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.
Erica
I live in Europe and decided to give this recipe a try, since the recipe worked for North American all-purpose and bread flour. Obviously, not all flours work the same way, but I couldn’t find a pizza recipe here that looked appealing, so I tried the recipe with type 405 flour – one of the two main types sold at the grocery store here. I would not recommend the recipe with type 405. I started with 125 g, then added another 125 g + a little bit in order to form the ball. After resting, the flour felt really greasy, so I had to add even more flour. The baked crust also felt kind of greasy. I am not leaving a rating, since I used a flour that wasn’t tested by the original web site, but did want people to know that it seems like North American all-purpose or bread flours can’t easily be substituted for another type of flour.
Elena
This is the best pizza dough recipe!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you like it, Elena! Thanks for coming back to leave a review 🙂
Ajaya
This is hands down good pizza dough I have come across.. so simple yet so good
Lisa
I wanted to make a Stromboli this week and I couldn’t find my usual pizza dough at the supermarket. I decided to make my own and my search turned up this recipe. I happened to have some bread flour in the house so I decided to give it a try. This recipe was quick and easy and by lunch time I had a yummy Stromboli. The texture of this dough was perfect! I cant wait to make pizza with it!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you found our recipe, Lisa! Thanks for letting us know how it turned out for you. Enjoy! 😊
Grace
This pizza dough was simple and fast to make and came out so delicious! I am 15 and this was my first time making pizza dough from scratch, so I was pleasantly surprised that it turned out absolutely perfect! I normally don’t like when pizza crusts are hard and crispy near the edges, but this crust came out very soft and my whole family loved it! Adding garlic powder was definitely a good suggestion you had! It made it very flavorful!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Congrats on making your first pizza from scratch, Grace! We’re so happy it turned out so well for you! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a review. Keep on baking and let us know if you try any of our other recipes ❤️
Victoria
Made your pizza dough tonight- we really enjoyed it- it reminded me of a good
Focaccia bread.- will def make again
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you like it, Victoria! Enjoy 😊
Susan
So glad I found this recipe!!! Every one I make gets better each time!! I added extra garlic powder and a pinch of oregano to the dough and also put some shredded double cheddar on the crust before baking. Soooooo delicious!! Thanks for sharing!!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds delicious, Susan! Thanks so much for giving our recipe a shot and coming back to leave a review. Enjoy 😊
Rivka
Excellent recipe, easy to follow, delicious results. Your video made the instructions even clearer.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much, Rivka! We’re so happy you like it 🙂
Amanda
Can I use my mixer to mix the ingredients? What is the reasoning for the wooden spoon method?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Amanda! We find that this recipe is very easy to mix by hand, but you can use a stand mixer if you like! You’ll just want to mix it to the same consistency as what is in the video. 🙂
Elaine Schembri
This is an amazing, easy to follow pizza dough recipe! My kids enjoyed making it and all the family enjoyed eating :)! Thanks 🙂
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for your comment, Elaine! We’re so happy everyone enjoyed it 🙂
ERIC
Making right now, my go to as well for pizza dough. Thank you
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yum! Enjoy your pizza, Eric! 🙂
Elicia Jimenez-Pedroza
This is now my go to pizza dough recipe. I also use it to make cheesey bread. I do slightly add more seasoning and garlic powder to enhance flavor.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy to hear that, Elicia! Thanks for using our recipe and leaving a review 😊
Doug
I’ve been making this a lot lately. It’s a very bread-like crust, which some of my friends really like. I think it helps to activate the yeast first, that way the salt kills less of it and you get a better rise.
Nathalie Vaillancourt
Kids loved making this and it turned out fantastic with no changes to the recipe. Thanks!!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wonderful! Thanks for trying our recipe and letting us know how it went for you, Nathalie 😊
Jenn
Can you double this recipe?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
You sure can! Enjoy, Jenn 😊
Alyssa
My go to pizza dough recipe. Delicious!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We love hearing that, Alyssa! Enjoy your pizza 😊
Kat
Hi! Um… I know this sounds like a really dumb question, but…
Does the 2-2 1/3 Cup of flour part mean to use 2 Cups + 2 1/3 Cup, or to use between 2 and 2 1/3 Cup(s)? Just want clarification on that before starting on the recipe.
Thank you for your time (and have a Happy New Year)!!! 🥳
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Kat! You will need at least 2 cups of flour, and depending on your dough/the weather, you may need an additional 1/3 cup. There’s a range listed because it depends on how your dough looks/acts. Hope that helps! Happy new year! 🙂