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.
Romy
Amazing! Every night is pizza night because of this!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoys it so much, Romy! 🙂
Melissa
This looks super easy to make, so excited to try it out! Do you make your own marinara?
Sam
Hi Melissa! I do have my own pizza sauce that goes great with this dough. It’s also really easy. 🙂
Melissa
Thanks! After I commented I found the recipe! thanks for the quick reply 🙂
Liz
Of all the Dough recipes i’ve this one is the best!! Thangs for sharing!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Liz! 🙂
Disha
How do I use it again after storing in fridge?
Sam
Hi Disha! You should just be able to roll it out again. 🙂
Jason
You are such a sweetheart Sam❤️ I”m a husband that does all the cooking in my home and I think I do a pretty good job at it (thanks to my Nanny teaching me). But I have had so many fails when trying to use yeast in pizza crust that I had given up until the other night Hurricane Sally hit us and closed all stores down so I had no choice but to make a homemade pizza crust instead of going and buying a ready made crust and thank you Lord 🙏 your recipe worked!!!! Thank you sooooo much Sam!!! Sincerely, Gulfcoastmn74
Sam
Thank you so much, Jason! I am so glad this recipe has been helpful and you are able to successfully make your own pizza dough. 🙂
Fengying Lu
this is the best pizza dough I have tasted. thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Kaitlyn Taylor
This recipe turned out awesome!!! It was very easy and fun to make too. I would definitely recommend this recipe if you’re looking for a quick, easy and fun pizza recipe, this is it!!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much Kaitlyn! 🙂
Brandy
I made this recipe using 2 1/4 tsps of active dry yeast and omitted the extra seasonings for my first try. I prepared the dough in my stand mixer rather than mixing by hand. I did put my yeast in a warm water and sugar mixture right in my bowl. The crust turned out beautifully golden and crispy. I used AP flour and blind baked the crust for about 8 minutes before adding toppings. I baked the pizza for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese was melted. I loved the plain crust as it was a perfect base for my toppings. Next time I will roll it out thinner or split the dough in half as it was a bit too thick. Overall very easy to make and delicious!! Thank you for sharing!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Brandy! 🙂
Witek
Probably is gonna be good. I like the fact you can add additional things to, let’s say, modify the pizza. Also i probably won’t use the fork holes for no bubbles, because I like the bubbles, but it seems like a nice technique if you don’t like those! 😀🍕
Sam
I hope you love it! 🙂
Lakshmi Srirama
It is super good recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Lakshmi! 🙂
Lillian Meredith
Made it. Love it. It’s so easy. My husband and i enjoy lots of toppings. It is the best pizza. I really can’t eat any other pizza.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Lillian! 🙂
Jess
Easy to follow directions and so quick and easy to make! My five year old helped and which, I think, made him love eating it more. I added dried basil and garlic powder to the dough and I did not regret it!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Jess! 🙂
Kim
Great recipe. Easy to put together and delicious We actually had enough for two Pizzas!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Kim! 🙂
Lakshmi Srirama
Hi,
All the ingredient part of the recipe is not readable. Is this a temporary problem on you site?
Sam
I’m so sorry about that, it was a temporary glitch. Everything should be fixed now, but please let me know if you experience this problem again!
Lexie
I used this recipe for dinner tonight! I was a little worried while mixing the dough but it came out wonderfully. I cooked for about 15 minutes and I think it came out great. My boyfriend likes the crust more crispy so I will try a little longer next time. Thank you for the recipe!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Lexie! 🙂
Amy Gutierrez
This is the BEST PIZZA DOUGH EVER!!!
I just picked the recipe with the highest ☆ Rating and IT DID NOT FAIL!!
Over the last month I have made about 15 pizzas. My sweet husband bragged to our parents and all his friends. He kept inviting everyone over for dinner and told them to be prepared for the BEST PIZZA EVER.
Everyone agreed. The recipe is so easy. I must admit my arms have been a little sore from all the rolling since we like our crust really thin. I have been making at least 2 crust each time and since the crust is so thin I have been able to make a 3rd pizza crust everytime. Thank you for the Fabulous Recipe it truly is my all time favorite
(I wish I could send you a picture)
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Amy! The best way to send me pictures is to tag me on instagram @sugarspun_sam or join my Facebook Group. 🙂
Juliana
I make this recipe for a mac and cheese pizza. Every time it turns out delicous! I like the simplicity of It and the low calorie count! Thank you for posting this!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoy it so much, Juliana! 🙂