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.
Z
tried it once and it worked well. I made a thin crust pizza. The only question I have is with the amount of yeast used. It tasted a bit too yeasty? Have anyone tried putting in less yeast? What happens if you let it rise a second time?
Stephanie L
You’re correct. I added less yeast 2-3 teaspoons I miscalculated the amount I needed because I have a big pouch of yeast and not those individual packets. The dough took a while to rise like 45 minutes to an hour, however it turned out well. Next time I believe 5-7 teaspoons will be adequate.
Liza Gonzales
I loved this crust. I let it rise for about 30 minutes. I added a bit of Olive Oil on the bottom of my pan and sprinkled a bit of corn meal on it, spread the dough out and brushed it with a bit more olive oil. Added my toppings and baked for about 20 minutes at 475. It was so good. Crispy but not hard. This is the first review I have ever left. I loved this crust that much! Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for your review, Liza! We’re so happy you love the crust ❤️
Karen M
Crust tasted good but never got crisp. More like a bread dough. I’ll keep looking. Thanks.
hillbill
i have been using your recipe for a year or more now and always been great. i personally use 00 gauge flour as more elasticity. but thank you for a great recipe.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you’ve been enjoying it 😊
Victoria Samson
I LOVE this place called Huckleberry, they make their dough the same way but with some beer. This dough, OH MY GOD! It’s an EXACT match and I’m never making dough any other way again.
Nimae Awantang
Great recipe. I’ve used it twice with bread flour with good results. Kids love this dough and the basil is a great touch!
Mary
1/6/23. So easy to make. Delicious. Will make another one tonight to use all the extra ingredients. Highly recommend! I added red pepper to crust and garlic powder.
Jen
You took the intimidation out of making homemade pizza dough. I just made your recipe for the first time and it was so enjoyable and easy, not to mention tasty crust. Thank you Sam! I will be making this every Friday night for my pizza night!
Theresa
This is a GREAT recipe. I’ve used it twice in the last week. Once for calzones and once for pizza. Enjoyed by everyone here. We like a crispier crust so I used bread flour and rolled the dough out very thin. Delicious!! Thank you for such a great recipe with clear, concise directions.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for coming back to leave a review, Theresa! Sounds like you’re really enjoying this one 😊
Kate
So easy, and turned out fabulous! I doubled the recipe. Did BBQ chicken pizza, and veggie & chicken. Will make again!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds yummy, Kate! Thanks for using our recipe ❤️
Nora
This was easy recipe. I was making 2 pizzas and so I doubled the recipe. Really didn’t need to as if you make it as stated the crust is quite thick. We like thinner crusts. Made 4 pizzas from double batch. Used the pizza sauce recipe in the links. Family loved it.
Sandy Bowden
Perfect! This dough was so easy to work with and the crust so yummy with the garlic and herbs included.
Terri C.
Question: to make two pizza crusts, do I just double this recipe?
Sam
Yup!
Crystal
I followed the directions exactly & it came out perfect!! I added 1/4 of garlic powder & did 1/4 of onion powder & pizza spice as well. Loved it. Will definitely bookmark this recipe.
Patricia
Can I make it at 3 o’clock for 5:00 or is this too long of a rest time?
Sam
Hi Patricia! You probably don’t want to let it rise for 2 full hours it could potentially overproof. If you let it rise a little bit and then refrigerate it, it will slow the rising process.
Mandee Lynch
Amazing, flaky, delicious! Used to make calzones, and they were the best we ever had!! Very easy too! Will be making for years to come! Thank you for the perfect recipe!
Cindy
Did you use bread flour or all purpose?
Mandee
Hi Cindy, I used all purpose flour as well as the suggested basil and garlic powder. In addition to rubbing the crust with olive oil, I also coated the pan. Hope you love it!