Easy Stand Mixer Pizza Dough

July 12, 2021 by George 32 Comments

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Easy stand mixer pizza dough - With simple pantry ingredients, you can now whip up a pizza dough in no time using your trusty stand mixer!

flatten circular pizza dough on the parchment paper.

The original recipe was published on November 28, 2018, and updated on July 12, 2021.

Pizza is a popular menu in my household since it's something my husband and I can both enjoy. I have a pizza dough recipe that does NOT require a stand mixer (pizza dough recipe by hand). But if you rather spend your energy eating the pizza rather than kneading the dough, this recipe is for you 😉

Why this recipe works

Simple ingredients – water, sugar, active dry yeast, all-purpose flour, and salt.
Minimum effort – All the kneading will be done by your trusty stand mixer!
You can make it ahead - Pizza dough will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days and freezer for up to 3 months.

How to make pizza dough using a stand mixer

Dissolve sugar in lukewarm water and bloom your yeast in a bowl.
Mix the flour and salt in a stand mixer bowl.
Add the yeast mixture (wet ingredients) to the flour mixture (dry ingredients).
Let the stand mixer knead the dough until it comes together and the surface appears to be smooth.
Transfer the dough in a large bowl and coat with olive oil.
Let the dough rise until it doubles the size and uses in any pizza recipe of your choice!

yeast mixture added to the flour in the stand mixer bowl.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What is the difference between active dry yeast and instant yeast?

Active dry yeast is the yeast that needs to be "bloomed" in water. And instant yeast is the yeast that you can add directly to your dry ingredients and requires no blooming.

How long should I knead the dough and how do you know when it's done kneading?

It is difficult to say the exact time. Rather than giving you the exact time of the kneading in the stand mixer, you should look for several signs.
There should be no dry ingredient present in the dough.
The dough should pull away from the side of the bowl (see the photo below), leave it clean, and collect onto the hook.
Also, the feel of the dough is something you should check as well. The dough shouldn't be too sticky (This means it has too much water. Add a little more flour) or too dense (This means the dough is too dry. Add ½ tablespoon of water at a time and continue to knead in the stand mixer).

How do you know when the dough has risen enough?

I usually let the dough rise until it doubles in size. During the warm weather, it takes about 45 minutes to an hour but it may take longer during the colder month. The easiest way to test is to gently press the dough with your index finger until your first joint disappears into the dough. If the indentation in the dough remains after you remove your finger, the dough is ready (see photo below).

What type of stand mixer should I get?

I had a brief phase where I was very into baking. And during this time, kneading the dough and making cookie dough got a little too much so I decided to get a stand mixer. That being said, if you bake often, I think it is worth upgrading your electric mixer to a stand mixer. However, I don't believe that a stand mixer is a necessary item in the kitchen.

But if you thinking to get one and looking for a recommendation, I have Kitchenaid Classic Plus Stand Mixer and am very happy with the purchase. My runner up choices were:

But for this recipe, any stand mixer will work.

Helpful tips

To make the "perfect" lukewarm water, I mix boiling water and cold filtered water in a ratio of 1:2. For example, to prepare 2 cups of lukewarm water, I mix ⅔ cup of boiling water in a 2 cup size measuring cup and fill the rest with cold water. I like to dissolve my sugar in boiling water first and add cold water.
Make sure to use a hook attachment for making the pizza dough.
When mixing the dry ingredients and wet ingredients, I like to start with 2 cups of dry ingredients in the mixing bowl. Then add the yeast mixture. Once they are mixed, I gradually add the rest of the dry ingredients. When adding the flour, always start your stand mixer with the lowest setting. This will prevent your flour to go everywhere and create a big mess.
Once the dough has formed in the stand mixer, grab a large size bowl and add some olive oil to the bottom. Transfer the dough into the bowl and coat it with olive oil by rolling the dough into the bowl. Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel so the dough won't dry out while rising.
If you want to add flavor to your dough, do so after the dough has risen. For example, if you want garlic flavor dough, brush the dough with garlic butter after the dough has risen. Adding garlic and other seasonings will slow down the rising time.
If you are making the dough a day before, you can let the dough rise in the refrigerator overnight (this is referred to as cold-proving or cold rising).

pizza dough covered in olive oil in a clear bowl before rising.

How to store pizza dough

I like to keep my leftover pizza dough in a gallon-size, freezer-safe plastic bag. The dough will continue to rise even when you place them in the fridge. So I like to place my dough in a large-size bag to give it enough room to rise. Plus, the plastic bag will help prevent the dough from drying out.

The fresh dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
The dough will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

If you freeze your dough, you can place the frozen dough in the fridge overnight to thaw or place them on a countertop until it thaws completely. Make sure your dough is covered completely so it won’t dry out.

Don't have a stand mixer? No worries!

If you don't have a stand mixer, that doesn't mean you can't make delicious pizza dough at home. Here is an easy pizza dough recipe without a stand mixer!

Looking for delicious pizza recipes?