Why Homemade Pizza Dough?
Well, because why not…Right? I could easily SUPPORT LOCAL and order a fantastic pizza off of a great menu from Docs Pizza!
However, sometimes you want to challenge yourself or just simply make something that you can take pride in. Hopefully the owners of Doc’s don’t slam my recipe…LOL.
Wood-Fired HomeMade Pizza Dough
I’m making this pizza on my Big Green Egg using the deflector and a pizza stone. I LOVE wood-fired pizza. The addition of the smokey flavor from the all natural lump charcoal that I use takes this pizza to a whole new level. Now, don’t worry if you don’t have this equipment. You can easily make this in the oven and it will come out fantastically.
The bottom is perfectly crunchy and supports the weight of the toppings nicely. The outer crust is thick and somewhat chewy but is so full of flavor from the Italian seasonings it’s a must eat crust. I like to dip mine into a Buttermilk Ranch Dressing.
Essential Cookware
First of all, a pizza stone is a must. There’s a couple important things to know before going out and purchasing one though and I learned that the hard way. Not all Pizza Stones are made equal.
The original pizza stone that I used for this recipe was:
A). “For Oven Use Only” and
B). “Withstands Temperatures up to 425° F.”
AKA: OOPS! My bad! When I pulled the Stone off the grill after cooling and realized I now had two halves of a pizza stone. So, its super important to read all about your pizza stone before making a purchase. This can be a daunting task though. Because just by doing a quick little search for Pizza stone on Amazon or Google you will see them priced anywhere from $20 – $150. So which is the best to choose? I am going to show you in just a second.
The second essential item is a Pizza Peel. This allows you to easily slide the pizza on or ‘peel’ it off the pizza stone. There was another issue with this. My father in law ordered me one of these and the images on amazon were a bit deceiving. When it arrived, it looked as if it were wood fired personal pan pizzas. If we go to all this work for a wood fired pizza it sure as hell isn’t going to be personal pan nothin! So again, it’s important to know what you’re getting.
I bought this 3 piece pizza grilling pack by Cuisinart. It came with the Pizza Stone, Pizza Peel, and Pizza Cutter for under $40 total directly from the manufacturer.
I ordered this after the fiasco I explained above. It is working perfectly! The Pizza peel is huge and heavy duty. The Pizza stone is made for the grill and withstands up to 800°F. The perfect set for making homemade wood-fired pizza!
ANYWAY! The pizza is awesome! Sooo…
LET’S GET IT STARTED!

First, mix all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Correction to picture. DO NOT ADD YEAST TO DRY MIX.
In a separate Bowl, Stand Mixer, or Food Processor with Dough Hook, place the yeast and water. Remember, water must be between 105° and 110°F. Allow the yeast to bloom for about 10 minutes.

Now pour your dry ingredients into the water/yeast mixture and mix using your hands or dough hook attachment.
Once you have reached a firm and smooth consistency transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise for one hour. The dough is ready to form into a crust when pressed in the middle and the indention stays. If it springs back your dough is not done rising.

Once done rising, punch the dough ball down to release air pockets, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface, roll into a circle, and fold the edges over to create an outer crust.
Using a fork, poke holes all over the homemade pizza crust so it doesn’t bubble up.
Photo Correction: DO NOT USE PARCHMENT PAPER.
Lightly sprinkle cornmeal on a tray, cutting board, etc. then form your crust there.

Lastly, Heat the grill/smoker or oven to 500°F with the pizza stone already in place. Top the pizza with your favorite pizza toppings. Slide the pizza onto the pizza stone and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the crust is plump and golden brown.
If you would rather not go to the trouble of making the dough, try this recipe for homemade pizza using Naan Bread instead.