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)
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.
L M
I’ve made homemade pizza many times but this crust recipe is by far the best I’ve made. I let it rise in the microwave with the door open and the light on so there was a bit of warmth. It rose for a couple hours while I took the dog to play. I rolled it our on parchment and cooked it on my pizza stone. Really really good! Will definitely make again.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Crystal
This is a great recipe, even for relative beginners without much experience making dough! I love the addition of garlic powder and dried basil.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Crystal! 🙂
Dee
Simple and effective! Absolutely delicious and rises perfectly. Our favourite pizza toppings have been bbq sauce base with pepperoni, cheese, banana peppers, chicken, and mozzarella cheese. To die for!!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Dee! That sounds like an awesome pizza! 🙂
Chris
I just made this and it is THE best pizza dough recipe I’ve ever made (and I’ve made many). Soooooo delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe! ❤️
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Chris! 🙂
Crystal
Hi Sam – Could you use a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment rather than mixing by hand? Or is there a reason I’m not thinking of that mixing it by hand is preferable in this recipe?
Thanks in advance!
Sam
Hi Crystal! It can definitely be made with a stand mixer, no problem at all! I love my stand mixer but find this recipe is just as simple to do by hand (and I know not everyone has a stand mixer) which is why it’s written this way, but a stand mixer is totally fine to use. Enjoy! 🙂
Kendra
Love this pizza dough recipe. I just can’t keep it from sticking on all of my pans, stones etc. Maybe it’s something I am doing. Any advice on how to keep it from sticking?
Sam
Hi Kendra! I would recommend lining the pan with parchment paper or dusting the pan with a thin layer of cornmeal (2-3 teaspoons approximately), that should do the trick! Glad you have been enjoying the dough! 🙂
stephany
do you actually add suger
Rachel
Yes you do.
Kim
So there is no need to pre-cook the crust before adding all the ingredients?
Sam
Nope! Enjoy 🙂
Jess
So disappointed… It didn’t rise… But when I cooked it it was paper thin… Also found that it wasn’t a good elasticity for rolling out
Sam
Unfortunately it sounds like your yeast was bad 🙁
Emmalee Newbatt
Excellent! Best pizza crust I have ever made!
Brandon
I’ve made this recipe before, but recently it’s been hot in Florida. I find myself having to add barely any flour after the 1 cup in the beginning, I mean half a cup or a little more before the dough is nearly dried out. Is this common?
Sam
Hi Brandon! I haven’t run into this issue before, but hopefully it’s still turning out and tasting delicious. 🙂
Theo H.
Pizza turned out great, but I gotta know- how have you promptly responded to nearly every single comment on this recipe for the past (nearly) three years?
Sam
🤣 Thank you so much, Theo! I like to take the time to respond to those who take the time to leave me a comment. I appreciate the comments. 🙂
DoubleDee
I’ve tried others but love how this one sounds. I’d like to make more and freeze individually. How much difference for ingredients if I want to double the recipe? Thank you.
Sam
Hi! You would just double all of the ingredients. Enjoy 🙂
Linbel
First time making pizza dough. So easy I don’t know why I’ve been buying premade all this time! I used the recipe for stuffed breads last night, recipe as written made two small breads, I made one with garlic, broccoli and olive oil and the other with some left over eggplant parmesan I had. Both were delicious. Today I am going to try the pizza with the recommended sauce from this site. Thanks so much for the recipes!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Michelle
I couldn’t decide between soft crust or crispy crust, so I used half AP flour and half bread flour – delicious!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Michelle! 🙂
Ilanchefpatricia
Ooooh I tried this added ground pimento to the dough..mini dinner roll and pizza🇯🇲❤️
Ruby
This is the best recipe I’ve ever tried!
Simple yet delicious!!!
Thank you so much, my husband and I love it a loootttttt!
Hadessa
What flour did you use?
Cressie
I divided the dough into 4 balls and made personal size pizzas. I made these in a toaster oven and took them off the pans ti finish bsking the ladt 2 minutes. It made a crispier crust, which I prefer. Great recipe!
Henka
So easy and delicious! Thank you for the recipe. Your video explains all steps so well, there is no need to read them later during the process of making the dough.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Henka! Thank you so much! 🙂