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.
C. Connell
OM goodness this is my new ‘go-to’ crust recipe! I’ve been making my own crust for about 20 years and trying to find the perfect one. I think I hit the jackpot with this one! I did cut the yeast to 1/2 teaspoon, covered it with plastic wrap, and wrapped the bowl in tea towels to keep warm for about six hours. It was ready to roll out and make my crust. Thanks!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Darcy russak
You’ve done it again!! Awesome pizza and oh sooo easy!! I used a tiny , and I’m mean tiny( about 4” cast iron skillet) to make a single serve pan pizza. Of course I used your sauce recipe too. Added fresh mozzarella at the end of baking and allowed it to melt in the warm oven. Also added tomato chunks during baking. Too yummy!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Darcy! That pizza sounds so cute and delicious! 🙂
ann
hi! was just wondering if i should double the amount of yeast as well if i’m doubling the recipe to make 2 pizzas?
Sam
Hi Ann! You will want to double the yeast as well. 🙂
Dave
Hi! I love this recipe! Have you ever doubled it, and if so, do you use the same amount of yeast and just let it rise longer?
Sam
Hi Dave! Several others have doubled it without any issues. You will want to double all of the ingredients. Due to the amount of dough it may take a little bit longer to rise. 🙂
Kimberly 💌
My dough is rising now …I will say I enjoyed making the dough and will update with how it taste and turns out soon
Sam
I hope you love it! 🙂
Lazlo
This is excellent dough! I separated and made calzones and it turned out perfect and delicious. Question about your serving size, is 1 serving the entire recipe/pizza crust or one slice of pizza?
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Lazlo! The calories are for 1/12 of the pizza dough. It was calculated based off of 12 slices. 🙂
Kelsey S.
Great recipe! I cut the dough into three for personal size pizzas! Worked out to be exactly enough for three, if you want more for sure double the recipe. Yum!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Kelsey! 🙂
shrimatee rai
Thank you its the best pizza dough. My grandson is 3 years old and said to me it’s good really good. Thank you again.
Jeanne Taylor
Can pizza dough be frozen or refrigerate the day before?
Sam
Hi Jeanne! You can make it the day before. Check below the recipe for how to store it when made in advance. 🙂
Giovanni
Hi, I just recently moved from CA to NM and was wondering if I should alter this recipe to a high altitude measurement ? Do you have any tips on how I could do that , thank you :).
Sam
Hi Giovanni! Unfortunately, I’m not sure if any alterations would need to be made for high altitude baking. 🙁
Parisa Jane
Thank you so much! I followed your recipes for both the pizza crust and sauce and it was a sure hit with my family. It was fast, easy, and absolutely delicious!!!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Cynthia Jones
By far this is the best that I have tried in my 45 years of making pizza dough. Thank you!!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Cynthia! 🙂
Lisa
This was an excellent pizza dough recipe! I used bread flour because we like thin and crispy and that it was! It was slightly sweet, I added garlic and basil to the crust.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Lisa! 🙂
Karen Sunabacka
Love the recipe! I make it often! However, I never need near so much flour. Each time I make it I can only add another ½ to ¾ c of flour (although I generally double the recipe, so where I should be adding 2 cups, it ends up being 1 cup plus a bit.)
Joan K
I’ve made this recipe a few times and love it. Could I use a combination of bread flour and all purpose flour? I’m trying to get a softer crust with some crispiness and thought a mixture of flour would work.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Joan! A mixture of the two flours should work. 🙂