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)
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.
Phill G.
I’m back after trying this recipe on yesterday. I have to say it was an immediate favorite from the moment I put it together. Such an easy recipe to follow. I added Italian herbs and dried minced garlic into the dough. The flavor was extremely good! I finished it today and can’t stop thinking about it. I will definitely try this recipe again.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Phill! 🙂
Diana
Yeast has always frightened me, and my bread-making attempts have been disastrous over the years….but your pizza crust recipe is perfection! It made one large rectangular pizza, enough for three adults. Delicious and easy, thank you!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Diana! 🙂
Matthias
Best recipe I’ve tried for hand mixing since I don’t have a stand mixer. Easy to follow and leads to perfect results!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so Matthias! 🙂
Sarita Sanghvi
Can I halve the recipe?
Sam
Hi Sarita! That will work just fine. 🙂
Sandhhya Hariharan
Oh wow. Thank you tons for this lovely recipe. I am glad I bumped into your website. This was a super duper hit in our family. My kids appreciated, thanked me hugged me. They swear that they are not gonna have pizza from any store. 😂😂 my little one said this was the best pizza he had in his whole life. Could you please share recipe for the best bread. I have tried few recipes but it did not turn out as great as your pizza recipe.
Again thanks a ton. Love you sweetie. .
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much! I actually do have a homemade bread recipe that is really really good. I hope everyone loves that just as much! 🙂
Sandhhya Hariharan
Oh wow. Sure I’ll be trying them today. I am sure this will be a super hit in my family. Thank you so much for responding.
Sam
Enjoy! 🙂
rachel
Hi there!
Can you partake this dough? Also, can you split the dough to make 2-3 pies? If yes, then when would you split the dough (pre- or post-rise)?
Sam
Hi Rachel! You can par bake the dough if you would like, but I find it’s not necessary unless you are using lots of toppings or want a particularly crispy crust. You can easily split it into as many pieces as you would like. I typically do this after it rises, but that’s really a matter of preference here. 🙂
Whitney Trim
Great recipe tried it today and made two mini pizzas. Came out great
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Whitney! 🙂
Phill G.
Hi, I will be trying this recipe shortly. Looks super simple. Thanks for posting and listing the recipe in a way I can check off each ingredient!
Sam
I hope you love it, Phil! 🙂
Justine
My go to recipe everytime!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Justine! 🙂
margaret abrusley
I made this wonderful pizza for my two granddaughters, ages 10 and 8. They loved it. I used bought pizza sauce, but next time I’m going to try your recipe for it. The girls ate every bite of the crust and the edges, which are usually not eaten! This dough recipe is the best! I made it simple with just the sauce, mozzarella, and Turkey pepperoni. I froze half the dough to use later. Thanks for another great recipe.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Margaret! 🙂
Kait
The BEST pizza dough recipe I’ve ever made. Added active dry yeast directly to the flour and it turned out great! Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Kait! 🙂
Kay
Love, love, LOVE this recipe!! It is rising right now, and I have made it at least five times already!! Thank you!!
Sam
I am so glad you have enjoyed it so much, Kay! 🙂
Meg
I used your recipe to make pizza for my husband and me yesterday. I only wanted to make one which made your recipe perfect. While the dough was rising, I cut up the veggies-onion, bell peppers, & mushrooms and sautéed them adding spinach and olives at the end. Wanted to use a rectangle pan, I tried to spread out on parchment paper but that didn’t work so I used a nonstick spray and spread the dough out, added spaghetti sauce, veggies and cheese. Very yummy! It will be my go to pizza crust from now on.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Meg! 🙂
Victoria Velazquez
Wow wow wow this dough was amazing ! I used truffle oil on the actual dough and baked the dough for 10 minutes prior to adding ricotta with spinach and fresh mozzarella and than throwing that back in the oven for 3 minutes and 2 under the broiler. AMAZING!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Victoria! 🙂
Renee
My kids love this. They tell everyone mommies pizza is the best
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoys it so much, Renee! 🙂
Argm
Thank you so much Sam, my kids and Husband loved the dough. I used the active dry yeast dissolved in warm water.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Richard Layman
Great recipe. We use bread dough, double it and make a half sheet pan pizza . I add oregano, garlic powder, and everything bagel spice to the flour. We just went to a friend’s. They have an outdoor wood fired pizza oven. It made a huge difference. A wood fired crust is even better than the oven, adds depth to the flavor.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Richard! I should build myself a wood fired outdoor oven. It sounds incredible! 🙂