(grunts)

- Hey, everybody.

It's Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com,

and with everybody being cooped up at home,

it is a great time to master your pizza skills.

I'm sharing all of our secrets

to our family's favorite pizza dough.

It takes just a few simple ingredients

to make a restaurant-quality pizza dough

that is chewy and crisp.

And, I'm hungry, so let's get started.

(hands tapping)

(bell chimes)

To make the pizza dough,

you'll need one and a fourth cups of warm water, not hot.

Make sure it's between 105 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add half a tablespoon of fine sea salt

and one teaspoon of honey,

then stir those together to dissolve.

Sprinkle the top with half a teaspoon of active dry yeast,

and set it aside to proof for about five minutes.

Meanwhile, fill a large mixing bowl

with three and one-third cups, or 420 grams,

of all-purpose flour.

Create a well in the center for pouring in the liquids.

Give that yeast mixture a quick stir.

Then pour it over the flour.

(upbeat music)

Use a firm spatula to stir

until the wet and dry ingredients are combined.

Next, knead the dough together by hand

for about two minutes,

or just until no streaks of flour remain,

and the wet and dry ingredients are really well-blended.

The dough will feel pretty sticky

to the hand that's kneading,

but when you touch it with clean and dry fingertips,

it should barely stick.

Next, cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap

to make sure a film doesn't form on the dough,

and let it rise at room temperature

for about four to five hours

or until it has doubled in size.

It can rise a little faster in a warmer spot,

but make sure it never goes above 110 degrees Fahrenheit

while proofing the dough,

or you can deactivate and kill the yeast.

Once the dough has doubled in size,

generously sprinkle your worktop with flour

and scrape the dough out onto the floured surface.

And I love using this flexible food scraper,

because it makes sure I get every bit of dough

out of the bowl.

And I will link to this and all of our favorite tools

for making pizza dough in the notes.

Lightly flour and turn the dough

so it's not sticking to your hands.

Then, divide it equally in half.

This recipe makes two 10- to 12-inch pizza crusts,

so try to get them as even as you can.

Now we're going to fold each piece dough eight times.

Wrap your hands around the dough

and fold the edges into the center.

Turn the dough and repeat

until you've folded it eight times.

It's a little bit like closing a book.

And this is a gentle fold.

Make sure you're not squeezing the dough,

and keep your hands lightly floured

so the dough doesn't stick to your hands.

With the last fold, seal the edges at the bottom

and form a ball of dough.

Place that with the seam side down.

This is really easy, feels therapeutic,

and I think you'll love it.

Also, it's important to make the gluten threads

in the dough stronger and to trap the carbon dioxide

that's created by the yeast

to create those beautiful bubbles

that everyone loves in pizza dough.

Transfer each piece of dough to a lightly oiled bowl.

I'm just using a simple light olive oil here.

It doesn't add any flavor.

The oil just helps the dough to release easier later.

Transfer the dough to the bowl with the seam side down,

and you're gonna cover that tightly with plastic wrap

and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to five days.

This is called the cold fomentation stage,

and it's really important to create those beautiful bubbles,

and it really develops the flavor in the dough.

This is how fancy pizza places make their dough.

It's so easy and truly a make-ahead recipe.

We have some dough here that has been proofing overnight.

About an hour before you're ready to use it,

pull that out of the refrigerator

so it can come to room temperature.

And, a few minutes before you start making your pizza,

you want to preheat your oven

with the pizza stone in the center of the oven

to 550 degrees Fahrenheit.

You want to make sure the oven is fully preheated

before you start forming your pizza.

Transfer that room-temperature dough

onto a well-floured work surface,

lightly dust the top, and start forming your dough.

Start by gently pushing in the center of your dough

with your fingertips.

Now lift the dough and make sure there's enough flour on it

so that it's not sticking to your hands.

To form the pizza crust, roll the dough over your knuckles.

I've created two fists,

and I'm just working around in a circle,

leaving about a one-inch crust.

You want it thicker at the edges.

This will make a 10- to 12-inch pizza,

and keep in mind, it'll shrink back slightly,

so make it a little bit bigger than you think.

Place the dough on a floured pizza peel.

You'll notice the big bubbles that have formed

in the crust.

Make sure you don't pop them.

You want them there,

and they will make your pizza look professional.

Give the pizza dough a little shake on the pizza peel

to make sure it's not sticking.

You don't want it to stick to the peel

while you're transferring it into the hot oven.

Our pizza crust is formed,

and we're ready for some toppings.

If you love red pizza sauce,

I have a recipe for the best homemade red sauce on my blog,

and I will link to it in the notes.

I also have a recipe for a creamy white Alfredo pizza sauce.

This is our kids' favorite

and the one they request the most often.

I'll share links to both of these recipes.

They are so easy, delicious,

and take just five minutes to make.

We're just gonna make a cheese pizza

because that is the one my kids love the most.

So sprinkle on a generous amount

of shredded mozzarella cheese.

And I would love to hear about your favorite pizza toppings

in the comments.

Just before the pizza goes into the hot oven,

I like to give it a quick shake

to make sure it's not sticking.

Then, transfer it to the hot pizza stone

and bake at 550 degrees Fahrenheit for eight to 10 minutes.

When it's done, the edges will be puffed and golden-brown

and the cheese will be bubbling.

Transfer the pizza to a cutting board

and let it cool slightly before serving.

If you don't already have one,

a pizza making kit makes this process so much easier,

and I will link to ours in the notes.

Ho ho ho ho ho ho.

It is pizza time.

Oh, and look at that crust.

It is gorgeous.

Okay, we're gonna jump right into this,

because the cheese is melty, the crust is crisp,

and I am so hungry. (laughs)

Also, the kids are probably gonna smell this soon,

and then taste test is over.

So we're gonna jump right into this.

Oh, listen to this crunch.

(pizza crunches)

Of course, the cheese pull.

(giggles)

Okay, I'm excited.

Yum.

And this is the perfect crust.

It's a thin crust in the center,

and then the outside rim just puffs up so beautifully.

Look at that texture.

I'm telling you guys, it's so good.

Okay, here we go.

Mm.

Mm.

That homemade white pizza sauce is everything, too.

Make sure you try that recipe.

It is super easy.

Ah, you can really taste a little bit of garlic

and Parmesan in the sauce.

Delicious.

Now I'm gonna get a bite of this crust,

because look at the texture there.

Look at that.

That is amazing.

Mm.

This seriously tastes like it just came out

of a high-end pizza place.

It's so good.

It is crisp and chewy, and then baked to perfection.

Cooking it on high heat like that

crisps up the crust perfectly.

And I love that this is a make-ahead recipe,

so you can make balls of dough in the fridge.

It just gets better with time.

It tastes better and better as it rests.

All right, the kids smelled the pizza,

and they want in on this taste test.

I'm gonna cut some big pieces for you.

- Gimme, gimme.

- Who gets the big one?

Okay, ooh, Mary gets the big one.

Okay.

What do you think?

- Good!

- Yeah? - The best.

- The best.

Who makes the best pizza?

(laughs)

I like it.

Oh, and I think Dad wants one too, right, Dad?

(laughs)

Hold on.

Watch your fingers, watch your fingers.

- Having two.

- Hold on.

Move those fingers.

There.

That's your cheesy part.

I'll get the crust.

That's my favorite part.

- Look at my beard.

- It seriously tastes like a baguette, doesn't it?

So good.

- Look at my beard.

- Mm.

- Look at my beard.

- All right.

That's a wrap.

I hope you guys love this.

I hope it becomes a family favorite for you.

We'll see you in our next video.

Wave.

Wave bye.

- Bye bye.

- Oh, great.