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.
AnDrea
Love this crust! I’ve been intimidated to make my own pizza dough. But, this was super easy and very delicious – I added the garlic powder, dried basil and dried oregano. So flavorful! I used a pizza stone (I saw someone else mention it). I also used bread flour and it was very crusty! I’m making it again today, and I’m using whole wheat flour mixed with bread flour, and I’ll probably par bake it for a few minutes just to ensure that it’s extra crispy. Overall, this recipe is a winner, and I highly recommend it! Thanks for sharing!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it Andrea! It’s one of my go to recipes when I need dinner quickly. 🙂
Kate
Thank you for this fun and easy recipe! My first time making a dough and it came out great!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the dough, Kate! 🙂
Lisa
A light and fluffy crust that’s has a smooth flavor. Thanks.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the dough, Lisa! 🙂
MJ
I normally have a tough time with pizza dough but this was easy and came out great. My husband loved it. This will definitely be my go to pizza dough recipe.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed the pizza! 🙂
Doroty
Making for the first time tonight so far so good its rising right now, will let you know how it turns out. Doubled mine because I have 4 guys ranging from 11-62 all big eaters so needed more dough. Do you think doubling it that it will need additional time to rise?
Sam
I don’t think you would need much more time to rise. I hope everyone loves it! 🙂
Emily
This crust was so good!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Emily! 🙂
George
I made it for lunch today and my wife said it was the best pizza she ever ate I used mushrooms red peppers pepperoni from the dollar store and canola oil can of pizza sauce and pizza cheese from Walmart it was very good tasty dough with the garlic powder also
Thanks
Julie Kirby
This is a delicious crust!! I used bread flour because I happened to have some and it turned out beautifully. My most discerning critics (aka 11 & 13 year old daughters) agreed it was awesome. Thank you for sharing!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it, Julie! 🙂
Steve Eberhard
Molto Bella! Great crust!!
Sam
Thank you so much, Steve! 🙂
Janae
Is it possible to cut the dough in half, and refrigerate one part for a second, smaller pizza later? Trying to extend the use to make small pizzas for my kids 🙂 Thanks!
Sam
Hi, Janae. I think that will work just fine. Be sure to wrap it tightly so the dough doesn’t dry out in the refrigerator. 🙂
B. Corral
This is the best homemade pizza ever! I’d almost given up trying another recipe but this one looked so easy…no kneading 🙂 I used cake flour for this recipe. My family loved it! Thank you, this is going to be my go – to recipe for pizza.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
christina wooters
I love this recipe I add nutritional yeast for a chessy flavor then add my veggies
Sam
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed, Christina! Thank you for commenting! 🙂
Claire
Thank you – this worked nicely. I split the mix into two to make 2 x 12″ thin crust pizzas and baked them at 480F (250C) because that’s the highest my oven will go, and got a nice crispy crust with pleasantly charred edges. Saving this recipe for future use.
Sam
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed, Claire!! Thank you so much for commenting! <3
Bobbie
Tried it tonight, first time making pizza dough from scratch. Easy and YUM! Thanks
Sam
So happy to hear you enjoyed!! Thanks for commenting, Bobbie!
Jill Schmitt
My Italian mother has been making homemade pizza for many years. Because of her dementia, she can no longer remember the recipe. Although the process of making hers does differ from yours, the ratio of flour, sugar and olive oil are spot on. This was an easier version and a keeper. Thank you for sharing. I’ll be trying the stuffed crust next time. Yum!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Jill! Stuffed crust is a great idea. 🙂
Norman EPPERSON
I just love this recipe. I have made a couple small modifications to it to better suit the family tastes. One thing is I add a tablespoon of garlic herb seasoning. The other two hacks are to put the dough in a 10 inch cast iron pan for a terrific pan dish pizza. My daughter also has me use a mozzarella stick that’s been sliced lengthwise into 6 pieces and then tucked into the edge of the pizza dough for her thin crust pizza (14 inch pizza pan). This is absolutely the best recipe I’ve ever made for pizza dough. BTW if doing the deep pan version it resembles PH.
Sam
Yay! I’m so happy to hear what a hit it was, I actually do the same thing with the mozzarella sticks sometimes (I LOVE stuffed crust pizza!!). Thank you for letting me know what a success the recipe was for you, Norman, I really appreciate it!