Homemade pizza is something special. It’s made by hands that care, that put effort in ingredient selection, and most often is made by special people in our lives. Sure we all have our favorite pizzerias, but when it comes down to judging pizza, it’s all in the crust. Homemade pizza dough is super easy to make, and getting the option to truly customize the pizza lets you enjoy it just the way you like it, down to the amount of sauce you use. Want to know just how easy I’m talking about? Keep reading.

This dough is a little different than your ordinary pizza crust as it contains a really interesting ingredient. Beer! The beer flavor really makes it stand out; the slightly bitter, hoppy flavor, gives it just a bit of interest in every bite. It goes well with all sorts of pizza toppings and doesn’t overpower the entire dish. It’s a truly unique experience and can vary depending on the kind of beer you use. I use whatever I happen to have on hand, Corona usually. Pizza and beer are synonymous with one another, so why not combine them together?

There really isn’t much to say about making pizza that you don’t already know. But I wanted to include a quick note about proofing your dough. I always recommend proofing any kind of dough in a turned-off oven or microwave, and this is no exception. It’s free of drafts and helps speed up the proofing process. And who doesn’t like that when they’re hungry?

Testo za Picu Sa Pivom / Pizza Dough with Beer

Recipe by The Balkan HostessCuisine: Serbian, Balkan

Servings

XL pizzas

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Homemade pizza dough with a special ingredient to make it extra yummy!

Ingredients

1 cup (250 ml) warm water
1/2 teaspoon (2-5g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (10 g) dry yeast
1/4 cup (60 ml) oil
1 cup (250 ml) beer
5-6 cups (625 – 750 g) all purpose flour

Directions

In a small bowl or coffee mug, add the water, yeast, and sugar. Stir and set aside so the yeast can proof, around 5-10 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the yeast is nice and foamy and has grown in size. I like to put the cup in the microwave (turned off).
While the yeast is proofing, in a large bowl add in the beer, salt, and oil. When the yeast is ready, add it to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
Add in the flour, one cup at a time stirring and then kneading the dough until it turns into a cohesive, elastic ball and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. The dough will still be a little sticky but manageable with your hands. If it sticks too much to your hands add additional flour, a little at a time. Continue kneading until it becomes a smooth ball of dough, but do not over-knead. It should not feel hard to the touch.
When the dough is smooth, oil the mixing bowl with a little bit of oil (about 1 tbsp) and place the dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and put in a microwave or oven (turned off!) to rise, about 30 minutes. It should double in size.
When the dough has risen, remove from the bowl, knead again, and then use for pizza making.