Chef's pizza stones can be preheated in a 450°F (230°C) for up to 30 minutes! (You can order your Pampered Chef Pizza Stone Here)

In order to easily transfer food on and off a preheated stone, it might be helpful to use a pizza peel. A pizza peel is a pretty useful tool to keep your hands safe from burns avoid spilling and a great way to transfer pizzas in and out of the oven. If you don't have one, I highly suggest getting one because it's truly your element of safety when dealing with hot ovens and pizza. (You can get your Pampered Chef Pizza Peel Here)

It's VERY important to keep both the peel and dough at room temperature so the dough doesn’t sweat.

I always like to use cornmeal to dust the peel instead of flour. Flour can be great in some instances, but flour sticks to the bottom of the crust and doesn’t bake in. This leaves a gross taste within the crust.

1. Place the dough on the peel, add your desired toppings, and transfer onto the preheated stone.

2. Cook until the pizza crust until it is browned and the cheese is melted. This can be about 12­–15 minutes, depending on your oven.

*If you don’t have a pizza stone that can be preheated, you can add a few minutes to the cook time. I highly suggest keeping an eye out in case it over cooks.

Freezing & Thawing Dough

While you making the pizza dough. I would suggest you make a double batch. That way, next pizza night, you can just pull out the dough and thaw it.

After it rises, tightly wrap it with plastic wrap and freeze it (don't worry, it will deflate).

When you are ready to thaw it, you can pull it out of the freezer and let it sit overnight in the fridge. You can even let it sit on the counter at room temp for at least an hour.

Pizza Crust in a Hurry

If it’s pizza night and you find yourself short on time, there's always a solution! Pampered Chef's 5-Minute Dough is the answer! There’s no yeast, no rising and made with just 2 ingredients!

Seriously. You can't go wrong with this Pampered Chef's Pizza Dough Recipe. Simply just add water and oil, and can have delicious pizza with all the flavor and crispy texture you love in under 30 minutes! Which is LESS time it would take to order pizza. (Order Pampered Chef's 5-Mintue Dough Here)

Vegetable Pizza Topping

Ingredients

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

• 1 (1 ounce) package ranch seasoning mix

• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed

• ¼ teaspoon garlic salt

• 1 ½ cups chopped fresh broccoli

• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped

• 1 carrot, grated

• 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Combine sour cream, cream cheese, ranch seasoning mix, dill, and garlic salt in a medium mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to mix the ingredients.

2. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of cooled crust. Arrange broccoli, onion, bell pepper, carrot, and celery on top of the cream cheese mixture.

3. Place the pizza in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Then you are ready to go!

Cook's Tips:

*Dust a Pizza Peel with cornmeal so it easily transfers onto your pizza stone or baking surface, and for added taste.

*Instant yeast, (aka rapid-rise yeast), is much easier to use. This yeast does not need to be dissolved in water before adding to the dry ingredients. You can also use active dry yeast. If you do this, make sure you follow the instructions.

*If you are looking to make your dough healthier, you can mix in Enrichables Pea Protein with the dry ingredients in the first step.

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Have You Tried Pampered Chef's Pizza Dough Recipe? Share your thoughts below!