Making Pizza Dough in Your Instant Pot Is the Perfect Weekend Cooking Project

In a small measuring cup, combine ¾ cup of warm water (between 105° and 115°F), 1 packet of instant yeast and 1½ teaspoons of sugar or honey to activate your yeast. Once it begins to bubble and foam after a few minutes, it's ready. (If it doesn't bubble, the yeast may be dead and you will need to start over with a new packet instead.)

Once your yeast has bloomed, combine it with your flour, salt, and olive oil in a food processor or stand mixer (using the dough hook) or stir in a large bowl until it becomes cohesive and pulls away from the walls. 

Gather your dough, then knead and form it into a ball. Spray your Instant Pot bowl with cooking spray and place your dough in the center. To expedite the dough proofing process, set your Instant Pot on the “normal yogurt” setting and that your venting valve is “sealed” and proof for 30 minutes.

Now that your dough has had a chance to fully proof, it is ready to shape and finish off before going in the oven. Remove the dough from the Instant Pot and use a rolling pin or shape by hand into your desired crust size. 

Once shaped, use a fork to pierce the dough several times to allow ventilation. Then coat with sauce and finish off with your favorite toppings like pepperoni, pineapple, mushrooms, or mozzarella. If you’re looking to get even more ambitious, make your own homemade pizza sauce in the Instant Pot or from scratch. 

Bake your pizza in a preheated oven at 425°F for 15 minutes on a pizza stone, pan, or even the back of a cookie sheet until golden brown.