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.
Augusta
Hi there, I’ve made this recipe heaps before and I love it but unfortunately gluten doesn’t love me. Do you think I could substitute the flour with gluten free flour or will the measurements need to change?
Thanks heaps 🙂
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Augusta! We haven’t tried it with gluten free flour, so we’re not sure if there’s anything special you might need to do. Other commenters have used gluten-free flour and said it worked fine for them though 🙂
Pauline
Could you tell me if I just add sugar to make this a sweet pizza dough please.
If so, how much sugar should I add, and, uf not, can you tell me how to make it a sweet pizza dough.
Thank you
Sam
Hi Pauline! Honestly without having tried it I can’t say for sure. I would try maybe 3-5 tablespoons. 🙂
Usha
Fool proof recipe! Quick and easy to follow, accurate measurements and loads of fun for a mom-daughter kitchen time!
P. Belyk
This is ‘truly’ the best pizza dough. Hubby gives it a 10+. I’ve tried several other recipes, but this one tops them all.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We love hearing that! Thanks so much for trying our recipe ❤
Tyanne
Thuis is my go to pizza recipe! It rolls out beautifully.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We love hearing that, Tyanne! Thanks for coming back to leave a review 😊
Caitlin Davenport
Been making this recipe for a few years. Great recipe! Any tips for doubling the recipe? I always have to make 2 batches. It’d be easier to do it all at once. Thanks!!
Sam
I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it so much, Caitlin! I have doubled this recipe without any issues and many others have reported the same. Good luck! 🙂
Maureen
Oh my gosh this dough was so easy and simple to make. I make Bao bun dough all the time and very similar, I truly love how this one turned out. I made 2 batches, in 2 separate bowls. And cut them in 3 separate portions and made mini individual pizzas. We don’t have a pizza stone, so I precooked the dough for 3-4mins and cooked it again for 12 mins.
We made all kinds wish I could share pictures. Thanks!!
Amanda
I’m a beginner making my own pizza dough. I was a little worried about how it would turn out, but it exceeded all expectations! The pizza’s crust was perfectly fluffy. *chef’s kiss
Thank you for sharing this recipe with all of us!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wonderful! Sounds like the crust turned out beautifully for you, Amanda. Thanks for your review 😊
Kayla
I made this with my stand mixer instead of doing it by hand so I was worried when my dough didn’t look at all like the recipe calls for but it turned out so good and my hubby and I were just planning out all the toppings we want to put on our pizzas in the future. Thanks for a great recipe
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re happy to hear that it turned out so well for you, Kayla! Enjoy 😊
Malissa
We ended up grilling our pizza 🍕 it was AMAZINGGGGGGGG!!!!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yummmm–that sounds so good, Malissa! We’re so happy you enjoyed it 😊
Selena
This was my first time making pizza … please don’t judge, making bread scares me lol … absolutely lovely .. i didn’t need as much flour as the recipe so was worried and tbh it really didn’t rise that much, until I cooked it and oh my, just fluffy and lovely, my son said my first home made pizza and way better than any shop bought … thank you this is now my go to recipe … and confidence boost, I’m not that scared to try making bread now!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Congrats on making your first pizza crust, Selena! We’re so happy it turned out so well for you and helped boost your baking confidence. Let us know if you try any of our other recipes! 😊
Tara
Great recipe! I have to follow a low sodium diet. I leave out the salt and add 2 packets of True Lemon, and about 3/4 tsp of garlic powder and Italian seasoning and it always turns out delicious…and I get to add more toppings because the crust has no sodium! Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you’re able to modify the recipe to suit your diet, Tara! Thanks for commenting–enjoy 😊
SusanB
It was quick, it was easy, and it tasted good, but it had no chew. I’ll try it again, but will do it in the mixer with the bread hook, or will knead it by hand for awhile to develop the gluten.
Leanne
Really true! A beautiful dough. Makes me love my bread machine even more. I like the difference the butter makes; think it’s tastier than olive oil.
Mary
Love this recipe!! Can you provide directions to make in a stand mixer?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Mary! We actually find a stand mixer can make this recipe a little more cumbersome. If you decide to use one, you would just follow the same steps. You will probably have to start stirring by hand until your dough hook can reach the dough and stir it. Hope that helps! 🙂
Dedashe
Amazing – the aroma the garlic and Italian seasoning gives (didn’t have dried basil) is freaking awesome. It’s risen now but I can tell this is going to be a delight. My favorite new pizza dough recipe. Thanks!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We hope it turned out beautifully for you, Dedashe! Enjoy 😊
Dedashe
Superb! It was perfect!!!!!! I took a nap and the entire pizza was gone! Everybody loved it and definitely notice the difference, I was so proud! ☺️🤩 thanks Emily!j
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wonderful! Thanks for letting us know how it turned out for you 😄
Mallory
Made this with all purpose einkorn flour for my family tonight and we loved it! I would even eat it without toppings, it’s THAT good. I think the addition of dried basil and garlic powder really added that extra punch of flavor. Great recipe!
Becky
This dough is so yummy tasting. I will only be using this recipe from now on.
Leah
Used this recipe to make homemade pizza from scratch for the first time! Me and my partner loved it!!!