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.
Rose
I plan on making this today. Why do you line your pan with parchment? I’ve always slightly oiled mine with olive oil and sprinkled corn meal. Does it make a difference on the outcome?
Sam
Hi Rose! It just makes clean up easier. 🙂
Brittany
Hi Sam!! I’ve used your pizza dough recipe twice now and it’s amazing!! My husband is a huge fan of stuff crust, so I tried making it with mozzarella sticks in the crust and it was oh-so-good!! Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful food!!
Christine Kreuser
So easy and so good!
Connie
Super delicious! This recipe has become part of a new tradition of making pizza from scratch for me and my grandsons when they come to stay!
Helen
I like the lightness of this crust. It reminds me of pizza I had in Venice many years ago. The crust was very thin and light so it really highlighted the cheese and toppings.
Fatine
I love this recipe! Its my go to pizza dough recipe.
Can I double it? (Double all ingredients?)
Sam
Sure thing! 🙂
Rose
Did you double the amount of warm water too?
Lucy
Just used this pizza dough recipe and it is a winner! Best pizza dough ever!
judy huff
What is the name of the Bread Flour that you use ???
Sam
Hi Judy! I don’t typically buy anything too fancy for my bread flour. Gold medal brand is usually pretty accessible for me so I often use that. 🙂
Bailey
What do I do when I don’t use 2 cups of bread flour before the dough starts to turn into a slightly sticky cohesive ball, as shown in the video? I can get to about 1 1/2 cups, SOMETIMES 1 3/4 cup, but I’ve made this a few times already (LOVE IT, hubby says it’s the best he’s ever had) and have not been able to use the full 2 cups.
Sam
Hi Bailey! If you don’t end up using the full 2 cups but still enjoy the dough, there’s no problem. Yeast recipes can be tricky and not everyone’s works the exact same way. 🙂
Melony
I use this dough to make homemade calzones and they’re always a hit. I also make extra and put in the freezer l.
Heather
Do you freeze the dough before or after it has risen?
Sam
I would wait for it to rise, deflate and then freeze. 🙂
Mirra
First time making homemade pizza dough and was surprised how crispy and light the pizza was.
I made it thin with all the toppings.
This definitely is a keeper recipe.
Thank you.
Allison
I made this pizza crust last night and it was a hit with my entire family! I let it rise all day so it had a little “tang” to it, it ended up being light and fluffy but crispy on the edges. Thank you for an amazing recipe.
CJ
Fantastic! I am not a baker (love to cook, baking not so much). This crust turned out perfect. Delicious and not greasy! Better than any restaurant.
Melissa
This recipe is so easy and so delicious! Thank you so much for sharing it!
Susan Dominy
Love love this recipe I only make homemade pizzas now because this crust turns out so good. I especially love to stuff the crust edges with cheese. I’m always proud to serve my pizza because it looks so good. Thank you for this recipe, it has lead me to step out of the box and be confident with other bread recipes