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Copycat Publix Pizza Dough

Make homemade Publix pizza dough in your own kitchen whenever you want. Simply add your favorite toppings to create a delicious homemade pizza!

When we lived in Florida, Publix was our favorite grocery store. They offered weekly specials, BOGO sales, and tons of fresh fruits and veggies.

With that being said, nothing beat the Publix pizza dough from the deli. The crust was crispy on the bottom and soft and chewy on the inside.

Kim and I would create all sorts of pizzas using their dough and our easy homemade tomato sauce.

However, there were a few times when the pizza dough was sold out. So, Kim decided to create a copycat Publix pizza crust.

It took a little time and a few modifications, but I think her recipe is the perfect substitute!

Copycat Publix pizza dough has been separated into 2 big balls.
Don’t forget, you can use this dough to make breadsticks, garlic sticks, and cheesy bread too!

How to make homemade Publix Pizza Dough:

Prepping the Yeast:

First, start by using a microwave or pan to heat your water to 110-115ºF to activate the yeast.

  • Be very careful with the yeast because if it gets too hot, it will kill the yeast and the crust won’t rise.
The yeast has been mixed with water and sugar,
Be careful when working with yeast. If the water is too hot it will kill the ingredient. If it’s not warm enough the yeast won’t activate.

Now, add the sugar and yeast to the warm water and use a fork or whisk to quickly mix the ingredients.

After that, let the yeast sit for about 5-10 minutes to activate. The water should begin to bubble and become murky.

The yeast has activated and is bubbling in the bowl.
As you can see, the yeast is activating. Bubbles are forming in the murky mixture.

Dry Ingredients:

While the yeast rises, place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Use a whisk to combine everything if your mixer won’t reach them at the bottom of the bowl.

Flour and other dry ingredients in a stand mixer.
We use a whisk to mix the dry ingredients but use a dough hook when it comes time to mix the wet and dry ingredients.

Making the Dough:

Then, carefully pour the activated yeast mixture into the bowl with the flour.

The yeast mixture has been added to the dry ingredients.
Carefully pour the yeast mixture over the flour mixture. Otherwise, you may have a floury mess on your hands.

Afterwards, using a dough hook attachment, mix on medium speed for 5 to 6 minutes until a smooth, elastic ball forms.

  • It might be necessary to add additional flour a tablespoon at a time if the dough is too sticky.
The dough has been mixed using a dough hook attachment.
Once mixed, your dough should like this.

Let the Dough Rest:

At this point, you want to let the dough rest and rise (also known as proofing).

Additionally, I would recommend drizzling some olive oil into your mixing bowl. So, remove the Publix pizza dough from the mixer and place it in your prepped mixing bowl.

The pizza dough has been transferred to a mixing bowl to rest.
It’s a good idea to drizzle the bowl with olive oil or spray it with non-stick cooking spray before you add the dough.

Go ahead and cover the bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place it in a warm, draft-free area.

Then, allow the homemade pizza dough to rest and double in size. I usually let my dough rest for about an hour.

  • One thing you can do while you wait is prep your toppings. That way, you’ll be ready to build your pizza once the resting time is completed.

Also, towards the end of the rising process, preheat your oven to 400ºF.

The pizza dough has rested and doubled in size.
As you can see, the dough has doubled in size after an hour of proofing.

Final Preparations:

After the dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and place it on a well-floured surface.

Now, knead it 3 to 4 times by hand and divide it into two equal portions. That’s right, this recipe makes two pizza crusts. You can use the extra one for garlic knots.

After that, pick up one of the pieces and carefully begin to stretch it out. Start from the center and work your way out pushing the dough to the outer edge as you go. 

Once the dough reaches about 6-7 inches in diameter, place it on a greased pizza pan and continue stretching it out the rest of the way.

Toppings and Bake:

Top the homemade pizza dough with your favorite toppings and place it in an oven preheated to 400ºF. The amount and type of toppings will determine how long the pizza needs to bake.

The more toppings you have, the longer it will take to bake. My one topping (not pre-baked) pizza takes 15-20 minutes to cook.

A pizza with multiple toppings that has been pre-baked only takes 10-15 minutes. When we say pre-baked, that means baking the crust for 5-10 minutes in the preheated oven without any toppings.

Once your homemade pizza is done, remove from the oven and serve. That’s it, your homemade pizza is done!

Kim and I hope you enjoy the Publix pizza dough and wish you all the best 🙂

The pizza dough is separated and ready to be stretched.
One last tip, more toppings isn’t always a good idea. A burnt crust with uncooked toppings isn’t very appetizing!

Tips for our Publix Pizza Dough Recipe:

  • The Publix pizza dough can be made without yeast, however, it will not rise.
  • Additionally, go ahead and add a tablespoon of olive oil to the bottom bowl when you let the dough rise. It will keep it from sticking to your bowl.
  • We wouldn’t recommend freezing this dough because we’ve never done that and cannot tell you whether it works or not.
  • When using multiple toppings, be sure to bake the dough for 5-10 minutes before you add the toppings. For example, a Supreme or Meat Lover’s style pizza has too many toppings for the pizza to bake without precooking the crust a little bit.

Don’t forget to check out our Homemade Pizza Dough web story!

Homemade pizza dough on a piece of parchment paper.

Copycat Publix Pizza Dough

4.7 from 61 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Rest Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 16 Servings

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Suggested Equipment

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces water
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast, instant yeast also works
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions
 

  • Heat water to 110°F to 115°F. Add yeast and sugar to water and stir to mix. Set aside and allow yeast to activate.
    12 ounces water
    1 teaspoon active dry yeast
    1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • Place flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Once activated, add yeast mixture to the flour.
    4 cups all-purpose flour
    1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Using a dough hook, mix the flour and yeast on medium speed for 5-6 minutes until a smooth, elastic dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, add additional flour a tablespoon at a time.
  • Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a towel. Place in a warm, draft-free place and allow the dough to double in size (at least 30 minutes).
  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • After dough has doubled, place it on a well-floured surface. Knead it 4-5 times and divide in half.
  • Take one piece and begin stretching it by hand starting in the middle and pushing the dough outward. Once the dough is 6-7 inches in diameter, place on a greased pizza pan and continue stretching until the dough covers the pan.
  • Add your favorite toppings.
  • Place the pan in preheated oven and bake until the crust is golden brown.

Notes

The calories listed are based on the ingredients and a serving size of 1 slice from a  12-inch pizza crust. This recipe makes enough for two 12-inch pizzas. Actual calories will vary.
 
The dough can be made in advance and stored in your fridge for up to 3 days in an air-tight container. However, let the dough come to room temperature before stretching.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Slice | Calories: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 147mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g
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Recipe Rating




Pam

Sunday 16th of July 2023

How long do you bake?

John

Monday 17th of July 2023

Good Morning Pam, that depends on the toppings. On average, for a 1 topping pizza, it takes about 15-20 minutes to bake. If you add more toppings then you'll want to prebake the dough for 5-10 minutes before adding multiple layers of toppings. Then finish baking the complete pizza for additional 10-15 minutes. We covered all this (with extra tips) in the Toppings and Bake and Tips sections of the post. I always recommend checking those sections. Especially since we try to avoid adding a lot of fluff to our posts. :) Thank you for your question and have a lovely day!

Cindee

Friday 16th of September 2022

Wonderful pizza crust Thank you!

Wade Nelson

Saturday 27th of August 2022

Great recipe... made both dough balls, the first, I did not go for thin and it was great. The second, I did thinner... both excellent... thanks for sharing!

John

Sunday 28th of August 2022

Glad to hear you enjoyed the pizza crusts Wade! Thanks for commenting, have a great weekend.

Melissa

Wednesday 11th of May 2022

Hey i loved this recipe the only thing is you dont say what degrees to use f° or c° so i bothched the firt batch

Kimberly

Wednesday 11th of May 2022

Hi Melissa!

Thanks so much for comment. I'll update the recipe card to show fahrenheit. It looks like it's in the post but didn't make it into the recipe card. Thanks again!

Chris

Monday 14th of March 2022

Can you let the dough sit in the fridge overnight (after it’s proofed?) and use it the next day? Thank You

Kimberly

Monday 14th of March 2022

Hi Chris!

Yes, that should be fine. Although, I'd recommend not leaving much longer than 8 hours because the refrigeration time counts as a second proof. If the dough is chilled for too long, it can overproof. Hope that helps! Have a great week! :)