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.
Erin
This recipe is awesome. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve made this, including throwing together back to back double batches and it comes out so consistent every time. I was always intimidated to try making homemade pizza crust because I’d eaten some that were pretty lousy. But now I always make it homemade!
Sara
Sooooo good! I made a double batch, and added the garlic powder, basil, and oregano. My kids (4&6yrs) loved theirs, and my new Yorker husband approves! Definitely adding this one to the recipe box!
Odette Del Rio
I did it last week & yesterday for today’s dinner & it worked amazingly well. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Sue w
Can I double the recipe!? Love it
Sam
Absolutely, enjoy!
Suew
BTW I put in minced garlic as well as garlic powder and yum 😋
Sonakshi
Can u add some whole wheat flour into the mix? Like if u were to triple the recipe, adding 2 cups whole wheat and the rest all purpose?? Thanks!!
Sam
Hi Sonakshi! Whole wheat flour tends to be a bit “thirstier” so you may need to make some other adjustments with the liquid as well, but I think it could work. 🙂
Kim Burke
So disapointed! I’ve been looking for good dough for a long time. I made this one and it was wonderful; not perfect but wonderful and I will make it again and again. I’m disappointed because I didn’t use good vegan cheeze; mostly because I wasn’t sure it would be worth it. : ) I can’t imagine how amazing this will be once I join the two. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Jacqui
My go-to pizza dough recipe. It is super easy and yields amazing results. I’ve actually had family members including fussy nieces and nephews request this for family dinners.
Kaili
This is my go-to pizza dough recipe. I use it a lot for chicken alfredo pizza, which is a family favorite. The dough is sooo soft, and it makes a nice thick yet delicate crust when stretched to the size of a cookie sheet.
Tiffany
Good, just not my kind of crust. very bready and I like thin and crispy. Did the trick on a snowed in day!
Alex
Increase the amount of water. The water/flour ratio in this recipe is the absolute minimum amount of water, most restaurants and hobbyists pizza makers use more water. Roll it out thin with your oven set to its hottest setting.
I’d recommend 1/2 cup of water per cup of flour. It will be sticky once risen but add a bit of flour until it’s just “unsticky” enough to roll out.
Rosie Sprynczynatyk
make it in a larger pan if you want thin and crispy. I use an 11×18 jelly roll.pan.
Meme
worked well, family loved it
Myah Brannon
Sooooo fluffy and easy! This is a foolproof recipe. I made two different crusts and they both turned out great! Definitely make sure you roll the crust out thin because it rises when it cooks. But overall great flavor and texture! Will recommend to a friend and any beginner chefs 🙂
bigskies
Turned out amazing! I did preheat stone for 30 minutes and then because it was a thicker crust, parbaked for 10 minutes. Was just the best pizza for movie night! Repeating again tonight for the playoff game. Your kids, no matter how old they are, usually love putting it all together as long as they have a great crust to start with. Thank you SO much
Elizabeth Giese
I’ve tried this recipe a few times now and it is the best tasting one I’ve ever made and my critics (a/k/a the family) agrees. It is now my go-to recipe for homemade pizza dough. It is best as a classic thickness crust. I use a different recipe for thick crust that rises more when a thick crust is desired.
Megan
We made this for dinner tonight and it was great!
Brandee
Is the 113 calories per slice or per entire dough?
Sam
Hi Brandee! That is per slice. 🙂
Marco Visco
I am Italian and I am always open to new recipe ideas. I made this dough for my fiancé last night and she couldn’t stop raving how it was the absolute best pizza she has ever had! I loved it as well. Reminded me of the pizza my mother used to make when we were kids. Thank God for the internet. It really makes life more fun by sharing ideas and tips when it comes to cooking. This was not complicated at all. I made it all by hand without the use of my 7qt mixer. My only suggestion would be to allow the portion settings to be changed. This was for a 10-12″ pizza. I made a square one so I had to do the math to make enough. I hate doing the math figuring out x2 or x3 portion sizes.
Sam
Hi Marco! I’m glad you enjoyed it! I did have it turned on for a bit, but I found out it was inconsistent and not always correct so I turned it off until it could be fixed.
Christine
Does the dough taste salty before baked or didn’t I mess up? Hahah
Sam
Hmmm I’ve never tasted the dough before cooking, but it shouldn’t be salty.