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.
Michaela
So the taste of the pizza was amazing but my pizza browned perfectly on the outside and was really doughy in the middle. Any recommendations for that?
Sam
Hi Michaela! I’m glad you enjoyed the taste! Did you have a lot of toppings on the pizza that would keep the crust from baking? If so you can always pre-bake your crust so it finishes all the way through and then add your toppings and just warm/melt them. 🙂
Lil
Great exercise. Easy too. Thank you!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Michelle
Do you think adding dried Parmesan to the dough would work?
Sam
I think so, but haven’t tried it myself.
RosiG
Wah-Lah! Easy and yummy, my kinda cookin.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Rosh
amazing!
Juliann
Made pizza dough tonight based off this recipe and I can say it was the best pizza I’ve ever made. I played a little fast and lose with the recipe, added a bit of greek yogurt, did half and half whole wheat and white. Added onion powder, garlic powder and oregano to the dough and brushed the crust with herbs and olive oil. Did a classic margarita and it was top notch! Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Juliann! 🙂
Amanda
This recipe is wonderful, and foolproof 😊 we have made it several times (including several times with kids who insisted on their own design- thick crust or thin – it’s delicious and super forgiving. Thank you!!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Amanda! 🙂
Madeleine
Really good!!!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Madeline! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Lori K
Fantastic! This was my 1st time making pizza crust with yeast. Used regular white flour. Loaded with lots of pre-cooked toppings, fresh basil from the garden & Fontena cheese. Baked on a pizza stone-no parchment paper. This crust is amazing! Better than Pizza Hut’s deep dish pan pizza. It stood up perfectly to the toppings of sausage, zucchini, red & green peppers, mushrooms, caramelized onions & cheese. A lesser crust would have flopped under the load. This crust was PERFECT!!! I’m a fan!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Lori! 🙂
Sandie
This is a nice dough to work with. I used bread flour and we cooked the pizza on a pizza stone on our grill. I toped it with roasted Roma tomatoes from the garden, crimini mushrooms, mozzarella cheese and a bit of pepperoni. A bit of basil from the garden of top as a garnish. Thank you for a great recipe!
Sam
That sounds like a delicious pizza (hold the mushrooms for me!). I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much. 🙂
Amy
This pizza dough is really tasty! I used extra virgin oil and dry basil leaves for the crust and my whole family enjoyed it! Thank you so much!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Amy! 🙂
Cindyc
Can you freeze the dough?
Sam
Yes you can, please see notes on making in advance below recipe for any tips. 🙂
April Slater
My first time making pizza dough and my family truly enjoyed it. My 85 year old father asked for a second slice which is uncommon for his light appetite. Take out pizza night has been abandoned. Now with this recipe we will have our Saturday night pizzas again. Thank you for sharing.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, April! 🙂
Evere
This recipe was amazing!!!
Thank you so much!
Can this be used for making bread?
Sam
Hi Evere! It’s not really designed to make a loaf of bread. My garlic knot recipe is very similar, but I do have a homemade bread recipe you could use as well. 🙂
Margaret
This was excellent! Best pizza dough I’ve made yet! Have tried several recipes over the years , but you nailed it. The dough was very easy to work, too…made a nice thin crust!
Sam
I am so happy to hear it was such a success for you, Margaret! Thank you so much for commenting, I appreciate it 🙂