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)
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.
frank morganti
Really nice recipe. I made it like a sicilian thickness and blind baked it. Turned out really good. I had to add more water but no big deal.
thanks for a great recipe
Carmen
Very good, baked 2-12″ pizzas. I did not believe the hype about the crust, but I was very pleased with the results. Good thin crust, not too bready.
Taylor
This is a fantastic dough recipe. Of course, I didn’t as much flour as it called for because my dough formed rather quickly. It’s fantastic for a snowy NC day (in March nonetheless). Will use this recipe for all pizza, calzone and strombolis!
Sam
Best pizza dough ever but it also works great for pizza rolls too you just cut it into a sheet then cut squares but really guys you got to try this it tastes amazing
Lisa
This is a home run recipe! Everyone loved it! You’re how-to video is fantastic!
Noah
DELICIOUS dough! Used bread flour and got a great crisp outside and light inside. I ran out of sugar so I used a splash of maple syrup and left out the seasonings. 2 year old wanted all of it. Will do again.
Tatiana
This is the best pizza dough recipe
Lisa
The recipe title fits the recipe! I doubled it and added the garlic and basil. Easy and delicious! My teenage son loved it! Thank you for sharing!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
So glad you both loved it, Lisa! Enjoy 🥰
Carrie
How do I give this 10 stars? LITERALLY the best recipe I’ve tried and I’ve tried A LOT of recipes. I made a very large thin crust pizza and it baked to perfection! The crust was crisp on the outside but so soft on the inside
denis
best dough ive ever tasted
Pam
I love this dough. I also added in some fresh Oregano and Cilantro to the dough. Its just simply DELICIOUS!!!
PMJUSTICE
I had to add more water to this recipe. And the rise rate will be different, depending on one’s altitude.
Christine
very light and crispy dough and tasty. This will be my go to recipe in the future.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for letting us know how you liked it, Christine! ❤️
Vicki
I have never made pizza dough until I came across this easy and delicious recipe. I have now made this twice, once using plain flour; the other with bread flour. They both taste great… I personally prefer this pizza base made with bread flour and added both garlic powder and dry basil.
Thank you so much for sharing such an easy and delicious tasting recipe 😊
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Vicki! Thanks for the review ❤️
Maria
I have made this five or six times now and we love it. I am new to making bread, and the process is much more changeable than I’m used to. My first few times making it, I didn’t need to add much extra flour. Then I came back to the recipe a few months later (maybe more humid those days? Does that affect bread making?) and I needed a TON of extra flour to get it to look the same as before. But every time, it is delicious. This is a must have recipe for me and I keep coming back. Started making 2x batches so I can keep some in the fridge for later. Thank you for sharing this!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Maria! Yes, weather can absolutely affect your dough, so that makes sense! This is exactly why we include a range measurement for the flour in our bread recipes. It’s great that you are able to recognize what your dough needs on different days. Thanks so much for commenting and using our recipe–we really appreciate it ❤️
Cindy
This sounds great, can’t wait to try it!