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.
Nisha
I made this pizza crust tonight and it turned out very well. I wrapped the other half of the dough and put it in the freezer for tomorrow 😊. Thank you for posting this recipe.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Susan Hopke
Thanks for sharing this recipe. it has been our go-to now for weeks, and it works perfect. We likely won’t even go back to buying pizza out, as we have tried all kinds now at home, and prefer it anyways, now that we have an excellent crust. I do use a Pampered Chef pizza stone.
Sam
I am so glad everyone has enjoyed it so much, Susan! 🙂
Wendy
Can I double rise it?
Sam
Hi Wendy! It’s not necessary to let it double rise. I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see any reason it won’t still turn out. 🙂
Sharon
Simple and classic. Best pizza dough for me. Thank you for sharing. Our go-to dinner recently!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Sharon! 🙂
Pamela
I have tried many pizza dough recipes but I found this one to be the best. The pizza always come out perfect.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoy it so much, Pamela! 🙂
Gurjeet Calais
Did this at the last minute and loved how easy it was to come together and the result was spot on too! I added 1 full cup of water (slightly more than the recipe called for) and it was good to go. Definitely saving this page as a favourite for my easy reference
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Kat
Hi! Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast? If so, would I have to modify the recipe?
Sam
Hi Kat, you can use active dry, please see note 2 🙂
Khoula
Hi !
I will be trying your pizza dough recipe. But I wanted to ask a question I have tried many pizza dough but for quite sometime my pizza crust is rubbery, too chewy and hard to eat what have I done wrong?
Will be grateful if yo will answer.
Sam
I think the problem may be too much flour being added to the dough. The amount of flour you need for a yeast recipe is really a feel thing rather than a set amount of flour. Make sure you watch the video to get the dough to the proper consistency! 🙂
Diane Wheeler
I absolutely love this recipe. After trying several, I think yours is the best! Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Diane! 🙂
Larissa S.
Can I make smaller sized pizzas out of the amount of dough in this recipe?
Sam
Hi Larissa! You can roll the dough as big or as small as you would like. 🙂
Priyanka
Hi, I tried this recipe today and am super happy with the results. The base was soft, yet crispy, just perfect. This one is for the keeps. Thanks a lot for this recipe 🙂
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Priyanka! 🙂
Ellen Manalo
Hi Sam! If I’m going to double the recipe should I use the same amount of yeast? Thanks in advance for replying.
Sam
Hi Ellen! You will need to double the yeast if doubling the recipe. 🙂
Jade
This recipe is amazing! I can build my pizza and freeze for later. It will still come out great!! I’ve also tried it with sunflower and vegetable oil on different occasions, IT STILL TASTES SO GOOD!!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Jade! 🙂
Cam
Hi, Sam! Absolutely love this recipe and so many others of yours! Quick question – how long can the pizza dough stay in the fridge after it has been made? And do you recommend refrigerating it before or after proving?
Thanks!
Sam
Hi Cam! I have had people keep the dough wrapped tightly in the refrigerator for up to a week. It should be refrigerated after it rises. 🙂
Robin
Awesome pizza crust recipe! Tried many over the years but this is the best! First one I’ve used that can compete with our favorite pizza shop! I may never order pizza again! Thanks for sharing!
Sam
I am so glad you have enjoyed it so much, Robin! 🙂
Dino Lili
If i’m using bread flour , will the measurement will be the same as all purpose flour ?
Sam
Yes. 🙂
JB
Did this few times already. Very easy and taste soooo yummy! Can I also use this recipe for calzone?
Sam
I am so glad you have enjoyed it so much! You can definitely use this for calzones. 🙂
Wendi
I’ve tried lots of different recipes and this one was by far the best! Tasted good, not too sweet, not too salty. I added the garlic and Italian seasoning and they were just enough to give it some flavor, but not overpowering on the non-traditional (arugula, goat cheese, prosciutto) pizzas. Did grilled on a pizza stone and cooked really well without burning or staying soggy in the middle. Baked in cake pans for “deep dish” and next time will do the oven temp a bit differently, but the crust did beautifully. Easy to work with and stretch without ripping or feeling like I’m fighting a rubber disc. Yay! I finally have a recipe worth keeping!
Sam
I am so glad you have enjoyed the dough so much, Wendi! I appreciate all of your feedback. Sounds like you’ve been busy making pizza! 🙂