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.
Lori
This pizza dough is easy, fast, and rewarding. I was a bit more liberal with my salt and olive oil and used bread flour – it was delicious! I have a question regarding freezing – what is the best way to bring it back to life? Defrost the night before, let it rise, and work from there? Just want to be able to use my leftovers without worrying about ruining them! Thanks again for a great recipe!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Lori! If you freeze it you will want to do it after it rises. You can then punch it down and then freeze it. When you go to use it again you can just let it thaw and roll it out. 🙂
Alfredo
hey sam maby you can make a youtube video about home made choclet cake or did you all ready done that
Sam
I already have one. If you go to my chocolate cake post you can see the video there. 🙂
Robert
I keep using this recipe whenever my dad and I want pizza and have yeast available. This has been a God-send at least since March.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoys it so much, Robert! 🙂
Angela
Is it okay to pre-mix all the dry ingredients in individual containers and just add the wet ingredients when I need to make the dough?
If so, how long will the pre-mix last and would it affect the effectivity of the yeast if combined with other ingredients for a while?
And is Instant Dry Yeast allowed to be exposed to heat (dry) without “killing” it?
Sam
Hi Angela! The yeast will die when exposed to air unless refrigerated so I wouldn’t recommend adding yeast in to your containers like that.
Angela
What if the container is tightly sealed?
Sam
The yeast will still be exposed to at least some air and it really needs to be refrigerated to survive. Personally I wouldn’t risk it. 🙂
Rose
Thank you! Awesome recipe, simple to make and delicious!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Rose! 🙂
Sara
Hi
This is really really delicious recipe😋.I tried it today my kids love to eat more and more thanks for sharing.
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Sara! 🙂
Christy De La Torre
FYI to anyone wanting a good thick crust dough, garlic actually prevents yeast from rising well so adding the garlic powder before letting the dough rise will leave you with chewier flatter bread instead of fluffy bread. I would add the garlic on step 7 instead of step 1
Sam
I’m glad you enjoyed, Christy! You actually won’t have any issue with the garlic, it won’t make a difference in the end result of the dough (other than a better taste if you include it!) no matter when you add it (same goes for the salt). Especially not with this amount and type. I hope that helps 🙂
Meesh
Great recipe! I live in BVI and our gas oven goes out without warming on the regular and I had to refrigerate my dough. Do I set it out until room temperature covered to use it?
What’s another recipe I should try of yours I’m vegan. The easiest dough I have made! Love it! Thank you! Regards- M
Sam
I am so glad you enjoy the dough so much! Unfortunately I’m not sure I have many vegan recipes. 🙁
Alfredo
hello sam my names alfredo sesmas and i am 10 years old and i hrd that you make a lot of dilishes food and you have 322.1k likes and im sorry that i cant spell so i hope you have a wonderful day goodbuy
Sam
Hi Alfredo!
Alfredo
sam i have never made something all i can make is eggs i don’t know if im a really good cooker like you make the best foods in the world and i am really looking at your pichers
Sam
A little practice makes perfect. 😉
Tracey
Hi Sam!
First, thank you! I’ve made this many times and it’s always great =).
Second, a question: I am curious about using whole wheat flour as a sub… do you know if it will react differently or if I’d need to experiment with a different quantity?
Sam
Hi Tracey! I wouldn’t recommend a full substitution for whole wheat flour. Sometimes I will do a 50/50 mix, but whole wheat flour will dry the dough out a good bit. 🙂
Alicia
It’s the first time i used this recipe and its much clearer than other recipes, except i needed more than 1/3 cup of additional flour.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Alicia! Yeast recipes can be tricky in that the amount of flour can vary from kitchen to kitchen so it’s difficult to provide an exact amount. I’m glad yours turned out. 🙂
Yemma8808
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Brigitte
Good Morning Sam,
This recipe is a winner! I’ve made pizza about 15 times and each time my family says it is the best pizza they’ve every had. My children think I should open a pizza shop. LOL – NOT ! A question – I made double the recipe yesterday but did not have time to make both pizzas, so my dough ended up over proofed. I wrapped it up in plastic wrap and put it in a plastic container. It seemed like it rose ever so slightly in the fridge while wrapped in the plastic. Do you think this dough will be usable? What would you suggest?
Thank you and keep your wonderful recipes coming! BCM
Sam
Hi Brigitte! I am so glad you enjoy the pizza dough so much! Yes the one you refrigerated will still turn out great. 🙂
Ken
You mentioned in step 2 to add olive oil and water but didn’t mention how much. What is the quantity?
Sam
Hi Ken. All of the amounts are listed directly above in the ingredients section.
Caroline
I’ve made this pizza dough 3 times now. It’s fool proof and perfect every time. Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Caroline! I am so glad that you have enjoyed it! 🙂