Why You Can Trust CNET National Pizza Day: Make Your Own Pizza Dough in Your Instant Pot
Celebrate National Pizza Day 2023 with this neat Instant Pot hack.
You don't have to go out to eat on National Pizza Day. Just make your own at home.
There's so many dishes you can make in an Instant Pot, from wine to dog food. You can also throw pizza dough in the mix. While it may be surprising, you can, in fact, lean on your trusty Instant Pot to prepare and proof DIY pizza dough.
Today is National Pizza Day 2023, and what's the best way to celebrate? Eat pizza, of course. And considering the price of pizza is rising, now is as good a time as any to make your own pizza dough at home. (You could also give this recipe a try for the upcoming Super Bowl Sunday.)
First, grab your favorite pizza recipe (we like this one). I turned to the simple tips provided by the Lamberts Lately blog, which uses the Instant Pot's yogurt setting to help with the proofing stage of the dough. The yogurt setting holds a consistent temperature, making it a warm and reliable "proofing box" since kitchen conditions can vary wildly depending on climate and time of day, among other factors.
Follow these simple steps to make delicious pizza dough with the convenience of your Instant Pot.
You'll want to use the "yogurt" setting on your Instant Pot.
Start by getting a hold of your favorite pizza recipe, preheating your oven, and turning your Instant Pot to the "Yogurt" setting. You'll also need a bowl, measuring cup and spatula for this recipe.
You'll only need a few household ingredients and items for this recipe.
Into the pot, slowly pour your warm water and sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves and add in your yeast. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes. You should see some foaming activity -- this is a good sign that your yeast is alive and working.
While the yeast activates, mix together the flour, salt, and optional seasonings (Lamberts Lately uses a 1/2 teaspoon each of both garlic powder and Italian seasoning).
Mix and form a ball with the dough.
Once the yeast mixture is ready, add your flour. Use a spatula to gently form a ball with the dough. Sprinkle in some extra flour if the dough is too sticky.
Now it's time for the flour.
Pour about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the ball and rub over the top. Next, proof the dough in the Instant Pot for 30 to 60 minutes, or until the dough doubles in volume -- this took 30 minutes for me.
Proofing the dough can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes.
Once the dough is ready, remove it from the Instant Pot and knead in another 1 tablespoon of olive oil. You may need some extra flour if it's too sticky.
Add your favorite toppings.
Now the fun part -- decorating! From here, you can proceed with your favorite pizza recipe preparations. The final result was dressed with a delightful mix of blue cheese, cherry tomatoes, arugula, pickled onions and a balsamic glaze.
For more Pizza Day reads, checkout deals and discounts you can find today, plus, the best pizza oven deals.