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.
Sean
I love it
Veronica
hi, another question that I have is if I brush the dough with butter instead of olive oil, will it be more crispy? will it get burn easily? thank you.
Sam
Hi Veronica! It can be brushed with butter. It shouldn’t burn and I don’t think it will make it any more crisp.
J
I am terrible at following recipes, but I used the same ingredients, and the pizza was amazing!! The dough didn’t rise within 30 mins so around 40 or 50 mins, I rolled it, added the cheese on the crust (it was stuffed crust pizza) and left it, and by the time I was ready, it was so fluffy. I forgot to poke holes in the dough, but it was delicious! Everyone loved it!!
Marisa
The flavor was delicious! I used the linked sauce and that was also impressive! However I did something incorrectly as it stuck to my pizza stone (first time using one so probably an error on me). It turned out a little bready….put it back in but couldn’t get it to crisp. (I also might’ve let the dough sit about 20mins to long.) I will definitely remake it and try it with the suggested parchment paper!
Carol
This might indeed be the best pizza crust I’ve ever made, and I’ve tried many. Great taste and texture. Can’t wait to try it on the grill this summer. My favorite way to cook pizza!
Susie
Such a terrific pizza crust recipe! Depending on the toppings to be used I add various things to the crust – crushed red pepper, basil. oregano, garlic. Don’t be intimidated – just try it. So easy and yummy! (And use Sam’s homemade pizza sauce recipe. You can customize it as well.)
Veronica
hi, I don’t have a pizza stone, is the normal baking tray ok?
Sam
No need for a pizza stone here. 🙂
Pauline
we have made this pizza dough at least 20 times. I use a rectangular cookie sheet and spread the dough on that in that shape. works great!
Anita
thanks so much for this recipe – it has become my go to for pizza night and my husband and kids love it!
Anise
I was really scared to try to make my own pizza dough, memories of my mom’s attempt to be healthy when I was a teen kept haunting me. So many horrible pizzas on tortillas… BUT! This recipe was easy to follow, and it turned out perfect! Thank you for taking the time to write this up and share it with us. It’s a game changer! I’m going to save a lot of money when I get pizza cravings now. Thank you <3
Cindy Khoury
I was extremely reluctant to make this dough. Anybody with a 5 star rating either has a giant family or attends a megachurch with massive friends. Nobody can get 5 stars just on their on. I made it for a pizza for my daughter. She is the worst to cook for as se is so particular. There was silence at the tale…I called her name, and she had almost eaten 1/2 the pizza! She loved the crust and the pizza sauce of yours (( had made them together). This truly IS the best pizza dough/crust I have ever made or eaten. Truly worth 5 stars!
Roberta
Yummy Yum Yum ! The first time I made homemade pizza dough I used Sam’s (about 7 months ago) WONDERFUL, AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS RECIPE! I make this at least 3 times a month (2 pizzas at a time). My kids devour it. I follow it to the T I don’t change a thing. It’s truly Delicious and very easy to make. I’m just now starting to make homemade meals from scratch and I always go to Sugar Spun first to look for a recipe I want to make or I just browse around Sam’s Recipes. I Thank You Kindly Sam for your time and all of your yummy recipes.
Kara
I’ve used this recipe over and over… Completely fool proof and great for kids to help with… Just perfect every single time! Thank you!
Lauren
I do two of these for a family of 4 every Wednesday before bible study; I add the kirkland granulated garlic and the pizza seasoning from one of my spice racks and my family LOVES it! Highly recommended using Raos spaghetti sauce. Thank you for this super easy delicious recipe!!!
Kindra
Loved it! Rolled mine larger than 12”. Came out crisp and baked well; I could look at the crust and see the airiness. No raw dough! My crust was just under a centimeter thick after baking! Flavor was on point! This is the only pizza dough for me. Thank you! 😊
Eric J
This has been my go-to pizza crust recipe for a couple of years. It’s never let me down. You can get “pizza yeast,” I recommend it as it does seem to improve the texture vs. general purpose yeast. But overall, this one’s a winner.
Rosemary
I’ve tried lots of yeast pizza doughs and this one is truly the best! Shared with my daughter who has been searching for the perfect pizza dough and she said after making this one…..she found it!!
Abcby
I always make this dough for my family. 10/10 every time! Thanks.
Kim
Made multiple batches was great in a pizza oven rolled nicely and tasted great
Inaya
I cant wait to try this! It looks to good to even eat!
Daniel
I used milk instead of water. And twice the amount of salt. This recipe is really good!
Al
My first time making homemade pizza, and wow this was so easy! I used regular yeast, proofed it for 5 minutes in 3/4 cup of warm water and a pinch of sugar. Crust came out perfect! Better than any delivery pizza! Couple of tips: if you’re using a baking sheet, transfer your pizza to the cooling rack after slicing so it doesn’t “sweat” and get soggy on the bottom. If you want a crisper bottom, you can put pizza directly on the oven rack for last couple of minutes of baking time. Hope this helps someone.
Mari
Gonna be my goto recipe because turned out so good this time!!! Last time was user error I let it sit for tad too long in oven, still edible! This time was *chefs kiss* didnt add any of the spices, used some leftover trader joes marinara sauce i heated on stove with bit of unsalted butter, spinach tossed in oil and cut up onions, cheese crust & buttered and oiled the crust after forming on to pan. Mistakenly forgot to put oil or flour on the pan so it kind of stuck in some areas but was able to scrape the pizza off it lol ANYWAY, yes gonna bookmark this recipe! Thanks!
Brian S Wasman
Here is another great easy way to rise any kind of dough. take a microwave safe bowl/mug run tap water till hot as it gets fill . place in microwave for 1 minute. leave in then put covered dough in microwave off for recommended time.
you have just created your own professional proof box. for any all baked goods that require rising.
Tracy
How long did you proof this dough, Brian?
Brian S Wasman
Hello Tracy!
I’m sorry for the late response I’m just seeing this now .. I usually rais it for about 30 min or until almost doubled in size..
Lauren
I do two of these for a family of 4 every Wednesday before bible study; I add the kirkland granulated garlic and the pizza seasoning from one of my spice racks and my family LOVES it! Highly recommended using Raos spaghetti sauce. Thank you for this super easy delicious recipe!!!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear this, Lauren! Thank you so much for trying my recipe!