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
- ⅛-1/4 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
John
Grand Slam! 🙂
Never made pizza dough before, and now I want to make every week.
Thank you so much for giving your wisdom to us mere mortals!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, John! 🙂
Createsure
You don’t knead the dough…?
Sam
Only briefly as stated in step 7. 🙂
Mona
Been looking for a great pizza dough recipe! So happy to finally find a perfect one!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Cheryl
I’ve always been afraid to try making my own pizza dough, or anything with yeast really. This was so easy and just delicious! Going to try it with bread dough next time.
Kayla
Love this recipe! I’ve been using it for a year now. I also made garlic knots out of this dough and mozzarella bombs. It’s delicious.
Sam
Thank you so much for trying my recipe and letting me know how it turned out for you, Kayla! I really appreciate it! 🙂
Lauren
I made this last night after finding mold on the store bought dough I literally just purchased… – I’m not much of a baker but this turned out so amazing! The crust was perfectly crunchy and it tasted soooo good! I only used a little under 2 cups of flour and baked it for 10 minutes in the oven first on the pizza pan before I added toppings, then baked another 18 minutes. My stove is probably weaker? Anyways, this was amazing and I am saving this recipe for many many more pizza nights!
Sam
O no! I hate when stuff like that happens. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Your oven may not be quite running as hot as it says it is. I hope you continue enjoying it. 🙂
Misty
Hello thank you for sharing this. This is a great recipe for a cooking activity with your kid. I only gave 4 stars because I feel proofing yeast should be in the instructions not an option I my book. Other than that it is great. I used garlic flavored olive oil for an extra kick and it really added an extra layer of yum.
Sam
Hi Misty! If you use instant yeast “as instructed” there is no need to proof the yeast. If you use active dry yeast, yes you will need to proof the yeast. I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Laxmi
Tried it last night and the pizza kept breaking, as in the dough didn’t hold together after baking. I’m thinking I should leave it in the oven longer, anything else you can suggest? Maybe I didn’t roll it out evenly?
Sam
Hmmm I’m not quite sure what you mean here? Was the dough tearing? If so it may have needed to bake a little bit longer, especially if there were a lot of toppings. I hope this helps. 🙂
Jessy
Hi, could I use almond flour instead of all purpose flour or bread flour? If so, would I use the same amount?
Sam
Hi Jessy! Unfortunately I think it will be too crumbly, but I haven’t tried it to be sure. Hopefully someone else has tried it and can chime in.
Winnie
Hi! excited to try this recipe and wondering if i can use wheat flour instead and or mix with all
purpose? thanks in advance!
Sam
Hi Winnie! I haven’t tried mixing in wheat flour, but you could probably substitute part of the all-purpose flour. If you use all wheat flour your dough may end up being pretty dried out. Good luck! 🙂
Ellie
Love the video, I am thinking of making it but the oven is not working.
Do you think it would still work if I try to put it in a large pan on the stove?
Sam
Hi Ellie! I think it could work, but it will take a little different technique. If you have baked a pizza on the stovetop you may be familiar with how it’s done. You will need to get the crust baking first, and flip it so it doesn’t burn and cooks all the way through. Then add your toppings until done. 🙂
Jessie
My parents have have made fantastic pizza on the BBQ when their oven wasn’t working. Just preheat it well and use a pizza pan!
Natasha
It’s very good I have done it with my brother so much way too much you could say . Every other day.
Sam
I’m so glad everyone has enjoyed it so much, Natasha! There’s no such thing as too much pizza if you ask me. 😉
Ils
I love how simple and easy this recipe is. It took me several tries in order to get it just right but finally managed to get it. My 5 year old loves pizza and loves making it with me! Never imagined it would be this simple. 😊
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Ken
A very easy and effective recipe, really appreciate it, pizza was yummy!
Barb
Tasty and so easy to make!! I used bread flour and upped the garlic powder and added some Italian Seasoning, I think it turned it great. I split the dough in half and made a small “pan” pizza. Cooked about 25 mins to ensure the dough used and my toppings was thoroughly cooked. My glass pan was really too small for the amount of dough I used, but it still turned out great with the extra time in the oven. Nice and soft bready texture.
Plan to shape the remaining dough into a small thinner pizza and freeze it for future use.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Barb! 🙂
Christine
Hi, do you think the single batch will fit a cookie sheet? 17×11”?
Sam
Hi Christine! It will probably be a little small to fill the entire cookie sheet.