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.
Marion
Excellent
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Marlon! 🙂
Abdul
I did try it out works perfectly thanks alot
Sugar Spun Run
That is awesome! I am happy that it turned out well and you enjoyed it, Abdul! 🙂
Lucy
Yummy pizza dough 🙂 can you freeze the dough and thaw it for later?
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Lucy! Yes, the dough can be frozen. To freeze it, you will make the dough, allow it to rise completely, then store it in an airtight container and place it in the freezer. It will last for up to one month. 🙂
Lucy
Can I put it in a freezer bag?
Sugar Spun Run
Yes, that will be fine, Lucy. 🙂
Bry
Excellent recipe! I doubled the recipe to make 2 pizzas and the dough came out perfect! Thanks for sharing! My kids loved it too!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that the pizza was such a hit, Bry! Thank you for trying it and for commenting. 🙂
Natalie
Love this recipe. First attempt at pizza and it was a hit. Five adults here and EVERYONE loves it.
Would it be easy to double or triple the recipe when I need to make more than one pizza? I have been mixing each batch individually. Just don’t know enough about baking and don’t want to waste ingredients.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it was such a hit and everyone enjoyed it, Natalie! Thank you for trying my recipe. Yes, this recipe doubles, triples easily. It may just need more time to double in size the larger the batch. 🙂
Peggy
Thank you so much for an easy, tasty pizza dough recipe. I love it!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the pizza, Peggy! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Ece
I have been making your pizza once a week for the past month! Everyone at home loves it, many thanks!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that this recipe has become a family favorite, Ece! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Christina
After the dough rises can I refrigerate this dough for use next day?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Christina! Yes, that will be fine. You want to be sure to allow your dough to rise completely before storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Enjoy! 🙂
Caitlyn Spezia
My mom made this recipe and said that it was delicious! I want to make it as well, but I have a gluten allergy, so I’m going to attempt to make it with Bob Mills 1:1 flour! Ill report back how it turned out!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that your mom enjoyed it and I hope that you do too, Caitlyn! Someone recently used the 1:1 Gluten-free flour and had success so I hope that have the same luck. Keep me posted. 🙂
KayTK
If there is xanthin gum in the gluten free flour blend, we still need to add yeast, right?
Sugar Spun Run
I have not tried making this recipe using gluten-free flour and do not have experience baking gluten-free so I can not advise. Sorry I can not be of more help to you, Kay. Hopefully, someone else who tried this recipe using gluten-free flour will chime in.
Cristina
Hi! Can I use vegetable oil instead of olive oil?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Christina! Yes, that will be fine. 🙂
Susan
We have made this a lot it’s delicious and easy. Do you have any suggestions for a whole wheat crust?
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Susan. I have not tried using wheat flour with this recipe, however, others have and reported success. I hope that you do too! 🙂
Amy
I’ve made the crust using 1c. whole wheat 1c. all purpose flour. It turns out delicious! It’s not totally wheat, but it’s a bit healthier. This is my go to recipe for pizza crust!!!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for sharing what worked well for you, Amy! I am glad that you enjoyed the pizza! 🙂
Angela
Am looking forward to trying. My household enjoys a thin pizza crust. Please, do you have any suggestions on how to tweak the recipe to create a thin crust pizza base?
Sugar Spun Run
I am looking forward to you trying this recipe too, Angela! To achieve a thinner crust you will just roll it out to your desired thickness. I hope that you enjoy your pizza! 🙂
Christine Sammy
You can roll dough very thin to fit a 16’’ diameter pan or 2 smaller pan. The thinner the dough the thinner the crust. Hope this help
Peter james Astudillo
No baking powder?
Sugar Spun Run
No, it is not needed in this recipe. 🙂
C
This turned out so well and it was so easy to follow! Sam, thanks for all the tips and walk through. The video really helped. I had never made pizza dough before and had such great success with this one! I’ve made this 4 times in the last 4 days – it was a big hit!
Sugar Spun Run
Four times! That is amazing, C! I am so glad that you have enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
Emma
To die for! Just would like to know, can it be kept in fridge for a few days then used?
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Emma! Yes, this dough can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You will make the dough, allow it to rise completely, then store it in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. 🙂
Denise
When your ready to use it what should I do ? Do I put in a bowl to rise again or do I just roll it out to make the pizza??
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Denise! You just roll it about and make your pizza. 🙂