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.
Tameeka
This dough turned out perfect. I used instant yeast and it worked flawlessly. Thank you.
Cheryl Chin
Thank you for this easy recipe. This is the way I like my pizza crust.
Renee
This really is the best pizza dough, so easy to make, keep, and so delicious. I make 1 or 2 batches and take as needed through the week. I keep what I’m not using in thr fridge and it slightly sours and tastes better and better. Versatile and great to have on hand to make for family! I must have used the recipe over 100 times.
Krista
Best yeast pizza dough! We’ve been making this once a week on pizza night…I usually double the recipe to make 2 pizzas (2 adults, 2 kids) and we get a few slices for leftovers. It’s also a great toddler dough since it’s easy to bite 😉
Kaitlyn
Definitely the BEST pizza dough recipe I have EVER made!!!
It is also very good for Garlic Bread Stix. What I do is make the recipe the exact same, and when the dough is done rising, I, myself, take about 2 Tablespoons of dough and roll it into a long stick (sometimes I make Garlic Knots), then I add garlic on the top (brush with melted butter first), and lastly, I put them in the oven for about 10 minutes. All that’s left is to enjoy them.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
So glad you’re enjoying it Kaitlyn! We use this same dough for our breadsticks and garlic knots too ❤️
Trish
This is a really good pizza dough. I have made it twice now. The seasoning is really good but you can tweak it to your own preference. It’s my new staple. Why buy a pre-made crust when you have this? Thank you!
Haylie Barna
I love cooking and this was probably the best homemade pizza dough I have ever made. I would recommend adding some garlic to the crust with olive oil before baking, and some parmesan on top after the pizza cooks, but other than that, this recipe was amazing.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Haylie! Thanks for the review ❤️
Jennifer Becsei
So yum! Used this make calzones! They turned out great and the dough was so easy to work with. Thank you so much!
Natalie
Tried it, loved it!
Kathy
Wow!! I usually buy the pizza dough from Aldi’s, but today I decided to eat pizza … and hadn’t thawed any dough … so, I hit the internet and yours was the first recipe I came across. IT WAS FABULOUS! I added oregano (sorry … I know it’s not your fave! LOL!), and garlic to the dough – GREAT idea! I used leftover spaghetti sauce on the pizza, then some leftover smoked chicken and mozz cheese. Cooked it 20 min. This recipe could NOT have been easier and I found it to be especially forgiving (oops … I didn’t really measure that flour!). Thanks for the great recipe … I’m a believer! Can’t wait to make it again … I’m thinking of adding some pesto to the dough, or maybe some chili flakes. The possibilities are endless!! 😉
Sharon
Thank you so much such a lovely recipe, I even used it to make garlic pizza bread, husband and son loved it !!! Made it twice already this week !!
Alicia
OMG… Truly the BEST pizza dough recipe out there. At this point, I don’t even know how many times I’ve made this, and it comes out PERFECTLY every single time. I usually substitute half of the flour with whole wheat flour and/or almond flour and while the texture might be a little different based on the mix, the crust is always nice and crunchy.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for commenting, Alicia! We love hearing that our recipe is a staple in your kitchen ❤️
Mick
1st time using this recipe. It rolled out to 12 inches perfectly and took a heavy load of onions, garlic, mushrooms, pepperoni with mozzarella, parmesan & marinara. It was a beauty! We like to have mini-pizza parties where everyone picks their own toppings. Great for holiday get togethers. This will be my go to crust!
Jill
If I like my crust crispier, should I bake the crust first without toppings and then add them after and bake a little more?
Sam
Yes. That will give you a bit more of a crispier crust. You can also roll it out to be thinner. That will help with the crisp as well. 🙂
Alicia
Second time I made it and it came out even better than the first. Such a great pizza dough recipe!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wonderful! Thanks for giving it a second try, Alicia 🥰
Cheryl
Absolutely the best tasting pizza dough and super easy to make.
Ali
Easily a staple in my house now, even my in law said it was a really good dough! Thankful I stumbled across this recipe.
Doughn't do it.
There should have been a mention that the dough needed to be kneaded for 10-15 minutes….it was not very good because of this missed point.
Sam
That is not mentioned because it is not required or recommended. Only a very brief kneading is required. What was your end result like? Maybe I can help troubleshoot, but this particular recipe is very light on the kneading intentionally.
Paige
My dough keeps on coming up crumbley (before cooking) and I don’t use all the required flour then when I go to roll it out it is SUPER elastic to where it won’t spread out. What am I doing wrong?
Sam
Hi Paige! You may just need less flour. It shouldn’t be crumbly. You really want to add flour until you get the proper consistency rather than shooting for a specific amount. 🙂
Z
Thanks for sharing this recipe. We loved it!
Deborah V.
My end result it a hard ball, I’ve never made homemade pizza or dough so I don’t know if that is right or not? My 5 year old says it feels like playdough
Sam
Hi Deborah! It shouldn’t be hard. It may be helpful to watch the video to get a better idea of the texture. 🙂
Z
I didn’t really knead it, especially not after the rise. I did form a ball with some tension for the rise. Turned out great and I may have to use this recipe from now on.
Mick
This is a soft dough. Handling it too much would toughen it. As soon as the liquid was absorbed, I formed it into a ball, and rather than covering it with olive oil, I dusted it with a little flour. Breadbakers call it “baby butt” stage. To rise, I pre-heat the oven to 200F, then turn it off for a warm place while you’re mixing the dough. It doubled in size in 30 minutes.
Keep trying. Don’t give up!