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.
Shelly Shuey
So perfect. I praised this up and down on my Insta and posted the link (@shellyclicks). Thank you!!!!!
My only problem: my pizza sauce was meh. Do you have a good recipe?
Sam
Hi Shelly! I am so glad you enjoyed it. I actually have a pizza sauce coming up soon so make sure you are subscribed to get the update when it comes out. 🙂
Anjie
Very good recipe. I’ve been making pizza for four decades, and never thought to add spices to the dough. We love a thin crust, so I made (2) 14 inch rounds without making any changes to the recipe. Turned out great.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Anjie! 🙂
MookDa
Very easy but I don’t know why mu dough never turns out sticky. The first time it didn’t rise either. I thought it was because I put basil in it so I tried it again today and did not put any basil in it. Still waiting to see if it will rise.
Sam
I’m so sorry you are having issues. If you dough is too dry, there may be too much flour being added. This is more of a feel thing than a hard measurement. As far as it not rising, there are several things that could be going wrong. Your yeast could be dead, your water could be too hot, could be too cold, and finally it may not be warm enough for the dough to rise in your kitchen. The basil won’t stop a dough from rising. 🙂
Jordyn
I am at home and I have been cooking dinner every day so this was my at home go-to today. I love the recipe but my oven was not working so I couldn’t do it… thanks for having this recipe for my family and I!!! From: Jordyn
Sam
I am so glad you have enjoyed it so much, Jordyn! 🙂
Lee
So good!! I wasn’t in the mood for waiting hours for a pizza so searched for a quick recipe and thankfully found this. I used my hands to shape it and the crust was so airy and fluffy. Delicious
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Lee! 🙂
Quinne Williams
Very good
TERRI SINCLAIR
I’ve made this recipe multiple times now. It never needs the amount of flour called for–I am using a kitchen aid w/dough hook to mix though.
Comes out great. I’ve used rosemary and garlic flavored olive oil in crust for Italian style pizza, and I just used cilantro for a taco pizza. All have been amazing.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Terri! 🙂
Carly
This dough is fantastic, not only is it fast to make it just taste great. I like to bake it at 500 degrees for a shorter length of time and it’s perfect for a girls pizza night.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much Carly! 🙂
Lark
I really enjoy this recipe and have done it a number of times with both all purpose and bread flour.
Currently making it and kind want to make a note of: depending on the ambient temperature where you’re setting it to rise can determine how long it takes.
At a friend’s who keeps their place at 68-71F it’s taking closer to an hour to double where at my home where it’s generally kept above 75F it’s closer to 30 minutes for doubling
Sam
I am so glad you enjoy the dough so much! 🙂
Stephanie
Can you double or even triple this recipe with the same results?
Sam
Hi Stephanie! Many others have done so with success. Enjoy! 🙂
Chris
I have been on a pizza making craze and used this dough. It is so easy and fast to make. I love that it is an only 30 minute rise. The crust is so good. I tried both all purpose and bread flour. Both turned out great!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Chris! 🙂
Lisa
Doubled the recipe for 2 pizzas last night, everyone LOVED it! Have you ever tried baking bread or buns from this recipe?
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Lisa! I have garlic knots that I have made from this dough. 🙂
Stacy
This is the best pizza dough recipe i have tried…it came out great. Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Stacy. 🙂
Kelly
Easiest and best pizza recipe. Thank you
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Kelly! 🙂
Laura Barbour
I’m making this tonight for dinner. Currently have my oven preheating & dough rising. I’m going to make mine in a 10” cast iron skillet. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Sam
I hope you love it, Laura! 🙂
Laura
I love making it in a cast iron skillet!