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.
Mlee
Best pizza dough. Simple and delicious. Thank you
Sarah Le
I’m wondering how thick the crust is on this pizza. Can we make it thin crust and if so, do we need to split the dough and make two smaller thin crust so it’s not too big of a pizza?
Sam
Hi Sarah! I wouldn’t say this is a thin crust. You can always roll it out to be as thin as you’d like and then trim off any excess. It’s really hard to tell how much you’ll have and what thickness you would be happy with. You can always try to re-roll the scraps. 🙂
Happy Mom
This is a great recipe! It is easy to whip up, even on a busy weekday as a working mom. My husband and toddler love it, and it costs a lot less to make your pizza than to order one! Thank you for sharing!
Cassi
It was so easy to make and tasted amazing im definitely trying it again!!
Katie
Can I make the dough and put onto pizza pans a few hours before people come over to add their toppings and cook? Will it be bad to let it sit out like that?
Sam
It will probably keep rising on the pans. You could try deflating it if it rises too much. 🙂
Laura L
Tried and true recipe for pizza. I always double for our five person family and hope there is leftovers. Thanks for sharing.
Anthony Spinelli
I have been making pizza for many years and i must say that your recipe is perfection…Thank you for sharing with everyone…
Deb
Delicious! My first time using this recipe and will be my go-to! I’m wondering if I can par-bake the crust and then add the toppings? Thank you!
Sam
Sure thing! 🙂
Xenia
I had a question I want to make pizza tonight with my girlfriend for our anniversary and I wanted to ask if this recipe is made for one pizza or two, or should I double to ingredients in order to get two? Also recipe looks awesome and delicious cannot wait to try!!
Sam
Hi Xenia! It makes enough for one 10-12 inch pizza. 🙂
Chris
This recipe works great!
I would offer that it cannot be stored in the fridge, I tried twice and it keeps rising. Over proofed within a couple hours max!
Charisa
I just reduce the amount of yeast or double the amount of flour if I’m going to need to store it in the fridge. It is definitely a lot of yeast and sugar for the amount of flour listed. It’s great though for when you need a quick yummy dough.
Jan
I made mine in a cast iron skillet & pre-baked the crust for 5 mins. After the pre-baked I added toppings & baked an additional 15 mins. It was perfect with a crunchy outside crust & soft on the inside. Great deep dish pizza. Thank you so much!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds absolutely amazing, Jan! Thanks for using our recipe 🙂
Portland Dawn
Look no further; this is such an easy recipe,and you can make modifications (like I have) to spices, whole wheat flour (I use 50% when I do change it),etc.
I’ve made my own dough for years, and I LOVE this recipe! Istill like the original recipe best for consistency.
***Note that weather and your flour can change ratios a bit.
Fun changes:
-Substitute a little cornmeal for the flour (but try the original recipe first)
– I’ve used herbes de provence for the herbs (great with goat cheese)
Experiment with your toppings and just have fun!
dad_of_the_?
Amazing recipe…did it twice…once doubled the recipe and it also worked perfectly…thank you for this..my son just loves it…
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy the pizza is such a hit for you! 🙂
Annie S, Desserts For The Better
WOW!!!! This recipe is a must-try!!!! The pizza was a million times better than store-bought and the flavors were amazing. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad you loved it, Annie! Thanks for reviewing 🙂
Itsme
I dont know what happened, I made this dough in a bread machine and When I baked it at the appointed time the dough was white undercooked and too crispy with a raw taste to it and hard. Like the bread wasn’t pourous when cooked was just like a crunchy undercooked. Not sure why it turned out like this when I used the exact same recipe. Will not be using this recipe again.
Sam
I’m so sorry this happened! I have never made it in a bread machine so I’m not sure if/what alterations would need to be made. If it was crispy on the outside but undercooked on the inside I’m wondering if it was a temperature issue. 🙁
Mirka
Very good pizza, so easy to make. Couldn’t stop eating !
If I like to make double recipe how much yeast do I use ?
If I double everything , would that be too much yeast ?
Thank you !
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Mirka! If you double the recipe, you’ll want to double all ingredients. Hope that helps 😊
Susan
You don’t have to double the yeast… just use only 2 1/4 tsp.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Susan! To successfully double this recipe, you do need to double all ingredients, including the yeast. 🙂
Annie S, Desserts For The Better
Hello Mirka! I have had success tripling this recipe, so it should be fine. To double the recipe, use 4 1/2 tsp of yeast.