Pizza Express dough balls
Pizza Express have released the recipe for their dough balls so you can recreate them at home when you can’t get to one of their restaurants.
My kids love dough balls but I’d much rather make them ourself at home than buy them from the supermarket. When I found this recipe for dough balls from Pizza Express I thought it would be the perfect version to try.
They’re a delicious dough ball – a little bit crispy on the outside, but soft and chewy on the inside like a good dough ball should be.
I’m sure you’ve enjoyed these in restaurants before but now you can enjoy then from the comfort of your own home. They’re just as delicious and fluffy as you remember and we’ve even got the recipe for the all important garlic butter.
How can kids help to make the Pizza Express dough balls?
Dough balls are a really easy bake for kids and these are no exception. Like any bread recipe, kids can enjoy measuring out the ingredients and mixing them together before getting to knead the dough.
Kneading dough is always a fun job for kids They can roll their sleeves up, get their hands messy and stretch and bash the dough until it’s smooth.
It can also be a fun job for children rolling the dough into balls. If your kids like playing with playdough, they’ll love this!
Can I use fresh yeast?
The original recipe uses 15g of fresh yeast. We only have fast action dried yeast so substituted that in instead. If you want to do it authentically with fresh yeast, simple add it to the water with the caster sugar to activate it before leaving it for 10-15 minutes. Make a well and add this to the flour to make the dough.
How do I store dough balls?
To store dough balls, wrap them tightly in cling film or glad wrap or place them in an airtight container. You can keep them refrigerated for 2-3 days, or in the freezer for up to a few months. Reheat them in the oven before you serve them.
How do I make dough balls crispy on the outside and soft on the inside?
Getting the perfect texture for your dough balls depends on the recipe and baking method. To make them slightly crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside, try baking them at a high temperature (220°C / 200C Fan / 425°F) for a shorter time, or try brushing them with melted butter before you bake them.
Can I add flavour to the dough balls?
Yes, you can customize the flavour of dough balls by adding various herbs, spices, cheeses to the dough. Experiment with different ingredients to suit your taste preferences.
What other easy bread recipes for kids can i make?
If your kids enjoyed making these dough balls they might also some of our other easy bread recipes for kids including:
Finger rolls
Easy white bread recipe
Soda bread
Homemade bagels
Hedgehog rolls
English muffins
Breadsticks
Shaped dinner rolls
Homemade garlic focaccia
Ingredients
For the dough balls
225g plain/all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
7g packet of dried active yeast
1 tsp caster sugar
150ml warm water
For the garlic butter
1 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp butter
½ tsp garlic
How to make Pizza Express dough balls
Measure the dry ingredients
Get your kids to measure out the flour and add it to a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer.
In different sides of the bowl add the salt, sugar and yeast.
If your kids can do this on their own, great! Otherwise, either get them to hold the measuring spoon, while you pour in the salt or vice versa. Get them to level off the top of the salt/sugar before adding it to the bowl.
Make the dough
Measure out 150ml of warm water (if you put your finger in it should feel nice – not too hot but not too cold.)
The best way to get an accurate measurement is to use the ml setting of your digital scales. If you don’t have digital scales, a measuring jug will do.
If you’re using a free-standing mixer, add the dough hook, and turn it on at a low speed.
Get your kids to slowly pour the water in. Let the dough hook mix it all together then let it knead it for 5 minutes.
If you like, you can let your kids knead the dough themselves for a while once the bread machine has done its bit. My kids normally like the chance to do this. It’s great fun for kids getting to play with the dough with their hands. And it works quite well, because I know the dough will have had enough kneading already from the machine.
If you are mixing this in a mixing bowl, make a well in the middle of the flour and get your kids to slowly pour the water in.
Using spoon, slowly mix it all together. Once it’s all come together, tip it out on a lightly floured work surface, then get your kids to knead it for 5-10 minutes.
If you’ve never kneaded anything before, it’s really easy. Simply take the dough and hold it with one hand while you stretch it away from you with your other hand. Bring it back together, turn it then repeat.
Or if you’re like my kids, just stretch, pull and bash the dough any way you like until it is smooth and not sticky!
Form the dough balls
Split the dough into 16 equal amounts (or more if you want more, smaller dough balls.) If your kids are quite young it’s best to divide them yourself.
I find the easiest way to do it is to divide the dough in half, half again, half again and half again until you have 16.
Alternatively, if you want 24 smaller bite sized dough balls, start by dividing the dough into 3, then keep halving each piece of dough until you have 24 pieces.
Get your kids to roll each piece of dough into a ball and put them onto a baking tray.
Cover the baking tray loosely with oiled cling film and leave the doug balls to rise for half an hour.
Make the garlic butter
While the dough balls are proving/rising make the garlic butter.
Get your kids to measure the oil into a small dish. Crush the garlic (roughly one large clove), and add it to the oil.
Mix it together so it forms a paste.
Measure the butter out, then pour the oil and garlic over the top. Blend it together with a spoon. Set it aside for now.
Bake the dough balls
Preheat your oven to 230C / 210C Fan / 440F
Bake your dough balls for 6-10 minutes. They’re ready when they’ve turned a nice golden brown colour and sound hollow when you tap them underneath.
Leave the dough balls to cool slightly then serve with the garlic butter.
Pizza Express dough balls
Ingredients
For the dough balls
- 225 g plain flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 7 g packet of dried active yeast
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 150 ml warm water
For the garlic butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp butter
- ½ tsp garlic
Instructions
Measure the dry ingredients
- Measure out the flour and add it to a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer.
- In different sides of the bowl add the salt, sugar and yeast.
Make the dough
- Measure out 150ml of warm water.
- If you're using a free-standing mixer, add the dough hook, and turn it on at a low speed. Slowly pour the water in. Let the dough hook mix it all together then let it knead it for 5 minutes.
- If you are mixing this in a mixing bowl, make a well in the middle of the flour and slowly pour the water in. Using spoon, slowly mix it all together. Once it's all come together, tip it out on a lightly floured work surface, then knead it for 5-10 minutes.
Form the dough balls
- Split the dough into 16 equal amounts (or more if you want more, smaller dough balls.) If your kids are quite young it's best to divide them yourself.
- Roll each piece of dough into a ball and put them onto a baking tray.
- Cover the baking tray loosely with oiled cling film and leave the doug balls to rise for half an hour.
Make the garlic butter
- While the dough balls are proving/rising make the garlic butter. Measure the oil into a small dish. Crush the garlic (roughly one large clove), and add it to the oil. Mix it together so it forms a paste.
- Measure the butter out, then pour the oil and garlic over the top. Blend it together with a spoon. Set it aside for now.
Bake the dough balls
- Preheat your oven to 230C / 210C Fan / 440F
- Bake your dough balls for 6-10 minutes. They're ready when they've turned a nice golden brown colour and sound hollow when you tap them underneath.
- Leave the dough balls to cool slightly then serve with the garlic butter.
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If you liked these dough balls, you’ll love our easy bread recipe for kids, as well as our simple loaf and bread ideas.
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