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.
Virginia Dimaio
I just made the dough and am still working on sauce and still have to go buy cheese. Lol.
Just wondering if I could cook with the sauce and freeze, the when I have the cheese, defrost and finish with the toppings?
I’m going to try doing this and will let you know what happens but just wanted to get your thoughts.
Loved how your instructions were laid out, very easy to follow!
Thanks
Sam
Hi Virginia! I haven’t tried doing it that way, but it may work. My only concern would be the dough getting soggy from the sauce, or being overcooked from baking it again. I hope it works out for you. 🙂
Graeme
Hi Sam,
Can you make this dough and keep in the fridge before raising a day before required?
Sam
Hi Graeme! I haven’t tried keeping it before letting it rise. Typically when people report storing it, they make the dough let it rise then cover it so it doesn’t dry out. 🙂
jim
I tried using bread flour and it gave it a really nice crisp crust but as the pie cooled off, it got pretty chewy, to the point that I was not eating the outer thicker edges. I’m going to try this again with half AP and half bread flour, see what happens. If that doesn’t work, I’ll do it your way. lol. But all in all, I think this is a keeper. One last thing: I have a Weber grill and it seems to get hotter than other makes, close to 600 degrees. I make the dough, fit it on a cast-iron griddle that has a bit of corn meal on it, grill it for 7 minutes and it is the bomb!
Cathy Diaz
I made this recipe today and the dough was delicious. I did flavor it with garlic powder as you suggested. As it was cooking on my pizza stone in the oven it smelled so good. This is my new go to recipe for homemade pizza dough. Thanks for sharing!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed the pizza dough, Cathy! 🙂
Pennie reynolds reynolds
Tried this recipe for my family they said that the crust taste like a frozen pizza dough. I will make it again because I liked it
Natalie
I’m a beginner when it comes to meals like this and I thought your instructions were very helpful. The pizza turned out perfectly and my family really enjoyed it!
Sam
Thank you so much, Natalie! I am so glad everyone enjoyed the pizza dough. 🙂
Tyress
Excellent recipe. I searched for an easy dough recipe and this was definitely it. The smell, taste and texture are perfect. My only problem is it wouldn’t stop rising. 😂😂😂. Not sure why, but it baked up perfectly. We did a pizza and sundae bar.
Sam
I’m so happy to hear the pizza dough was such a hit (and a sundae bar? YUM!). Thank you for commenting, Tyress!
Lioness123
It turned out brilliant
Sam
So glad to hear you enjoyed the pizza dough! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Jeff P
Best dough recipe I’ve ever used. It was fast and easy, and the dough was really great to work with. A+!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the pizza dough, Jeff! Thank you so much for commenting, I really appreciate it 🙂
Stephanie
Hello, can I freeze until friday??
Sam
Hi Stephanie! I have not tried it personally, but I know others have with success. Let the dough rise then wrap it tightly and freeze. 🙂
alex
would whole wheat flour be a good substitute for all purpose?
Sam
Hi Alex! It should work. I probably wouldn’t fully substitute the flour with whole wheat flour. I would probably start with 1/3 whole wheat 2/3 all purpose flour. The dough will definitely be a little tougher. Hope that helps. 🙂
Bill
Hi Alex, I used your dough recipe, for pizza. My guest loved it. Nothing but compliments. Thank you for sharing this recipe
Khris
Does anyone know how many carbs are in this?
Enzo DeBakker
Wayyyy too many!!! NOT FOR THE KETO WARRIORS!!!!
Teka
Would using my Kitchen Aid mixer hurt to mix this together with my dough hook? I’m terrible, but I havent used anything else since getting my kitchen aid mixer. Lol
Sam
Hi Teka! I know how it goes when you get a mixer you want to use it allllll the time. You could make the dough in the mixer, just make sure everything is well combined. 🙂
Linda Robbins
Great recipe. We topped with Alfredo sauce, bacon, havarti, mushrooms and parmesan!
Sam
YUM, love the sound of all of the additions!! So glad you enjoyed the pizza dough, Linda!
Zury
Can i refrigerate this for the next morning? Or it’ll be okay outside till next morning?
Sam
Hi Zury! You can let it rise and then wrap it tightly and store in the refrigerator until the morning. 🙂