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.
jasper
is it ok if i use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Jasper! Whole wheat flour tends to be a bit “thirstier” so we 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. 🙂
Jessika
I always seem to have trouble with my dough being too dry after adding the second cup of flour. I always end up having to add more water. What do you think could be wrong??
I still love the recipe!! I just wish I could get the consistency right with the water and flour.
Sam
Hi Jessika! Yeast doughs can be funny with precisely how much flour they need, I would not add the full second cup. If you haven’t already, definitely check out the video to see how the consistency of the dough ought to look. I Hope this helps! 🙂
Kirna Parikh
Hi,
I need to make 5 16 inch pizza for party tomorrow. Can I make the crust a day before. And assemble it the next day. Please reply. Thanks
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Kirna! We actually go over how to make this pizza dough ahead of time in the recipe notes. Enjoy! 😊
Anggita Dofina
Never fails me this one! Uber easy!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for your five star review, Anggita! ❤️
Suzanne Burke
Awesomely easy!! And yummy!
Nikki
Can this be used for Calzones too?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We haven’t tried this ourselves, but many others have with success. Let us know how they turn out for you, Nikki! 😊
beth
Loved the dough so soft and tasty
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you loved it, Beth! Thanks so much for your five star review ❤️
David
Tried this with marinara, monteray jack, cheddar, real bacon pieces, pepperoni, and grilled chicken. Cooked on a cast iron pizza pan and cooked for 20 minutes. Made the crust thin and everything cooked perfectly. Best pizza crust flavor ever. Consistency was great. Wife wants to flavor the crust somehow with paramasan and garlic butter or something, but its good as is.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you both loved it, David! Thanks so much for your five star review ❤️
Susan Carter
Hi Sam! My family are big pizza eaters, so I wondered if I could double this recipe? Thank You!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Absolutely! We hope everyone loves it, Susan. ❤️
Wendy
EXCELLENT RECIPE!!! Have used this several times now and it has been a hit each time!! Thank you.. btw this dough also doubles well for Cinnamon rolls with a little extra sugar in the dough 🥰🥰🥰🥰
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you love it, Wendy! Give our 1 Hour Cinnamon Rolls a try and let us know how they compare 😊
Heni
Have used your recipe to teach the grandchildren. They loved how easy it was. So basic and very tasty. Thank you.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We love hearing that, Heni! Enjoy those sweet moments together in the kitchen ❤️
Susan
Has anyone tried this recipe in a bread machine?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We haven’t tried it ourselves, but several others have done so successfully. Let us know how it turn out for you, Susan! 😊
Nayah
Literally the best pizza dough recipe ever!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
So glad you loved it, Nayah! 😊
TM
crazy simple, very delicious, I’ll never go back to store-bought pizza dough, thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for your five star review! We’re so happy you loved it. 😊
Brian Ballow
thank you
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hope you love it, Brian! 😊
Joe
Best easy Pizza dough ever, never fails
I roll the dough out very thin, then use cast iron skillets with parchment paper on bottom of the skillet then bake. Grandkids make their own by putting the toppings they want olives, onions, peppers, mushrooms, etc. I make one of astigo cheese and mushrooms only. (My wife’s favorite)
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds delicious, and such a fun way to involve the grandkids too! Thanks for letting us know how much you love this recipe, Joe. ❤️
Samantha Colvin
Thank you! This is the second time I’ve made this recipe. I used bread flour and *chefs kiss* it turns out so amazing! My husband and daughter love it!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy that everyone loved it, Samantha! Thanks so much for commenting. ❤️
Nikita
For sometime now, this has been my go-to recipe!! It is simple and really works!! Thank you🤘 today i hav added gatlic powder n d dough.. lets see how my champ😇 reacts!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you love it, Nikita ❤️ Love the addition of garlic in the dough–yum!