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)
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.
Gracie Wright
Made this yesterday and did grill pizzas! Delicious and easy!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad you liked it, Gracie! ❤
Ivana
Tried this dough today and my parents loved it. 10/10 would recommend to anyone!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad it turned out well for you, Ivana! Thanks for using our recipe 😊
Vicki
This is the only pizza dough recipe I use. I usually make it with the bread flour, and my family will not allow me to order takeout pizza anymore. So quick, and so delicious, no matter how you top it. Thank you so much for an amazing recipe!
Susan
Can I make this dough a day ahead and store in refrigerator?
Sam
Hi Susan! Please see notes below the recipe for making in advance. 🙂
Susan
Oh my gosh! I swear I scanned the whole page! Thank you!!!
Julia
I have made this pizza dough before and it’s amazing!! I would like to freeze it. Do you have any recommendations about how I should do that and how to thaw the dough once I’m ready to use it? I have tried to refrigerate it before but it seems to continue rising and explodes out of its plastic wrap and container. Could it be the type of yeast I use that could affect this? Thanks
Sam
Hi Julia! The dough will continue to rise in the refrigerator, it’s just a lot slower. If it’s frozen it won’t continue to rise. I haven’t personally thawed it out so I can’t say for sure how long it would take.
Mike
Hey Julia freezing yeast after it’s been put to work can be a tricky thing, and as far as quality, and the taste goes I can tell you your gonna lose some of that. I have prepared it a day in advance by making it letting it work for 35 to 45 minutes, then reroll it,cover it, and put it on the top shelf of the fridge, and 24 hours later it was still good to go and only took about 20 mins out of fridge to work it
Stephanie
Family loves pizza. This pizza dough was awesome. Everyone enjoyed the pizza. We’ll be making those pizza dough pizza again
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for your review, Stephanie! We’re so happy your family loves the pizza ❤
Kathryn Kovacs
I have tried a lot of pizza dough recipes in my lifetime but this is simply the very best. My family really enjoyed this pizza crust so much they asked me when are we having pizza again.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy our recipe was a hit for your family, Kathryn! Thanks for coming back to leave a review ❤
Lovey
This is the best! Thank you so much! Your recipe has been our family’s go -to pizza crust recipe for a while now. <3
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We love hearing that! Thanks so much for using our recipe 💜
Berta
I made this recipe and am so pleased it came out so good. This is first time I made from scratch and one I got over my fear of it, all went well and so easily! It is such a good crust, a bit soft and breadth b Ed sure to flavor the dough for a more flavorful crust.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy our recipe helped you overcome your fear, Berta! It sounds like your pizza crust turned out exactly as it should. Let us know if you try any of our other recipes 😊
kay
brilliant, tried this and loved it can’t wait to try it again!😁
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Kay! ❤
Cinzia
I tried a lot pizza dough recipes, this is the best I found so far.
Very easy to make.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy our recipe is a winner for you, Cinzia! Thanks for your review 💜
Claudia Bansbach
I’ve tried so many pizza dough recepies and this one is my absolute favorite! I love that it rises quickly and needs very simple ingredients.
Claudia Bansbach
I’ve tried so many pizza dough recepies and this is my favorite one. It’s super quick and easy and my favorite thing about it is that it rises quickly.
Daniel
First time I’ve ever tried making pizza dough from scratch. Followed your recipe to the letter and wow! So easy and soooo delicious. The garlic added to the dough was a beautiful touch. Thanks for the soon to be oft repeated recipe!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Congrats, Daniel! It sounds like your first pizza dough was a huge success. Thanks for giving our recipe a try 😊
Ana
My son and I made this recipe today using AP flour. We added some herbs to the dough. It was so easy and wonderful. We topped it with homemade white sauce, ricotta, sweet onions, red peppers, Chicken thighs grilled after marinading in paprika sauce, minced pepperoni, and cheese. It was fantastic.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
That sounds like an amazing pizza, Ana! We are so happy you and your son liked the recipe ❤
leigh
Hello!!
Am I able to double this recipe?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yes, absolutely! Enjoy, Leigh 😊
Linda
This was a really good pizza dough. Tried other recipes but this one I will save and use it again.
Thank you