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
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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.
Kim Murry
This dough was amazing to work with. I rolled it out with a rolling pin. Perfect texture. My husband told me it was like a restaurant crust. We both agreed it was the best home made crust we’ve ate.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it, Kim! 🙂
Carolyn
We made two batches last night and had the best homemade pizza ever. I’m not a renowned cook so glad for easy recipes. Our company was also very complimentary of their food. Thanks
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it, Carolyn! 🙂
Paula
This is the best pizza dough recipe ever! Used bread flour and the crust was nice and crispy not doughy or soggy. Added some onion and garlic powder and basil to the flour and it had a great flavor. I will definitely make again soon.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Paula! 🙂
Stacy
I triped this recipe (five kids!) and added Italian Seasoning and Garlic Powder to the dough. I used half all purpose flour and half bread flour. It was FANTASTIC! It made two thick crusted large pizzas and the crust had great flavor. The kids really liked the cheese pizza where I sprinkled garlic powder on top the best! Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it Stacy! In my opinion there’s no such thing as too much garlic! 🙂
Lisa
I’m gonna make this tonight for dinner! I appreciate u explaining the difference between the 2 bread’s interesting. I love doughy crust but hubby likes the Crispy crust so I will need to get some bread dough to make this for him. Thank u for sharing and teaching me all the step by step written instructions and videos for I know this takes alot of time and effort u covered it all looking forward to this and other recipes 🙂
Sam
I hope you love it, Lisa! 🙂
Cindy
Can I freeze this dough for later use and if so would I let it rise first then freeze
Thaw and have it rise again?
Sam
Hi, Cindy! I have not frozen the dough, but I know others have. You would want to let the dough rise, then deflate and wrap tightly so it can’t dry out in the freezer. You should be able thaw it and use it. 🙂
Karen Kaminski
Made this earlier tonight. Came out very good! Mine also used less than 2 cups flour.
I also let mine rise a second time, after it is on the pizza pan, for another 30 minutes, because we like thick crust.
I make bread often. A nice way to have it rise is to put a cup of water in your microwave, on beverage. Remove the cup of water after it is heated. Put your bowl of dough or pizza pan, in the microwave. Shut the door. Do not turn it on. Let raise 30 minutes. You are just using the warm, moist place to keep you dough in a good enclosure to raise. Especially helpful on cold days, when people keep opening outside doors, letting in the cold, and you are trying to keep your dough warm.
Sam
That’s a great tip, Karen! I am so glad you enjoyed the dough. 🙂
ROBERT GLEJF
3/4 cup water or 1 3/4 cup? Ingredients say 3/4 cup, but in your video, it looks like 3/4 cup.
I used 3/4 c. as stated, and my dough was not as watery as yours to start. I barely got through the additional cup of flour, and my dough already seemed like it had too much flour.
Sam
Hi Robert! It is only 3/4 cup of water. Did you weigh your flour? It sounds like there may have been too much flour in there.
Mark E. Joseph
What makes the crisper crisper crust.
Sam
Hi Mark! If you want it to be crispier, roll it out thinner, bake it at a higher temperature, and use bread flour. 🙂
Alexandra
If i double this should i let it rise for a longer period of time?
Sam
Hi Alexandra. I don’t think it will need more time to rise, but just keep an eye on it and if it hasn’t risen enough let it go a little bit longer.
Jamie
If I was to double the recipe, do I need to double the yeast as well?
Sam
Hi Jamie, you would double all ingredients.
Gloria
I am going to give this recipe a try tonight. It’s almost similar to the one I normally use, so we’ll see how the family likes it. I do have to improvise the pizza recipe a tad, as my family likes a sweeter crust, so I hope it comes out just as good.
Sam
I hope everyone loves it! 🙂
Jen
I made the dough but want to make the pizza tomorrow… should I just cover and leave in the fridge overnight?
Sam
Hi Jen! I think that will work just fine! 🙂
Frank
What are your recommendations for chilling the dough the day before…let it rose in the frige overnight?
Sam
Hi, Frank! I would let the dough rise, then cover it and place in the refrigerator overnight. 🙂
Flory
It really is the best pizza dough. Thanks a lot
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Lisa Marie
I’ve used this recipe twice now and both times the dough was amazing! The second time I used half bread flour and half whole wheat flour. It made a regular size pizza stone and then some. I hand stretched the extra dough and placed on a cookie sheet for a rustic looking rectangular pizza. Thanks for the recipe. It’s a keeper!
Sam
I am so glad you have enjoyed it Lisa! 🙂