Weeknight Pizza

Store-bought fresh pizza dough or homemade dough that you’ve made in advance makes freshly baked pizza doable as a weeknight dinner. Store-bought dough sometimes is half-hearted in flavor, but the right toppings and baking method can make up for many shortcomings. We start with an overview of how to get the most out of your dough, followed by some of our favorite toppings as well as a quick pizza dough-based stuffed flatbread. You’ll need a pizza steel or stone for these recipes. A pizza peel is the best tool for getting the pie into and out of the oven, but a baking sheet will work in a pinch.

Don’t let your assembled, unbaked pizza sit on the pizza peel for more than a few minutes. The dough’s moisture will soften the semolina, and the pizza won’t slide off easily.

SHAPING PIZZA DOUGH

At least 1 hour before baking, heat the oven to 550°F (or 500°F if that’s your oven’s maximum temperature), with a baking steel or stone on the upper-middle rack.

Warming the dough to 75°F before shaping it makes it easy to work with. For two, 10-inch pizzas, we recommend dividing one pound of dough into two 8-ounce balls, putting the dough balls into oiled bowls, covering them with plastic wrap, then setting the bowls into a larger bowl containing 100°F water. Check the temperature of the dough with an instant thermometer after about 30 minutes and change the water as needed. Make sure you have all of your toppings ready before you begin shaping the dough.

For two, 10-inch pizzas, turn one ball of dough out onto a counter dusted with all-purpose flour. Flour your hands and, using your fingers and starting at the center and working out to the edges, press the dough into a 10-inch round, turning the dough over once, leaving the perimeter slightly thicker than the center. If the dough stretches but shrinks back, let it rest for 5 minutes to relax the gluten, then try again.

Set the first round aside on the counter and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Shape the second portion of dough in the same way. Top and bake according to one of the recipes on the following pages.