This is the easiest, best pizza dough recipe. With just 6 ingredients and no fancy flours required (I’ve included instructions for using all-purpose or bread flour), this pizza crust requires just one bowl (no stand mixer, though you can use one if you’d like), about 3 seconds of kneading, and just 30 minutes to rise.
If you’re uncomfortable working with yeast or making your own pizza dough at home, I’ll walk you through every step of the process in my video just below the recipe. You’ve got this!
It’s a little silly how excited I am to share this recipe with you today. It’s pizza dough, not exactly glamorous or sexy and it was honestly pretty boring to photograph (how do you make a ball of dough look fun and appealing in pictures, please tell me!).
But as someone who has struggled with baking even the most simple recipes with yeast, perfecting this pizza dough was definitely a triumph for me and I’m really happy to announce that there’s nothing to be afraid of! Yeast baking isn’t all that scary or hard, and you too can make your own super simple pizza crust at home in a matter of minutes, no fancy ingredients required.
I kept this pizza dough recipe as simple and approachable as possible. It’s made with all-purpose flour (and notes on how to substitute that flour, in case you want to get fancy 😉), no stand mixer needed, and only the most minimal amount of kneading required.
Below I’ve tried to ask some of the most frequently asked questions about making your own pizza dough. Let’s get to it.
What is the best flour for making homemade pizza dough?
Many pizza-making-pros will likely argue that bread flour is best for making homemade pizza. However, I rarely keep any flours in my pantry that are more exotic than all-purpose flour, so when I was working on this recipe I first and foremost made sure that it worked perfectly with regular old all-purpose flour.
I did make a point to test this recipe (repeatedly, we ate a lot of pizza last week) with bread flour and it works very well when made that way, too. I find that the biggest difference is that using bread flour gives my pizza dough a crispier crust, while the all purpose flour yields a softer one.
Can I flavor my Pizza Dough?
Pizza dough on its own is obviously important as a base for your favorite pizza, but it’s also kind of… bland. Shockingly, something made primarily of flour and water isn’t super exciting to the taste buds, and most of the flavor will come from whatever toppings you add.
I do usually try to spice up my crust just a bit, though, by adding a dash of garlic powder (usually around a ¼ teaspoon) and sometimes dried basil leaves (dried oregano could also work for you but I absolutely loathe oregano) into the dough before you add your oil and water.
How do you stretch out pizza dough?
You can use a rolling pin or you can use your hands. If you’re especially skilled, you can toss it up in the air and spin your dough like an Italian pizza artist, but I definitely lack the ability to tell you how to do that one.
I prefer to use a rolling pin and roll the dough out into a circle (or more like an amoeba-shape, since I can’t roll a perfect circle to save my life). Alternatively you can use your hands to flatten and stretch the dough until it reaches the desired width.
Then use your hands to pinch the edges to make a crust or fold over the edges (I always fold mine over because it gives me a thicker crust, which I love), brush the entire surface of the pizza generously with olive oil, and then use a fork to poke holes over the center of the dough to prevent any bubbles from forming while it bakes.
How do you make Homemade Pizza?
You can use this pizza dough recipe to make your own homemade pizza using any toppings you’d like (I love making Margherita pizza and have even made a BBQ chicken version using my BBQ pulled chicken).
I included instructions in the recipe, but once you’ve prepared your pizza dough, just add your favorite toppings and bake in a 425F oven for about 15 minutes (you may need longer if you add a lot of toppings). Do make sure you let your oven preheat properly and use an oven thermometer as possible, my oven takes a while to reach that temperature and usually “tells” me it’s ready when it’s not even close.
OK, are you guys sick of hearing about my beloved pizza dough recipe yet? In case you just can’t get enough, I also made a video just below that you can watch so you can see exactly how your dough should look in every step.
How to Make Homemade Pizza Dough
If you enjoy watching these videos, please subscribe to my YouTube Channel to be notified every time I publish a video!
The Best Pizza Dough Recipe
Ingredients
- 2-2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour OR bread flour¹ divided (250-295g)
- 1 packet instant yeast² (2 ¼ teaspoon)
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅛-¼ teaspoon garlic powder and/or dried basil leaves optional
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil + additional
- ¾ cup warm water³ (175ml)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Combine 1 cup (125g) of flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. If desired, add garlic powder and dried basil at this point as well.
- Add olive oil and warm water and use a wooden spoon to stir well very well.
- Gradually add another 1 cup (125g) of flour. Add any additional flour as needed (I've found that sometimes I need as much as an additional ⅓ cup), stirring until the dough is forming into a cohesive, elastic ball and is beginning to pull away from the sides of the bowl (see video above recipe for visual cue). The dough will still be slightly sticky but still should be manageable with your hands.
- Drizzle a separate, large, clean bowl generously with olive oil and use a pastry brush to brush up the sides of the bowl.
- Lightly dust your hands with flour and form your pizza dough into a round ball and transfer to your olive oil-brushed bowl. Use your hands to roll the pizza dough along the inside of the bowl until it is coated in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place it in a warm place.
- Allow dough to rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size. If you intend to bake this dough into a pizza, I also recommend preheating your oven to 425F (215C) at this point so that it will have reached temperature once your pizza is ready to bake.
- Once the dough has risen, use your hands to gently deflate it and transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth (about 3-5 times).
- Use either your hands or a rolling pin to work the dough into 12" circle.
- Transfer dough to a parchment paper lined pizza pan and either pinch the edges or fold them over to form a crust.
- Drizzle additional olive oil (about a Tablespoon) over the top of the pizza and use your pastry brush to brush the entire surface of the pizza (including the crust) with olive oil.
- Use a fork to poke holes all over the center of the pizza to keep the dough from bubbling up in the oven.
- Add desired toppings (see the notes for a link to my favorite, 5-minute pizza sauce recipe!) and bake in a 425F (215C) preheated oven for 13-15 minutes or until toppings are golden brown. Slice and serve.
Notes
Making in Advance:
To make in advance, let the dough rise covered at room temperature as indicated in the recipe, then deflate it, wrap it tightly so it doesn't dry out, and store in the refrigerator for up to several days or it will freeze for up to a month. Top your pizza off with my favorite, easy, homemade pizza sauce!Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Cathy
A wonderful, easy, and tasty dough. I use an infused olive oil which adds a lovely flavor! I also add the garlic and basil.
Sam
Yum! Sounds delicious with the infused olive oil! Thank you for commenting!
neharika
if i want to knead the dough in my stand mixer how long do you recommend letting the mixer run for?
Sam
Hi Neharika, it really will vary depending on speed, type of mixer, etc. I would take a peek at the video to get an idea of the dough consistency, that might be the most helpful thing.
Rachelle
Made this for dinner tonight.. turned out amazing. Thank you
Sam
You’re very welcome, I’m so glad you enjoyed, Rachelle!
Laura
Second time making this recipe this week!
I add about a cup of water, vs 3/4 – but maybe it is because I am using all purpose flour!
It made such a crispy crust and turns out great.
Thanks for something so simple, yet so delicious!
Sam
You’re very welcome, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed!
April
This was fantastic! I used all purpose flour and needed only about 1.5-1 3/4 cups of flour. Do you think this would freeze well?
Sam
Hi April! I have had others report freezing it with great success. 🙂
Aimee Oliver
Best dough recipe I’ve used in a long time. I treated it like bread dough, knead, rise, knead, roll. AMAAAAAZING
Sam
So glad you enjoyed, Aimee!
Marc
Excited to try this recipe tonight. Can I bake this dough in a pizza oven? I’m worried the high temps (800-900) might burn it before it fully bakes.
Thoughts?
Sam
Hi Marc! I honestly haven’t tried it on such a high temperature. If you try it would you please let me know how it works out for you? I’d love to know!
KT
Best recipe ever for Friday night pizza! I pre-baked the crust for 4-6 minutes on an Silpat mat (same mat that I rolled out the dough in an odd rectangle). We loaded it up with vegetables and it held up great! I made 2 separate doughs with garlic & basil and without. Everyone raved on the one with spices. Next time we will make extra to freeze. We have saved this for next time and highly recommend it.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed, thank you for commenting!
Carmen
What if I don’t have instant yeast in the house!?
Sam
Hi Carmen! You can use active dry instead, I would just proof it in the warm water first (and the dough may take more time to rise). Enjoy!
L
Hi! I’m about to make this recipe but I only have Active dry yeast. How can I use Active dry yeast to get the same results as the instant yeast? Thank you so much.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, L! Another user who used active dry yeast (same amount listed on the recipe) proofed the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water + 1 tsp sugar before putting it in the flour mixture. Then added the rest of the wet ingredients and flour. After about 45 mins it should double in size! I hope that helps! 🙂
Liz
Hi! Yes, thanks so much for your quick response. Will be trying this when I am officially out of instant yeast!
Colin
I made this a few weeks ago and it was super good, and I’ll be making it again tonight. Is it a problem to make the dough a few hours in advance and keep in the fridge? Will it rise too much? Trying to figure out the timing… Thank you!!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Colin! You can make it in advance. You will make the dough, allow it to rise completely, then store it in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it. It will last for up to 3 days. 🙂
Colin
Thank you!
LT
We are at altitude. I did the recipe and put in in a container in the fridge and it kept growing! Probably didn’t wait long enough (maybe a longer rise time – we did 32 min – is needed on the counter?) because it didn’t make a mess, it just popped the lid off and looked like a dough souffle. Which is fine by me! Pizza tonight!
Judy Roberts
Made a vegan pizza with this and it was breathtaking; easily the best pizza I’ve had in my life. Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
What a compliment, thank you so much, Judy! I am so glad that you have enjoyed it. 🙂
Erin
Thank you for this recipe!!! It is a favorite of my family’s…we tweaked it a bit to make it Gluten Free as well and have had amazing pizza nights! Best recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that your family has enjoyed this recipe, Erin, and now has a new go-to recipe for family pizza nights! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Poonam Manaktala
Awesome Recipe !! It came out so good !
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting, Poonam!
Nupur Biswas
Going to try it out now!! Really excited looking at the positive comments!!
Will keep you posted once done
Sam
I hope you love it!
Tinman
This is the best and easiest pizza dough recipe i’ve tried, and believe me, i’ve tried plenty in my 68 years. If i find it too stiff, just add a little water. Too loose, just add a little more flour. I add the seasonings to the dough and usually use the bread flour, if i have it. If not, all purpose works fine.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for trying my recipe, Tinman! I am so glad that you have enjoyed it. Thank you for commenting. 🙂
VV
How to make this gluten free/ rice flour? Same proportion?