Beer Is The Secret To A Quick And Easy Pizza Dough

Pizza is almost always a reliable go-to when you need to feed a crowd. The versatility is legendary — you can get wildly creative with toppings to keep everyone happy, and a single pie can be cut into enough portions to go around. Sure, most people will pick up the phone and order delivery from their favorite pizza joint, but you can also make pizza from scratch for that extra homemade touch and kick of flavor.

The first step to making pizza is to put together the crust. You could opt for a classic homemade pizza crust, but one particularly fun and flavorful variation to try is a crust that's spiked with beer. This pizza crust comes together quickly, and, unlike a traditional, basic pizza dough recipe, this rendition doesn't include the addition of activating yeast, so there's one fewer step standing between you and a delicious, customizable pie, whether you're feeding a crowd or looking to nosh all on your own.

Pizza dough recipes with beer in them work well in part because beer contains yeast, which not only helps your pizza dough to rise but also gives it that signature bready flavor, which traditionally stems from yeast breaking down. Now, although the beer does help with aerating the crust, you should note that it won't rise as much as a traditional version that calls for active dry yeast.

In addition to a bit of rise, the beer helps hydrate the flour in the dough, a job that water usually does. This imparts unique tasting notes into your dough. You'll get faint hints of the hops and malt from the brew in your dough, giving your pizza extra complexity. One tasting note you won't pick up on in your beer-infused pizza crust, however, is alcohol. When you bake the dough, the alcohol cooks off, leaving you with a family-friendly meal ready for everyone's favorite toppings.

Finally, when you use beer in your dough, the malt in the brew leads to a crust that gets a gorgeous golden exterior. At the same time, you'll still enjoy that chewy consistency that a good pizza crust is known for.

If you're ready to give this beer-infused pizza dough a whirl, one thing to think about is what type of beer to use. This is where you can start to get a bit creative. Remember, the notes in the brew are what's going to wind up coming out in your crust. If you're after a more neutral taste, a lager like Pabst Blue Ribbon or other light beers such as a pilsner or saison are good picks. These brews have light flavors and aren't overly bitter, sour, or malty. For those who want something a bit more hoppy, you could go with an IPA. These particular brews are known for having aromatic, earthy notes and a more bitter finish. 

You can also use a darker beer, such as Guinness. This particular beer is sweet and creamy, and those notes can shine through in your ​​pizza. Other dark beers are known for having chocolate and coffee notes to them, which will also shine through in your dough. If you do go with darker beers, note that the dough may take on a slightly darker color. You can play up on this tone by experimenting with wheat or other darker flours, while also adding a unique touch of flavor. No matter which style of beer you end up pouring, you're bound to wind up with a delicious twist on a classic pizza crust recipe.