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.
Linda
Super easy and tasty recipe! I usually split this dough in half to make two pizzas in order to get a super thin crust. My 2 year old who doesn’t eat anything literally stole the slice off my plate.
Sam
🤣 I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Linda! 🙂
Patrucia
This is the best pizza dough! Can I double it?
Sam
Hi Patrucia! Yes this can easily be doubled. 🙂
Marie Gee
This is now my go-to recipe for pizza dough. I’ve tried many recipes, with mixed success, and have been paying $4 per dough at the local pizzeria. This is as good, and much more economical.
I love that it is so quick. You can decide to have pizza at 5, and be eating your pizza by 6. I’ve made it with whole wheat flour as that’s all I had in the house once, and it is so good that I now use half whole wheat and half all purpose.
Thanks for a great recipe.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoys it so much, Marie! Thank you for your feedback using wheat flour. 🙂
Lauren
I’ve made this recipe maybe 3 times already. My guys LOVE it. Pizza is a favorite food in this house, but ordering out pizza for growing boys gets super expensive.
Now, I just keep a jar of instant yeast on hand and can make them pizza whenever the craving strikes! I’m testing it out with calzones tonight, and will be making the only change: adding in extra garlic powder and italian seasoning and a handful of grated parmesan. It’s SO good.
I’m making a double recipe, hopefully I have some leftovers to freeze.
Thanks so much for sharing this bank account saving recipe! 😋
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoys it so much, Lauren! 🙂
Natalia
Thank you for posting this recipe! My 13 year old mastered this dough. We had it a couple of times already. It makes a very tasty pizza.
Sam
I am so glad everyone has enjoyed it so much, Natalia! 🙂
Amy Stein
This is now my go to pizza dough recipe. I recommend it to people. I let my dough rise a little longer than an hour because I make it on my lunch. This was my first truly successful pizza dough and now I make it regularly. I used to buy it. This is better.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoy it so much, Amy! 🙂
Gian E. Balilo
This is so good! Thank you so much!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Gian! 🙂
Stella
How many ounces of pizza dough does this make?
Sam
Hi Stella! Unfortunately I have never measured it that way so I am not quite sure how many ounces it makes. 🙂
Yusuf
Hi 👋🏼
I would really like to thank you tor this amazing recipe. WOW.
Its my very first time to make ANY kind of bakery and my wife just tell me its so professional.
Very tasteful, thank you dear ❤️❤️
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Yusuf! 🙂
Richard Hestand
Just found your terrific site while searching for a homemade pizza dough recipe and I”m so glad I stopped here. It is the best and made me the hero of the night, you can bet it will be served over and over again. Every crumb of the crust was devoured.
I have bookmarked so many of your recipes, I’ll be baking for the foreseeable future.
Thank you, for all this goodness.
Sam
Thank you so much, Richard! I am so glad you have enjoyed everything so much. 🙂
Richard
Excellent recipe ! We have tried it many times over now…. and always excellent, also shared with friends who had the same opinion. Winner ! Thank You Samantha for sharing,
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Richard! 🙂
Ashley khan
Today is my 3rd time using this recipe for making pizza. I’ve tried several recipes over the years but this by far the best ever.
Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Ashley! 🙂
jamie
best. pizza. ever!!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Jamie! 🙂
Melody
I have a question, can I use aluminum foil instead of parchment paper? Also, what do you recommend if we don’t have a brush to paint the oil on?
Sam
Yes, or you can skip the parchment/foil completely and bake directly on an ungreased pan. Sometimes I skip the brush and just drizzle a bit of oil on the crust then use the back of a spoon to slide it evenly over the pizza 🙂
Dave
Awesome! I added 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon of basis. It was easy to make and delicious. Thanks.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Dave! 🙂
Junnise
Hi can the pizza be baked in a aluminum foil bake pan if I dont have a pizza pan ? It’s my first time trying a pizza and I need it to be perfect today …I will try your method because I feel yours will taste better
Sam
As long as your pan is oven safe you should be able to bake the dough on an aluminum pan. The aluminum may bake a little differently than a metal pizza pan will, but it should still work. 🙂
Fidah
Use this recipe for my first homemade pizza and never look back. My go to pizza dough! Easy peasy since there’s no need to use the mixer and you have the option of using plain or bread flour.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Fidah! 🙂