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.
Ivy Herrerra
I made this today while babysitting my friend’s kids togther 4 of mine qhen school was canceled due to inclement weather. Very nice dough.
Sam
I am so glad you everyone enjoyed it, Ivy! 🙂
Shirley
Made this tonight and it was great even though I made a boo boo. I doubled the recipe and forgot to double my water. Needless to say, I only needed only 2 cups of flour for both. Didn’t need any flour on my working surface. I was tempted to toss it out, but I could hear my grandpa’s words ringing in my ears about how bad the great depression was and that we don’t waste food. So, I proceeded to finish and was surprised that it tasted great lol. A little dry, but it was still edible enough to enjoy. This definitely is a keeper. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Shirley! 🙂
Joli
this took no time at all and it was SO SO SO SO delicious!!!! I love that the rising time is only 30 minutes!!! Thank you so so so much!!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it Joli! 🙂
Charlene
Nice dough u use basil in my doughs an sprinkle oregano just before I bake it the taste is fantastic
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the dough, Charlene! 🙂
Kaytie
Hi!
Have you ever let this dough recipe rise over night? I have to work late tomorrow and want to make it tonight and let it rise until I can cook it tomorrow evening! Any tips?
Sam
Hi Kaytie! I have not let it rise that long I think it would hurt the texture and taste. You can let it rise, then refrigerate it, making sure to wrap it tightly so it doesn’t dry out. 🙂
Sara
Can I use this recipe and cook the crust beforehand to make breakfast pizza?
Sam
Hi Sara! I have not prebaked this crust as it isn’t really necessary, but I think it will work fine. 🙂
Boyd Kobe
I love a homemade pizza recipe, and this one looks like a winner! YUM
Sam
I hope you love it! 🙂
Hidaya
Sounds simple, can’t wait to try the recipe. Adding garlic powder / dried basil is a fabulous idea. Thank you very much.
Sam
I hope you love it! 🙂
judith judge
can you freeze this dough if so how do i do it
Sam
Hi Judith! I know others have frozen it with success. You will need to let it rise then wrap it tightly and store in an air tight container making sure it can’t dry out. When you thaw it, you will need to do so in the refrigerator. Enjoy! 🙂
Dale
How large of a pizza pan does this recipe cover? I have a 16” pizza pan do I need to double this recipe?
Sam
Hi Dale, you roll the dough to 12″ before pinching/folding the edges to make a crust.
Jan
Dry good
Toni Ziemniak
I want to make breadstick to go with tonights home made lasagna , since I am making sauce and all, I want easy. will this recipe work if I roll an oblong, brush with garlic infused olive oil?
Sam
Yes, you also might want to check out my Garlic Knot recipe, which sounds like essentially what you are looking for. Enjoy!
Haeun
My first time pizza dough turned out perfect! Thank you so much for this awesome recipe. I may double up garlic powder and dried basil next time for extra flavor.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Nathalie
Hi Sam !
Thank you very much for this wonderful recipe ! I had always failed at making homemade crust before , until I tried this one . I used bread flour ,and had to use less than 2 cups to have a good dough . The idea of using garlic powder and basil was a great one ! The video was very helpful as well .
Thank you, thank you, thank you !
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Nathalie! 🙂
Piet
Sam, awesome recipe, my boys 😍 pizza and it’s better than the expensive store bought. You can use string cheese and make stuffed crust.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it! My husband actually made me a pizza with a stuffed crust the other night and it was amazing! 🙂