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.
Tori
Making this since I’m super huger and drunk at 2 am I’ll tell you if it goes well
Sam
Well I am very interested to hear how this turned out!
Damian
Great crust! I am rather young and this dough was fun and easy to make!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the pizza dough, Damian! 🙂
Randy
No need to knead this?
Sam
No kneading required for this pizza dough. 🙂
Ellie
I use this pizza dough recipe SO MUCH! It never fails!
Sam
I am so glad you are enjoying the pizza dough so much, Ellie! 🙂
Rae Truby professional chef
I have been making pizza professionally for 20 years, have to say this is a Awesome recipe and I will pass it on! Delightful taste and very toothsome!
Sam
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed it so much! Thank you so much for commenting and letting me know how you liked the pizza dough, it means a lot to me! 🙂
Norma Habu
Wow it sounds so delish…will definitely doing it on this coming weekend..my kids will gonna love it😊
Sam
Enjoy! 🙂
Patricia L Nielsen
I love this recipe. It’s just me so I split the dough in half. The other half I freeze, and it does so beautifully. I thaw it and make bit sized fried dough rolled in cinnamon and sugar while it’s still hot.
Sam
I love the sound of that! Thank you so much for commenting and letting me know how you like the pizza dough, Patricia, I really appreciate it! 🙂
Emily
This was delicious! I added a little bit of garlic and Italian seasoning and omitted the sugar. For pizza toppings I used alfredo sauce, spicy cherry chicken (chicken breasts cooked in the crockpot with a Chinese plum sauce using fresh cherries instead of plum jam), sauteed onions, and mozzarella, and cooked it on my pizza stone. I could’ve just eaten the crust by itself, it was so good! Next time I’m going to make it as breadsticks rather than a crust, just to snack on.
Thanks for the recipe!
Sam
YUM your comment is making me hungry!! Thank you so much for writing, Emily, I really appreciate it! 🙂
Doreen
Wow I made it and it was very delicious. I used bread flour and like you said it was very crunchy and tasty.
I am preparing another one today for my sister and a friend as a birthday treat.
Thank you for sharing this.
Sam
You are very welcome, Doreen! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the pizza dough! 🙂
TammyR
I have a hint – if you buy your yeast in bulk like I do, and keep it in the fridge, make your water a few degrees warmer, or let your yeast stand at room temp until it is warmer up. Then using the water in the recipe, add the sugar and stir, then stir in the yeast. Let it stand for 5 – 10 minutes or until foaming. Then add to your flour. This tells you if the yeast is still good.
Sam
Thank you for the tip, Tammy! 🙂
Joe Pizza Guy
Actually no one can make a perfect circle with the dough. What you do is take the “pizza cutter” and cut the edges making it a perfect circle.
Joe Pizza Guy
*Almost no one😊
Sam
My husband is a pro at it, his are always picture perfect, but I’m going to have to try your pizza cutter trick for myself!
Kamie
I made this also for the first time. I doubled the dough and baked one in the oven and one in the microwave oven and it came out beautiful. Thanks for this recipe.
Sam
You’re very welcome, I’m so glad to hear it was such a success for you, Kamie!! 🙂
Margaret
lovely. with mozzarella and anchovies..and a sprinkling of cheddar also homemade passata.
Ingrid
Am about to make this for dinner. Any Nutritional values?
Sam
Hi Ingrid! I have provided the approximate calories below the recipe but I do not have any nutritional values beyond that.
Kiyah Cleveland
can I make this a day prior ?
Sam
Hi Kiyah! This dough should be fine if you make it a day ahead of time. Just let it rise then cover it and store it in an air tight container overnight. 🙂
Megan
I’m about to make this for dinner tonight as a Chicken Fajita Pizza! Unfortunately, I don’t have a pizza pan… in hoping all will work out just fine as a square! Has anyone tried this? I’ll be back to update how it goes! Thanks for the recipe!
Sam
Hi Megan! I hope it turned out for you, but it should work in a square pan. 🙂
Connie
I just made this. First time making pizza dough and it was soo easy to follow and make. This will be my go to pizza dough recipe!!!
After it baked in the oven, i put it on a pan on the stove at medium heat to get a really crispy crust on the bottom (my personal preference)
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the pizza crust, Connie! 🙂
J Benhart
That is a very good idea!