Roasted Garlic Pizza Dough

Roasted Garlic Pizza Dough because… why the heck not? Why order plain french fries when sriracha fries are on the menu? Or, why drink water when there’s wine? Pizza dough is a delicious, yeasty, blank canvas and roasted garlic is your sweet, aromatic crayon to liven it up with. Mixing some soft, oozy cloves of roasted garlic into your pizza dough gives it an infusion of garlicky flavor that is the perfect match for almost any pizza topping. Next week, I’ll be posting a sausage and broccoli pizza that is truly next level thanks to this roasted garlic crust 🤤

do it yourself

For now, let’s discuss the benefits of homemade pizza dough. It’s better than store bought.

That is all.

That’s enough, isn’t it? Homemade dough, baked shortly after it’s risen in your own kitchen, is awesome. Dough that’s been sitting in a bag in the deli section of the grocery store, or in a tube in the refrigerator section is convenient and still tasty but it’s nothing compared to the fresh, crisp-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside crust you’ll get from homemade dough. When sweet, earthy, caramely roasted garlic is massaged into that homemade dough, I mean… just stop. It doesn’t get any better.

And it’s not hard! The most important ingredients are your own two hands and a clean counter – I know you have those things or know someone who does. The rest is simple: bread flour (makes for a crispy outside/chewy inside crust), instant yeast, sugar, salt, warm water, oil, and, the reason we’re all here: a head or two of roasted garlic.

To roast the garlic, give yourself an extra hour and follow this recipe. I used two heads of garlic because they were small; one big one is fine, too. Do it ahead of time if you like; the garlic will keep for many days in the fridge.

Kneadiness

When you’re ready for amazing pizza dough, squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins into the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Drizzle in the water while you mix with your hand, then drizzle in the oil, and keep turning it all around with your hand until it forms a ball. Pop that ball onto a clean counter you’ve dusted with more bread flour and knead it.

Knead it like you need it. Push the heel of your hand into the dough and stretch it as you push, fold it back on itself and rotate it a quarter-turn. Add more flour when it gets sticky and repeat. Repeat, repeat. Do this for 5 minutes and please don’t wuss out after 4 minutes… you want it to be a smooth, non-sticky ball and that takes 5 minutes.

dough-rising hack

When it’s smooth and happy, put the dough in a lightly-oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. The oil helps the dough rise without sticking to the bowl. Set it in a warm place. This could be on top of your oven, on top of your clothes dryer, or… use a heating pad. Ta-da! Nothing wrong with a little pampering for good dough. Set it on its lowest setting – mine goes to 86 degrees; don’t go much higher than that. If you think it’s too hot or if you’re using a metal bowl, which will conduct heat, put a dish towel on top of the heating pad. Let the dough rise for an hour; it should double in size and look like this:

This recipe makes enough for two pizzas so, after it’s risen, divide the dough in half. You can store the half you’re not using in a ziplock bag in the fridge for about 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months. For the amazing pizza you’re going to make right now, oil a pizza pan or a baking sheet, spread the dough out gently to fit the shape of the pan. Top with your desired toppings, and bake at the highest temp your oven will go until it’s golden brown around the edges and underneath; about 15 minutes. Yep – please check the bottom of the pizza – just slide a spatula underneath and take a peek. Nothing worse than undercooked crust so make sure you’re golden brown all the way around.

I almost can’t wait until next week to post that sausage and broccoli pizza recipe. Come back then so you can put this roasted garlic masterpiece to good use!

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