The Best Pizza Dough Recipe
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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 1/4 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
This has become part of a semi-regular rotation in our house! Most of the time we stretch it out to a rectangular shape, coat in olive oil, shaved garlic, fresh rosemary and kosher or sea salt and grill as a flatbread to have as a dinner side… also perfect for lunch with a salad. Absolutely delicious, and our family and friends request it now as well. Good work, love this recipe!!
Yum! That sounds delicious! We’re so happy our recipe has become a staple in your home ❤
I’m not having any luck with my pizza do I follow the instructions and not sure what I’m doing wrong please help me
Oh no! We’re so sorry for the delayed reply. If you can describe what happened, we can try and help out for next time. 😕
This pizza dough was amazing and used all purpose flour and the dough was so soft and i turned it into a stuffed crust. Without a doubt it was the best pizza I’ve ever made and can’t wait to make it again. It will be my go to pizza dough recipe. I did a barbecue sauce with diced ham and pineapple and shredded cheddar.
Your pizza sounds so delicious, Almeda! We’re so happy our recipe was a success for you 😊
Can someone tell me how to “deflate” the dough before I refrigerate it?
Hi Aaron! If you watch the video for this recipe, you can see how we do it. You essentially want to gently just press down into the dough to let the air out 😊
I have made this recipe dozens of times. Its great! I tinker a little, i have added a little whole wheat flour, and rosemary, and even milk… it’s always good!
We’re so happy you love it, Samantha! 😊
I have made this pizza dough so many times and it’s always amazing . It is my mom’s favorite pizza! Yesterday I made 5 pizzas for my sister’s birthday party. It was crazy and our kitchen got super hot with this warmer weather, but everyone loved it! Thanks for all your hard work and wonderful recipes!
Homemade pizzas are ALWAYS worth the warm kitchen, right? We’re so happy you love our recipe so much, Julia ❤
Have you made this with regular yeast?
Hi Joyce! If you look at the recipe notes, you’ll see we provide a note on using active dry yeast. Hope that helps!
Be careful with tap water in case your city has chlorinated water—straight from the tap can kill the yeast or deactivate it. I tried this twice with/without tap water. If you can let your water sit for a while and heat it up, the yeast seems to be more active.
Good point! thank you, Chloe!
I have been trying to make a pizza like the local pizza place (Santarpio’s-East Boston) for years. Just couldn’t quite get it. Well, I made this pizza dough with my homemade sauce, ground Italian sausage lots of garlic and pecorino romano cheese. Nailed it! Thank you so much. Can’t wait for this Friday!
Wonderful! Thanks for letting us know how you liked it, Linda 😊
Love this recipe so much!! I leave out the salt, most toppings involved in pizza have more than enough! 😉 I add extra garlic, onion powder and Italian seasoning! 🙂
Thank you so much
Loved this recipe definitely making it again
We were in the habit of ordering pizza frequently until the quality and taste of it declined. We tried this recipe and have been making pizza every Friday night and we look forward to it. We follow the recipe with the exception of rolling the dough. We have found that working with our hands was easier. We use a cast iron skillet and can add a little olive oil to the bottom before putting the dough in to make a little crispier. Then drizzling a little to spread out the dough. This makes a perfect crust. For some, we put under the broiler for a minute if they want a browner top. We have bought 4 more cast iron skillets so we can all eat at the same time. Quick wipe out and they are ready for next time. Careful though, these pans are super hot! Delicious pizza regardless of what we put on them!
We’re so happy our recipe has become a staple in your home, Carol! Thanks for commenting ❤
Will pizza yeast work just as well
Hi Diana! We haven’t tried it but think it should work. 🙂
Hi, can you advise whether you prebake the dough, and if you do, how you keep it from burning when you put it back in with the toppings on it?
The crust shouldn’t burn when you put it back in the oven. It should be removed before then. The toppings won’t take very long to cook. 🙂
Thank you for thIS excellent dough recipe. Instead of kneading dough 3-5 times on a floured surface I did it directly in the,bowl. I put my dough directly onto my oiled pizza pan. When done slide it onto a cutting board, cut and serve.
I am fairly new to homemade pizza and looked all over trying to find a good but not overly complicated pizza dough receipt. This was it! It comes out 100% every time. Thanks🙏🏿😁
Thanks so much for your comment, Jason! We’re so happy you found our recipe 💙
Do I need to cook the toppings before placing then on uncooked pizza crust or can they be raw?
Hi Linda! I always add them raw 🙂
Can you use butter instead of the olive oil?
Hi Becca! Sure that would be fine, crust won’t be quite as chewy though.
So if you bake it all raw the top (under the toppings) isn’t undercooked? Thanks!
If you bake it with a lot of toppings the crust won’t cook as nicely.
My crust was ‘cakey’ instead of chewy which I like. Any idea why?
Hi Judy! Kneading the dough helps to develop the gluten, in turn creating that chewy effect. I hope that helps. 🙂
Can I use avocado oil instead of olive oil?
Sure! Enjoy, Tara 😊
Awesome thanks is it the same ratio of butter to oil or do I need to adjust it?
Just curious, would this recipe make good dipping bread sticks? I make my own spicy pizza sauce using super hot peppers from my garden and would love some garlic bread sticks to dip in it.
Hi Stephen! We actually have a homemade breadsticks recipe that uses this dough as the base 😊
This is my go to recipe and it’s amazing. Use bread flour, it’s worth it… makes such a difference. I always double it. I do all the spices, salt and sugar and 4 tsp active dry yeast. Add the 1.5c warm water and leave it a few minutes before adding the flour. Mix, knead til smooth, let it rise anywhere from 10-40 min it seems to work out no matter what! Delicious with some added garlic powder and basil. 👌🏼