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
If you enjoy watching these videos, please subscribe to my YouTube Channel to be notified every time I publish a video!
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.
Bishop S
Very good recipe although you should change the cuisine category to Italian instead of American because pizza is an Italian dish.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We originally labeled it Italian but had many angry Italian food aficionados tell us our version was not appropriately Italian, so we changed it. We’re glad you enjoyed it regardless!
Xavier Willis
Hi, Sam! I worked at a high-volume pizza restaurant and developed an interest for creating my own dough from scratch at home. I clicked your recipe to explore what I was missing in my preparation, and I learned it was allowing the thirty minutes to allow the dough to rise.
I will be trying a modified version of your recipe today, but I hope it turns out as soft, flaky, and satisfactorily filling as yours are!
B Bennett
So simple and delicious
John
Perfect recipe. The only one I use for pizza! Basil in it is delicious.
Sharah Blankenship
My husband and I like thin crust pizza. I made thit, it was super easy and super yummy. Turned out thin and delicious! Will definately be my new go-to for pizza crust.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you both enjoyed it, Sharah! 😊
Rabi'ah Muhammad
Amazing recipe
Thank you so much
Much appreciated
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re happy you enjoyed it, Rabi’ah!
Jeffrey Smith
Will these measurements yield enough dough for 2 pizzas? Or should I double?
Sam
Hi Jeffrey! You will want to double it, unless you are making 2 mini pizzas. 🙂
Callam
That’s awesome to hear, I was just wondering if this recipe would yield something thinner!
Suneeta
I made this recipe with my cooking class (6th through 9th graders). I didn’t even have to demonstrate – they totally enjoyed the process and the pizza crust was AMAZING! Awesome texture and wonderfully elastic dough. I didn’t get to try any, but folks who did said the pizza was excellent. I’m definitely making this again.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
That is so fun, Suneeta! We are honored that you chose our recipe to share with your class. Hopefully next time you can snag a bite! 😊
Brenda B
This dough came together very easily! I actually only needed just over 1c of flour. My results: I like a slightly thinner (and chewy) crust so I should have stretched it out more than I did. I think I will try this with some 00 flour and see how the texture changes because I found the crust a little dry. Maybe some evoo on the pan under the crust would work?
But…overall this recipe is pretty great! Thanks!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
EVOO under the pan would work just fine. Glad you enjoyed it, Brenda! 😊
Krista V.
Honestly, it really is the best dough recipe! I used all-purpose flour, and it came out *perfectly*. I was floored!! Will definitely use again!! Thank you SO MUCH!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for the review, Krista! We’re so happy you enjoyed it ❤️
Susan
This is the best pizza dough recipe I have ever tried. The crust turns out perfect every time.
Amber
This lives up to the title. I have tried so many different crust recipes over the years but this is the best! I used Saf yeast, dissolved the sugar with the water before adding yeast. Bread flour worked great and I cooked using convection with toppings on, no pre cook. It was the best crust I have had and hubby agreed. This one is a keeper!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for the review, Amber! We appreciate it 🥰
Jessica
Hey Amber! How long did you do the convection cooking for?
Dana
Made this today. Great instructions, very clear and easy to follow.
I wasn’t sure it will be enough so I ordered a small pizza from our favorite pizza place.
Bottom line – the pizza I made (this recipe) was more delicious and sufficient!!! So good 🙂
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re happy to hear that our recipe was the winner, Dana! Enjoy 🥰
Karen
Hi, I doubled the recipe and grilled the pizza. I used 1/2 all purpose flour and 1/2 pizza flour. My dough came out tasting like and having the texture of focaccia bread. It was good, just not pizza dough. An idea why it had this texture? Thanks, Karen
Sam
Hi Karen! Most likely because of the all purpose flour and potentially because of the grill cooking method.
Neena
Turned out great, have used this recipe a couple of times now. Followed the instructions to the T. Will be my go to recipe.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
So glad it’s a hit for you, Neena! Enjoy 😊
Tracy
Great and easy recipe! I usually mix the all of the dry flour, 250 grams, with the wet ingredients before the 30 min raising period and it still turns out great! Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Lisa
Can you use a food processor?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Lisa! You can, but it’s super easy to make by hand 😊
Patricia
The absolute best pizza crust!!! I’ve used many different recipes in the past with mediocre results. This is the keeper!!
Maria Spodick
Is there something wrong with the amount of water?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Maria! The amount of water listed here is correct 😊
Marcy Romero
Absolutely amazing!! My first time making pizza. Will definitely be doubling recipes for two pizzas from here on out. Thank you!