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.
David
Best pizza dough I’ve made. Light and crispy and the addition of the garlic powder was a nice touch.
Paul
Kept it simple with slow roast mushroom & three cheese with a little wild rocket
Only my second attempt making pizza dough
Thank you for the recipe
Paul , New Zealand 🤗
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds delicious, Paul! We are so happy you enjoyed the recipe 🥰
Bethany
I love this dough!! I’ve made this multiple times, and I always make a double batch. I use unbleached, unenriched, organic flour and active dry yeast (I activate it in the 1st half of warm water while mixing the dough ingredients). Pizzas in the oven now! It’s perfect with homemade mozzarella 😋
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for the review, Bethany! Love the idea of adding homemade mozzarella 😍 Enjoy!
Get creative
I love it, I used pizza flour and used bread flour and both work great.
Just a baker
I ADORE this recipe. I’ve made this pizza crust so, so many times and today I’ll be trying 1 stuffed crust, and 1 calzone. This dough has never failed me.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yum! Let us know how they turn out for you 🥰
Lily Steinberg
I got a pizza stone and am told to bake it on 450-500 degrees and u bake it on 425 is there a difference ?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Lily! Others have baked this way and had great results, so you should be fine. Just keep an eye on it 😊
Suzanne
Best pizza dough recipe I’ve ever tried. And, I made it using my food processor because my arthritis was acting up. I was afraid it would be tough and chewy, but it came out tender and delicious. I used about 2 1/8 cups of King Arthur all purpose flour. The seasonings were right on. So easy to work with. Made it in the morning, including the rise, wrapped it tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerated it until ready to use later in the day. A very forgiving dough, I must say. Filled and baked it in a 12″ cast iron fry pan. My new favorite. Thank you for sharing.
Sarah
We quite liked the dough. The flavor was excellent and the texture was nice. However it was too thick. I tossed it so it was about pie crust thickness but it grew to about 3/4” deep in the oven. Any tips would be appreciated! I have a kid’s party coming up and I’d like them to make their own pizzas!
Kathy
Made this today and it was so delicious. Despite putting it in a warm place it took more than an hour to rise enough and to be rolled out, but the end result was great. I am not sure what happened there but I’ll be making it again for sure on our next homemade pizza day!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Kathy! Did you use fresh instant yeast? If so, it could just be that it needed to be in a warmer spot. So glad it turned out nicely for you regardless 😊
Kathy
It was active dry yeast that I used for the dough and I see I should have used instant. Duh. I just bought a new jar today that is instant yeast (bread machine), so I guess it will probably rise faster like the recipe states when I use it. But, yes, it was delicious anyway, so I’m not complaining. Thanks for the response. I usually do buy instant yeast and even though I’ve had that last jar for a few months, I never noticed it was not instant.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Easy mistake! So glad you figured it out and plan to try the recipe again ❤️
Kate
Like Emily, my house is cold too. I put my dough on top of the toaster oven and turn that on at about 375. It works the best for me
Lindsay
Best pizza ever! I had instant yeast on hand and wanted to make pizza for new years, so I found myself here. Easy recipe, delicious result!
Erica
Absolutely fantastic dough! I used tipo 00 flour and proofed the yeast in the warm water with the sugar before mixing. It was so easy to work with when rolling out. The flavor of the dough is great, too.
Shawn Estes
I am no baker, but i was able to make an exceptional pizza dough following this simple recipe! I highly recommend. My wife was very impressed with me!
Wayne
Love this dough recipe, so easy to make! We never buy ready made pizza anymore.
I’ve been adding different spices to give the crust a bit more flavour – Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic seasoning is a favourite. We’ll also do thin and regular crusts with this dough and both are a hit.
me
i love the pizza dough tysm for the steps and clear instructions i love you!
Dip
Absolutely love this recipe. I have been making pizza with various recipes , however this by far the best pizza dough and homemade pizza sauce recipe. Thank You so much🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Cindy Benson
Can this pizza dough be made into breadsticks?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Cindy! We’d recommend our homemade breadsticks instead 😊
Cori
Can this be used to make pepperoni rolls stuffed with thinly sliced pepperoni and cheese?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds delicious, Cori! That should work just fine 😊