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.
Ji-Ha
I made pizza for the very first time and it was a great success!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!!:D
Carrie
Listen. I am not exaggerating when I say that hands DOWN. This was the absolute BEST DOUGH I have ever ever ever made. Like literally. I doubled the recipe because we were feeding our 6 kids. I followed the measurements–12 inch circle and had two nice, thick pizzas. They cooked on a metal, circular pizza pan. 13 minutes was PERFECT. Most pizza doughs I’ve made have that homemade taste. NOT THIS. I literally thought we ordered it from somewhere. I added the garlic and basil into the dough for extra flavor. I think it’s really important to not overmix the dough after it rises (apparently that’s a “thing” in baking and I’m not a baker, so it’s easy for me to overmix). It’s also important to not add too much flour–I think I added exactly what was suggested minus the 1/3 cup. I think for us non-bakers, it’s hard to resist the temptation to make the dough completely NON STICKY. But I controlled myself and BOY was it good. I will forever use this recipe. Thank you for sharing. I feel like I should bow down lol 🙂
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Carrie! 🙂
Hany
Is one cup = 125 gms or 225 gms? Thank you
Sam
1 cup of flour is 125g 🙂
Andrea
This is a great recipe!! Flavorful, soft and crunchy, it’s perfect! This will definitely be my go to recipe for pizza crust from now on
Jeosen
ohmygosh!! So easy to make and so delish!! Thank you for this!
chris
Nice, thin and crispy crush! Very nice. Will be my go -to from now on!
Adam
Great pizza crust. At first I thought it wasn’t going to turn out right but after the family and I tried it I had to add the recipe to our book! Thanks!
David
What would the recipe be if I was looking to do 14 to 15 inch pizza?
Sam
You could increase it by 50% to make a little larger crust. 🙂
Karen Burkey
I’ve made this several times now, and every time I get rave reviews. My neighbor says it’s the best pizza crust he’s ever had. Thank you for sharing it!
Ana
Which flour did you use?
Karen Burkey
I used AP Flour, nothing fancy. In fact, I just made breadsticks with it a couple of days ago, and they were awesome.
Missy Rogers
Ok…instead of making one large, I am making 7 small pizza’s. Do you think doubling the recipe will be enough? Baking time?
Thanks!
#2020sucked#newtradition#momof5
Sam
Doubling it could make 7 pretty small pizzas, but I’m not sure on a baking time. I would just keep an eye on it. 🙂
Carolinius Gorge
Hi I tried this recipe and it was great! Just wonderin’ if I can mix two types of flour to make the dough and if it will still proof correctly. (just tryin’ to be healthier ya know with all the mashed potatoes I’ve been eatin’ lately)
-PS: I love fried chicken, PPS: I can make some mean steamed green beans (the secret is maple syrup and marshmellows) and they the most unbland flavored vegetables instead of the other ones with just a “sprinkle of salt” hehe lolololol
Sam
I have had others report using a 50/50 mixture of all purpose and wheat flour. You may need a little less flour since the wheat flour is going to be “thirstier”. 🙂
Jo
Haven’t fixed the pizzas yet, but made several crusts ahead of time and has that been a nightmare. Followed all the directions and no matter how many tight wraps we have layered around them, they keep busting thru the wrap. I though breads would quit growing when you put them in the refrigerator, but not these. They are now in the freezer with hopes of slowing their growing and busting, but still be good for Christmas. Will update on the taste.
Chris
Morning Sam, if I am making 6 pizzas can I make the dough up early? If so how can it be stored until time for baking?
Sam
Hi Chris! It can be made in advance please see the notes below the recipe on how to do this. 🙂
Debbie
I love this dough recipe. So easy. We use for deep dish in a cast iron skillet. Comes out perfect.
Tracy Koral
Last minute dinner idea … it was great
Kate
The dough is great and easy to make, but turned out pretty soft on the bottom. We don’t have a pizza pan or brick so we put it on top of a wire cooling rack fit into a sheet pan. Any advice for how to make the bottom crispier? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Kate! You can bake it directly on your baking sheet, and it might have needed just a bit more time, that should do it. I hope that helps! 🙂
Jim St John
I prebake the crust for a few minutes on each side then add sauce and toppings. You could also preheat pizza pan first