Adding olive oil to Pizza Crust mix will make the crust crispier and golden when cooked. It will also help to keep the dough together whilst mixing and shaping, making your life much easier!
Making pizza dough from scratch is simple enough, but it can take some time. You mix flour, yeast, sugar, salt, olive oil, and water. However, rather than dealing with these separate ingredients or the time you need to develop a dough, you can use a ready-made pizza crust mix.
Many brands sell a mix that only requires the addition of water to make pizza dough. However, you may have noticed that sometimes this mix yields a less desirable texture and flavor than crust made from scratch. However, there are a few ways you can add some dimension to your dough.
How Does Pizza Crust Mix Work?
There are several different brands of pizza dough mixes, but they all generally have the same makeup. Ingredient amounts and specific directions may vary slightly, depending on the brand. There is usually flour, shortening, salt, a leavening agent, and some sugar.
To use a dry mix, add the correct amount of water. Stir until you reach an even texture, cover, and place the bowl in a warm place for a few minutes. You will then need to knead your dough on a floured cutting board.
Next, flatten and shape your dough into whatever flat shape you want it to be. Place this on a greased baking sheet or a baking pan. You can then bake your crust for a few minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add your toppings, and then bake for at least another 15 minutes. Make sure that your crust is cooked through and golden.
A common complaint is that the result from this method leads to a somewhat dull flavor and monotone texture.
How to Improve Pizza Crust Mix
Since pizza crust mix is such a blank canvas, there are plenty of ways you can tweak it to get fast and tasty results. Find ways to add flavor if you want to know how to make pizza crust mix better.
Add Yeast, Sugar, and Salt
This one is probably the most time-intensive option on this list, but it does not take as long as making your dough entirely from scratch. Use instant dry yeast to add some rise and texture to your dough. This mix will require about 20 minutes of rising. The sugar and salt add some flavor.
You can add other types of yeast, such as active dry yeast, but you will need to include sugar and warm water to activate it. This option will also take longer than instant dry yeast.
Add Olive Oil or Butter
Pizza crust mixes can greatly benefit from some added fats since those fats add flavor. You can add the fat of your choice in a few ways. Olive oil can be mixed into the dough or brushed on top before baking.
Butter can be melted and brushed on top. You can also mix melted butter into your dough. Solid butter can be added to the dough, but you may end up with a more pastry-like texture than you want. Feel free to incorporate some herbs in either of these options.
Add Garlic
A great way to add even more flavor to your crust is by brushing your crust with a mix of garlic with olive oil or butter. Remember that garlic can burn easily, so if you cut it small, you may want to add it after the crust has baked for a while. You can mix some garlic in with the crust, but you may risk burning the garlic.
Stuff the Crust With Cheese
Rather than brushing something on top of the dough or folding fats into the dough, simply add some cheese in a copy of a stuffed crust. This crust is easily done with any low-moisture mozzarella. Mozzarella string cheese is also an ideal shape for creating a stuffed crust.
This option adds some flavor and textural interest to the crust, and you can combine this idea with any of the other options on this list.
Have Fun With Toppings
While the cultivation of the crust itself is an important part of pizza creation, do not forget that the toppings of the pizza are also important. You can add anything you want to make the overall result better. The fun of making your own pizza is that you are not bound by the confines of a restaurant’s menu.
If your pizza has pineapple, olives, burrata, and beets, your palate may be busy enough that it does not notice a dull crust.
Final Thoughts
Sometimes, you just do not have the time and energy required for from-scratch pizza dough. Now that you know how to make pizza crust mix better, you do not have to sacrifice taste in the interest of saving time. Try these techniques and explore your methods of getting the most out of pre-made pizza dough mix.