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)
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.
Silas Tingley
it’s just good
Melissa
I made this recipe with my daughter today as a fun activity. And we had a lot of fun making it but when I went to check on it the dough was bubbly. Probably a maker error. Just curious what you think I did wrong????
Sam Merritt
Hi Melissa! Did you poke it with a fork after rolling it out?
Gen
I recommend! It is super good and easy to make. My family loved it!
Roxanne Imhoff
Love this Pizza Dough recipe. I went heavy with the basil and olive oil. I made 2 personal pizza since I am dairy free. My husband who live on Pizza is still complimenting me this AM. Think he wants me to Make it often, since he rarely says much.
Angel
I just made this recipe tonight for probably at least the 50th time. it is simple and easy and always my go to for anything. Pizza, stromboli, bread sticks…tonight it was calzones. I always add garlic and oregano to the dough. it never fails me. I use all purpose flour and love the fluffy consistency.
Cheyenne
I am looking to do this when my friend her husband and her kids come over nxt weekend. How would I double this yeast and all if I want to make maybe larger but definitely more then one pizza. There will be 6 of us.
Sam Merritt
Hi Cheyenne! You will just need to double all of the ingredients. 🙂
Victoria Kim
I’m confused by the amount of dough this makes. It says one 10-12″ pizza but that seems small for the amount of ingredients used. Can you please confirm?
Sam Merritt
Hi Victoria! You can stretch it as far as you’d like, but it generally makes 1 10 – 12 inch pizza. 🙂
Michael Rasmussen
Can you double the recipe? Or do you recommend just doing the process twice?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Michael! This recipe will double just fine 😊
Kelly
I haven’t made a pizza yet but I did make up the dough and it smells amazing! The last dough recipe I used was flavorless and bland. This I’m hoping is much better!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We hope you love it, Kelly! 😊
Katrina T.
My children and I have made idk how many pizzas with this dough, we just put one in the oven, it’s so good. We also stuff the crust ☺️ Thanks for the recipe!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We love hearing that, Katrina! 🥰
Nak2000
I struggled making a good pizza dough until this recipe. Turns great every time! One think I try occasionally is substituting OOO flour and cooking at 500f. Definitely an outstanding recipe that I will always use for pizza dough! Thanks!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy it’s a hit for you! 🩷
Adrianna
When I tell you this truly was the best pizza dough recipe I have tried in my ENTIRE life!! I’ve given up on home made pizza so many times because I could never seem to get it right, but I think this has genuinely just saved my life! I added the extra garlic powder to the dough, and I am so glad I did because it was perfect (I topped my pizza with shredded mozzarella and fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, and used a homemade tomato paste-based pizza sauce and topped it with basil once it came out the oven. That seriously was the most delicious pizza I have ever made and I am extremely satisfied! It gave me a nice brown crust yet not too soft and not too crunchy which is just how i like it! Thank you so much!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for the review, Adrianna! We are so happy you enjoyed it so much 🩷
Brandon Thom
made this pizza twice. does not turn out
Sam Merritt
I’m so sorry to hear this, Brandon! Did you add your flour gradually? It’s a pretty forgiving recipe so I’m surprised to hear it failed twice. 🙁
Kelly
I’m wondering if his water was too hot and killed the yeast, or too cool and didn’t activate the yeast. Hmmmm.?
Dasha Hervey
Seeriously love this dough. So easy to make and reliably good! The best part is the quick rise time. We use this dough for our Ooni pizza oven and find that it’s one of the best doughs to use.
If you can’t get to Italy this is the simplest Margarita Pizza ever! Made this twice in one week 🙂 Try making homemade Ricotta, two ingredients (whole milk and lemon juice), fresh grown basil and tomatoes…does not get better than this.
Becca
This was so quick, easy, and tasty.
Raquel
loved it. easy to make and tastes so much better than frozen pizza.
Kym
love this recipe but we double it for 1 pizza. maybe we just like a thicker crust 😊 its our go to crust recipe and so easy even my 16 yr old son can “impress” his girlfriend while making her dinner 🥰
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Love that! We’re so happy our recipe is a staple for your family Kym 🥰
Olga
can I make it in a bread machine , then take out?
Sam
Hi Olga! I’m not familiar with using a bread machine so I can’t say for sure how to do it. If you do try it I would love to know how it goes. 🙂
Steve
Dump everything in a bowl, stir it up. Let it rise. You don’t need a bread machine it’s so simple.