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)
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.
Grace
I really like this recipe, can it be made in a cast iron skillet?
Sam
Hi Grace! Many people have done it with success, but I haven’t tried so I can’t give recommendations on how to do it. 🙂
Adria
Very easy and quick. I even forgot to knead the dough after letting it rise and went straight to rolling it out and it turned out great!
Bill
Really good and easy to make
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Bill! 🙂
TommyA
We make this dough in a Bread Machine on dough setting. Perfect dough ball after a few minutes. When ready to bake, we roll out thin and pre-bake for a few minutes on a regular pizza pan, just long enough for the crust to set up. Then transfer the crust to a pizza stone, top with favorite toppings and cook for about 10-12 minutes at 425. Perfect light and crispy crust every time.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoy it so much, Tommy! 🙂
Angelica
Can I use Whole Wheat flour?
Sam
Hi Angelica! Whole wheat flour tends to be a bit “thirstier” so I definitely wouldn’t recommend substituting all of it. You can probably get away with doing 1/3-1/2 substitution, but make sure the dough doesn’t start getting too dry. 🙂
Amy
My picky teenagers love this recipe!!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoys it so much, Amy! 🙂
Vita
The best I’ve tried so far. The kids like it too. Very easy to make. (No kneading!)
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoys it so much, Vita! 🙂
Mone
Great taste thanks.. how can I make it more crispy all over. I did roll it thin, still, the middle was a bit too soft for my taste.
Sam
Hi Mone! You can pre-bake the crust to make it a bit crispier. 🙂
TommyA
I preheat my pizza stone on the top rack at 425. Then roll out the dough and put on a regular pizza pan, and put on the bottom rack for about 7-8 minutes.. long enough for it to set up so that it slides right off the pan.
From there you can pull the stone from the oven, transfer the pre-baked crust to the stone, top with your favorite toppings and return to the oven for about 10 minutes. It will have a perfect light crispy crust this way.
Stuundz
This recipe was really easy to follow and fun for a first-timer like me. I didn’t realize that it’s better to pre-cook the dough if I’m gonna put alot of toppings so.. it was undercooked. But it came out really well after some more cooking! My sister said this pizza’s better than her favourite pizza from a popular pizza place ❤️ thankyou for this recipe.
Richela
I really love your pizza dough recipe Sam. It’s easy to follow and tastes good too. I am planning to sell pizza in my neighborhood for additional income, can you please teach me how to make and store this in advance so when orders come it would not take long for me to serve the pizza? Would really appreciate your reply. Thank you
Sam
Hi Richela! I actually have a section on making it in advance down below the recipe. You can make it in advance and freeze it. 🙂
DG
Perfect! I add a tbs of pesto into my water mixture and I get a wondeful spice scent on the bread.
Ariana Zannelli
Hello!
Do you have to bake the dough as soon as you make it or can you leave it overnight?
Sam
Hi Ariana! I actually have instructions for storing the dough below the recipe. 🙂
Sean
This recipe has the right proportions but if you make it right it won’t bubble. I worked at a pizza place so this is close to how we made it in bigger batches. It works best with a kitchen aid:
Add the warm water first, then I add all the flour all at once. Next I add the yeast and other dry ingredients. Don’t add the oil yet.
Start the mixer on the lowest setting for about 2 minutes and then add the oil as it’s mixing.
Use a spatula and add a couple tablespoons of water to help it mix and get all the flour mixed in but you don’t want it to be dry. I normally let it mix for about 10 minutes until you have a nice fluffy dough.
Take the dough hook off and cover the dough for about 5 minutes.
Then, quickly roll it into a ball put it in a small bowl, brush with oil, and wrap and put it in the fridge. Take it out and let it warm up a bit maybe 15-20 minutes when you are ready to use it.
Alliyah
I tried this recipe today!!! It was phenomenal. The only thing I wish I would have done differently is the rolling of the dough. I made it a bit too thick. I brushed basil pesto on the edges of the crust and drizzled it over the top and it was absolutely delicious. I will be doing this again very soon.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Alliyah! 🙂
Kat
This recipe has been working really well for me! However, I tend to incorporate the extra flour while kneading the dough for a few minutes, but I’m wondering if I may be overworking it since you don’t knead the dough at all until after it’s risen, and then only a few times. Is kneading not necessary?
Sam
Hi Kat! The kneading isn’t really necessary here. 🙂
Tiffany
Awesome recipe! I love the addition of the spices — I even sometimes add a bit more! I’ve made this multiple times and it’s always turned out delicious!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Tiffany! 🙂
Dongmei
Tried your receipt. Really good. Thank you.
Christine
How would I make this using a stand mixer?
Sam
Hi Christine! This recipe is really easy to make by hand. I actually find a stand mixer can make it a little more cumbersome, but you would follow the same steps. You will probably have to start stirring by hand until your dough hook can reach the dough and stir it. I hope you love it! 🙂