How long should I knead the dough?

I don't want to give a specific time here because it is different for everyone. But you should look for these signs: Your dough should form and hold a nice smooth ball shape . Another indication is when you pull your dough it should stretch without tearing/ripping .

My dough is too sticky! What should I do?

Add a small amount of flour at a time and work the dough until it comes together. I like to add a tablespoon at a time.

My dough feels too dry! What should I do?

I found out it is very easy to add "TOO MUCH WATER" to the dough. So to avoid that mistake, I like to wet my hands and work the dough and repeat until the dough is not too dry. It takes longer but it is a safe method. If you prefer to just add water, add a teaspoon at a time . A teaspoon of water goes a long way.

How do you know when the dough has risen enough?

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.

Easy Pizza Dough without a Stand Mixer (by hand)

one pizza dough in a freezer bag and two smaller pizza dough on a cutting board

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4.7 from 13 reviews

Easy Pizza Dough without a Stand Mixer (by hand) - 5 ingredients (water, sugar, active dry yeast, flour & salt) + 1 hour - fancy stand mixer = Perfectly delicious and easy pizza dough!

Author: George
Prep Time: 70 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 2 large pizzas 1x
Category: Appetizer
Method: Knead
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

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2 cups lukewarm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast ( or 1 packet of active dried yeast) (See note)
4 and 1/2 cups (packed) all-purpose flour (See note below)
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

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Instructions

Dissolve the sugar in lukewarm water. Once the sugar is all dissolved, add the dry active yeast to water and let it bloom for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix together the salt and 3 cups of packed flour in a large bowl.
Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and stir to mix with either a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon. Slowly add in the rest of the flour. Use the rubber spatula/wooden spoon to mix as much as you can.
Once it gets difficult to mix using a rubber spatula, use your hands to knead the dough until it comes together, about 10 to 15 minutes. The surface of the dough should be smooth and when you pull the dough, it should stretch without ripping.
Take the dough out of the bowl and add the extra virgin olive oil. Place the dough back into the bowl. Roll the dough in a bowl so it is completely coated with the oil. Make sure to coat the side of the bowl as well.
Loosely cover the bowl and let it rise until it doubles its size (it takes me about an hour).

Notes

One packet of active dried yeast equals 2 and 1/2 teaspoons. However, if you have a bag of yeast as I do, you can just measure 1 tablespoon.
Packing flour is an incorrect way to measure flour. And I do not recommend measuring flour like this in other recipes. However, this method works in THIS pizza dough recipe.
Please refer to the "How to store pizza dough" section above for storing information.

Find it online: https://www.myeclecticbites.com/easy-pizza-dough-recipe-without-a-stand-mixer-with-active-dry-yeast/