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.
Christine
This is an easy recipe. It’s a keeper. I’m not ordering pizza again.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Christine! 🙂
Virginia
I love this recipe. It’s quick and super tasty. My family loves out homemade pizza’s now. Thank you 😊
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Virginia! 🙂
Cheri Lundy
Ths is the best pizza dough I have found anywhere.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Cheri! 🙂
Essmerai
It was amazing my entire family loved would 100% make it again.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Robin
Best pizza dough recipe I’ve tried. I will not be trying any others, this is it!! Perfection. Thank you for the recipe!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Robin! 🙂
Jad Tarabay
The best recipe u could find and I tried them all
Jen
Loved this recipe. We made up a double batch and threw it on the grill the next day. Only a couple minutes on each side. It was just the right amount of fluffy but dense. It had a nice crunch coming off the grill but fluffy inside. It was tasty!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Jen! 🙂
Brian
“or more like an amoeba-shape”
Hahaha! Every single time! I try to make it round, but the dough just won’t behave!
Absolutely love this dough. It has never failed me, and the complete lack of any pizza after dinner is a testament to its yumminess.
Thank you!
Sam
🤣 I have never figured out how it comes out round for some people!
Christine
I use around pizza stone. I bought it for $5.00. Clearance I bought like 3 and gave them out for gifts. Now I have to give them your recipe PERFECT!
Wendy
Great pizza recipe. I like adding the garlic powder. Thanks.
Magali Fartek
Hello! This was my first ever home made pizza a while ago and my sons loved it so much that r now make it regularly. Making one again tonight. Thank you so much is is so good! We put garlic and herbs in the dough and it is fantastic!
Magali
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoys it so much, Magali! 🙂
Amy Thompson
I’ve tried a few other recipes and they all failed. This one, however, has worked everytime! So easy for a beginner like me. Once the dough is rolled out, can it sit for awhile before baking? We have company coming over and I plan to make 4 pizzas and it would be helpful if I have them ready to go ahead of time.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Amy! 🙂
Maria
I tried this pizza recipe and my family loved it. They said it had the right mix of crispy and chewy. I even heard the crunch when they ate. I can only eat gluten free so I had to watch them eat. Waiting for the gluten free version of this amazing and easy recipe. Thanks for sharing it.
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Maria! 🙂
Rai
I was reluctant to try this and it came out perfect. I live in Arizona so it only took 2 cups of flour. I also used bruschetta seasoning and it was the bomb. Thank you.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Rai! 🙂
Brenda
I have used the store pizza crust mixes before and my husband complained that the crust was too tough.This was the perfect crust for pizza. I used the pizza sauce I made from the tomatoes from my garden that I froze last summer and banana peppers from the garden.sausage pepperoni and onions.Hubby said better than any other pizza .Thanks
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Brenda! 🙂
Ahmad
I worked as a pizza chef for about a year and I wanted to try a new recipe, this was honestly the best dough recipe I have ever came across. Would recommend for anyone who’s looking for the perfect dough for a perfect meal!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Ahmad! 🙂
Trevor
I will definitely make this dough again what I would do next time is add a little more water I made two batches of dough the first one was slightly denese but my second patch came out slightly softer
Tasha
Finally!!!! A pizza dough recipe my family loves!!!
I had leftover taco meat, so I made a taco pizza! My family is allergic to tomato skins so I have to make my own sauce, so making pizza at home is a must!
Thank you for sharing.
I’ve tried 40 different pizza recipes and this one finally worked!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Tasha! 🙂
Ionnie
Hi! I made my first pizza using your dough recipe. It was a success! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Sam
That is so awesome! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much. 🙂
Arne Duncan
This was such a simple and mess free recipe. Added garlic salt and basil, made all the difference in a dough! This recipe will be the downfall of all my diets going forward.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Arne! I apologize for the future troubles it will cause to your diets. 🤣
Chelsea
I’m so confused, I just made this and doubled it. So I added 4 c of flour and doubled everything. It’s so dry, I could barely get it to come together. Way too much flour! I wonder what went wrong.
Sam
Hi Chelsea! Did you use weight measurements? If not it’s easy to accidentally over-measure your flour. When making this dough it’s always best to add it gradually so it doesn’t get too dry too quickly. It also helps to combine all of the ingredients better when doing it slowly. I hope it goes better next time. 🙂
Nanette
I love this recipe. It’s very easy and quick. I used a 9 inch round pan and made it a deep dish pizza. Used your homemade pizza sauce recipe. It was amazing! Today, I bought a 14 in. pizza crisper. Should I double the recipe or 1.5 maybe? I’d like to do a thin crust.
Sam
Hi Nanette! I’m so glad you enjoyed everything so much! If you like it really thin you may be able to roll this out into a 14 inch crust, but you can be safe and make 1.5 times the recipe. If there is too much dough you can always turn it into garlic knots. 🙂
Ale
Can I use this pizza dough recipe to make a calzone?
Sam
Sure thing! Enjoy! 🙂