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
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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.
Elizabeth
Yes it was covered with topping. Also does the yeast have anything to with that problem? Does the yeast have to be perfectly blended? I didn’t use instant yeast.
Sam
Hi Elizabeth! When you make this dough you can use regular active dry yeast without a problem. You can proof it before adding it to the ingredients, or just mix it in like I do with the instant yeast, but your rise time will be much longer. You do want the yeast to be completely combined in the dough.
Elizabeth
My pizza dough is still doughy even after it’s been cooked till it’s going to over cook! What am I doing wrong.
Sam
Hi Elizabeth! This is a softer dough. Was the center of the dough not cooking? If that was the case did you have a lot of toppings on the pizza?
Elizabeth
This recipe was fun quick easy and delicious I’m glad I looked up how to make pizza.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Elizabeth! 🙂
Honey
Hi,
Can I double or triple the recipe? Hungry family!:)
Sam
Definitely! I hope everyone loves it! 🙂
Mike Ng
Finally my dough rises! Hallelujah! Happy Easter! It also doubled in size…
Nina
If you make in advance and refrigerate, does dough need to be at room temp when making the pizza? How long should the dough be taken out of fridge before use?
Sam
Hi Nina! You can take the dough out of the refrigerator, roll it out and use it. No need to let it sit out for a long period of time to come to room temperature. 🙂
Nina
Sam, something I did figure out is since I didn’t have instant yeast (only active dry), it will take 90 + mins for it to rise….I’m keeping my fingers crossed! Thanks for your very timely response.
Nickellime
Made this tonight, and this dough is a keeper. Made a 9 x 13 cookie sheet and I cooked the dough for 5 minutes, then added my cheese and toppings and cooked it for 10 at the 425 temperature and broiled it for 2 minutes….also added garlic, basil to the dough….thank you
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Anta Diallo
First time trying to make a homemade pizza and this recipe is even better than all pizzas you can buy. Very fluffy and tasty, the whole family loved it!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Anta! 🙂
Paula Snydee
IT IS THE BEST PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE!
After making pizza with this recipe I really had to ask myself why I ever ordered delivery! Fast, easy and delicious! I make pizza all the time now for our family and for guests! I have passed this recipe on to quite a few
friends!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Paula! Sometimes it’s really nice to make it yourself. 🙂
Jessie
Thank you for making such a detailed guide on homemade pizza crust! Recently, I have been experimenting with gluten free options! Using Tapioca flour with ChickPea flour I was able to make a yummy variation.
Dean Stillings
I must have done something wrong. I took the temperature of the water and measured everything. The dough didn’t rise. It was very difficult to work.
Sam
I’m so sorry this happened, Dean! Your yeast may have been dead if the dough didn’t rise or it may have needed a little bit more time. If it was too difficult to work you may have added too much flour. I recommend adding the flour gradually so you can stop when your dough is at the right consistency. 🙂
Karen
I love this recipe, but every time I make it I use only 3/4 of the flour?!? I always double the recipe, so Instead of 4 cups, I end up using around 3 cups. Not sure why this is?
Sam
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Karen! Yeast recipes aren’t exact science. Sometimes they need more flour than called for, sometimes less. That being said, if you aren’t weighing your flour you could be over-measuring your flour, but the important thing is that it’s turning out and you are enjoying it. 🙂
Jen
Can I make this recipe ahead and save it to bake later in the night? Trying to make user of the time my kiddo is in school!
Sam
Hi Jen! You can make it in advance. I have notes below the recipe for doing this. 🙂
Donald Cox
Will using 00 flour make a difference?
Sam
I haven’t tried it, but I think it could work. 🙂
Kelly
Perfection! Have tried others but this one is definitely a keeper. I have tried it with different specifications as listed and I like the recipe as is. Everyone raves how good it is. The requests for weekly pizza keep coming in. Thank you for a great recipe!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoys it so much, Kelly! 🙂
Joyce
Trying this as I’m typing, so far so good, recipe worked as you said.
It looks pretty tasty baking in the oven. I’ll respond when we try it!
Sarah
I rolled the dough into a large rectangle (sandwiched between two pieces of wax paper). Transferred the rectangle to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (don’t keep the wax paper stuck to the dough lol), and stretched it out to the dimensions of the cookie sheet. Filled it with toppings on one side, and folded it over to make a calzone! I slashed the top several times before baking. It took about 30 minutes for the insides to bubble and ooze with cheese, and the outer crust to get a nice brown. I took it out of the oven, topped with more cheese, and broiled for just a few minutes. It was a huge hit, and I’m making it again today for company!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Sarah! 🙂
Viv
Lovely recipe, thanks for sharing!