Quick Beer Pizza Crust

ByBluebonnet Baker
36 Comments

If you love to bake, I hope you know who King Arthur Flour is. I've waxed poetic on why their flour is some of the best in the business, and they're the only flour I use in my kitchen. Did you know King Arthur Flour has a blog too? The talented bakers at King Arthur Flour take to WordPress and post some pretty awesome recipes each week.

When PJ Hamel's Quick Beer Pizza Crust came through my RSS feed, I knew I had to make it. I've had years of pizza experience - worked for some famous chains and some family owned pizza restaurants all through high school. But it'd been a long time since I felt the pillow-y softness of perfectly proofed dough in my hands.

Kneading dough can be a fantastically cathartic experience. Making this pizza crust brought back all those friend-filled after-school-job days, the days when I first realized I simply loved making food for people.

The addition of beer in pizza crust is both inspired and insane. Insanity in that James and I could NOT stop eating it.

You can use any pizza toppings you'd like, but I highly recommend our choices: marinara sauce, leftover grilled curry chicken, diced small (we used a pre-marinated package from Trader Joe's), mushrooms, fresh basil, and lots of cheese.

Quick Beer Pizza Crust

From King Arthur Flour
Makes 1 large pizza or 2 smaller

Ingredients
4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon Pizza Dough Flavor, optional
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

12 fl oz room temperature beer (1 glass bottle)

Directions
Combine flour, pizza dough flavor (if using), instant yeast, baking powder, salt and olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Add beer and mix well to combine.

Knead the dough either with your hands or a mixer with dough hook. In the mixer, it should take about 7 minutes to knead. By hand is longer, but more satisfying. Knead the dough until you have a soft, smooth dough - it should hardly stick to the mixing bowl or your hands.

Form the dough into a round ball and allow it to rise for anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Flatten the dough on a flat surface to de-gas, then separate into 2 dough balls or leave whole if making a large pizza.

Preheat the oven to 450F.

If you have a pizza stone, this is the place to use it. If you don't, use a large round or rectangular metal pan. Cover with a little olive oil.

King Arthur does this a bit differently, but I went back to my old school ways from that after school job. I set the dough in a little corn meal - this allows it to come off the stone or pan a bit easier. Then, I fold one hand over the other until they form sort of a triangle. Press your hands into the edge of the dough, about ½" inside the circle. Press into the dough lightly, forming the crust edge. You should be able to turn the dough as you press, making your way around the entire pie.

When the edge has been pressed, pick the dough up. Holding it so that the flat of your hand is in the center of the dough, pass it back and forth between your flat hands, allowing it to rotate as you do. This should stretch the dough evenly. When you think it's roughly the right size for your pan, turn the dough down onto it.

You may need to stretch a bit more to fit the pan, but do this while the dough is on the pan, pulling it gently towards the edges.

Place the dough in the oven, sans toppings, for 5 minutes. Remove it from the oven and top as you see fit. If you place the toppings under any cheese, you'll have a less greasy pizza.

Bake until the cheese and crust turn golden brown. This can vary by the amount of toppings you use, so just watch it closely.

To recreate our exact pizza:

Quick Beer Crust Pizza Dough
Marinara sauce
Diced grilled curry chicken
Sliced baby Portobello mushrooms
Fresh Basil leaves, torn
Shredded Mozzarella cheese
Italian Seasoning herbs
Dried Oregano
Parmesan cheese
Salt
Pepper

Follow directions for dough, placing on pizza stone or pan. Top with marinara, then evenly distribute chicken, mushrooms and basil on top. Cover with shredded Mozzarella. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning herbs, dried Oregano, Parmesan, Salt and Pepper to taste.

Bake until golden brown.

[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Quick Beer Pizza Crust - - - [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]

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36 Comments

    1. CK, I used Smuttynose IPA, but KAF used Pabst. I honestly don't think it matters, other than to just know that whatever you use will have pronounced flavor in the dough. For example, when I've made beer bread in the past, I once used Blue Moon, which is very citrus-y and also has banana-like notes. When my bread came out, I got the distinct impression of bananas, which was NOT what I wanted with my chili! Usually the manufacturer will tell you if there are strong notes in a beer - so just pay attention to those when you choose.

  3. I had bought the ingredients to this over a week ago. Followed your FB recommendation for it and found it on KA site. Can't wait to try it! Hubs ate pizza for lunch when I had planned on making it for dinner. Grrrrrr!

    1. Oh those husbands, they do inconvenient thins sometimes! I think I probably would have made it anyway. 😛 Let me know how you love it!

  4. I have been a fan of KAF for a long time but I just recently was able to buy their flour and you are right it's the best! I will be trying this crust ASAP!

    1. Miss, if you have trouble finding it again, remember that you can order it online. It really is worth the shipping. I had a 25 lb bag shipped to me at one point, and I was shocked that it only cost about $14 to ship, including all the other stuff I bought. Or catch 'em when they're offering free shipping. The white whole wheat is awesome.

      1. I was just saying I wish I could get it in 25 lb sacks like I do at Sams Club! I'm heading to their site now to check it out. Thanks.

  5. Well, I love beer bread and I love pizza, so think this is a must try. Funny thing..I don't like beer but I love the flavor of it in a baked product. I'm not a red sauce girl but can even now imagine this with artichoke hearts, garlic and basil. Now I'm hungry.

    1. Barb, I'm exactly the same way. I love a good ice cold hard cider, but beer? No thanks. Unless it's in food. Then I'm all over it.

  6. This sounds absolutely fantastic. I think it'd be wonderful on the grill with some fresh mozzarella and basil...mmmm.

  7. Beer - crust - pizza - three lovely words! This looks wonderful!

    1. Erin, I felt so silly going to their Blog & Bake weekend not knowing that. Now I check it every single day!

  9. Beer in pizza dough? Now I have to know what this tastes like!

    1. Katrina, so are we! We're thinking this is going to become a weekly tradition.. or maybe bi-weekly. Whatever my thighs can handle!

    1. Thank you! It was pretty darn spectacular, but I can only thank King Arthur Flour for sparking the beautiful pizza.

    1. Thanks, Lisa. The beer really gives that crust an excellent tang. And I love how it develops so quickly. Usually you need to let dough develop overnight to get that much flavor.

  14. I am SO into that Pizza Dough Flavor. In our house, it's no longer optional!

    1. Seriously. SO good! When I opened it, I said to James, "OMG. It smells like Papa John's circa 1998!" (when I worked there).

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