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
If you enjoy watching these videos, please subscribe to my YouTube Channel to be notified every time I publish a video!
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.
Eja
Thank you for sharing this super easy recipe. My kids love it! I enjoy making it too.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy that the pizza dough was enjoyed by all, Eja! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Eja
Thank you for sharing this easy recipe. My kids love it!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy that everyone enjoyed it. Thank you, Eja! 🙂
Gregory Newton
I bake bread all the time with sourdough, which rises a lot slower than with commercial yeast. I needed a reminder of the rising time as well as flour amounts so I could make a yeast dough for pizza or a stromboli. Thanks for the simple and cheerful explanation – good job!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy that you found my pizza dough recipe helpful, Gregory. I hope that you enjoy it! 🙂
Tamiko L Young
My kids and I made the pizza tonight. It was easy and very tasty. Thank you. Will be making it again.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy that you and your kids enjoyed the homemade pizza dough, Tamiko! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Jeanie
Very nice recipe Ive made it four times and-you have a good one here
Next time I am going to pre-bake to get to a crispier place before topping.
I like the addition of sugar!
Sam
Thank you so much, Jeanie! I am so glad you enjoyed the pizza dough so much. 🙂
Patti
This was truly the easiest and most delicious home made pizza we have ever made. We didn’t even have mozzarella, forgot to buy it and now Storm is coming and all the stores are closed. No matter, it was heaven anyway. Thanks for giving us this great recipe.
Sam
Thank you so much, Patti! I am so glad you enjoyed the pizza dough so much! 🙂
Bee
I found this recipe by mistake while pinning, AND I MUST SAY THIS IS THE BEST MISTAKE EVER. My boyfriend and I make pizza at least once a week now! So good and easy to follow! Thanks for sharing!!
Sam
Thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoyed the pizza dough. 🙂
Yuval
Hi – can I make this in the morning and refrigerate it all day until I use it for dinner? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Yuval! That will work fine. Make sure you let it rise first, then cover and place in the refrigerator. 🙂
Aphra
Warm greetings from sunny singapore~
My first time making pizza and everything worked wonderfully (except that the middle is a touch soggy). I made sure to prebake the crust first for around 8 minutes before i add on the toppings. Maybe prebaking it a while longer would’ve made it perfect.
Everyone loved it. Thanks for this recipe!
Sam
I am so happy to hear everyone enjoyed the pizza crust, Aphra!! thank you so much for commenting, I really appreciate it! 🙂
Ron D.
This truly is the best pizza dough I have made or eaten. I followed the ingredient list perfectly, but we like our crust with that artisan look. I don’t make it perfectly round or with a folded edge. It bubbles up and gets crispy on the edges. Just so good. I also good my pizza on a stone in the oven. Makes a world of difference. I bought a huge terra-cotta tile and I use that in my oven for everything. Breads, pizza, desserts you name it. Best 10$ I ever spent.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the pizza dough so much, Ron! I should probably get myself a stone for my oven. 🙂
Aralmo
Nice dough! Eating it right now and tastes great. I’ve changed a couple of things to your receipt to my liking.
I don’t pinch the dough and either do the borders I don’t mind the bubbles and the borders get the same shape with the next change.
Then I’ve been told to never cook mozzarela more than 3 minutes as it dries too much so I put the tomato base and some olive oil only for 10 minutes, then take it out the oven add some fresh toppings (i like my pepper still crunchy), the mozzarella and back to the oven for 3 more minutes.
And this thing is delicious…
Sugar Spun Run
Aralmo, I am so happy that you enjoyed the pizza dough! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Brenda
Interesting theory re mozzarella. I am not crazy about rolling out the dough… enjoy stretching it on my arm. Just didn’t work with this dough. It is eleven am and I am dying to eat it now!
happy
great recipe – easy and versatile – did plain – look forward to seasoning crust next time or should I say timeS.
Thank you for sharing!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy that you enjoyed the pizza dough. Thank you for your feedback. Enjoy! 🙂
Amber
Can I leave the dough to rise for 1-2 hours or will that ruin it?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello Amber, letting it rise 1-2 additional hours should be fine. Let me know how your pizza dough turns out. I hope that you enjoy it!
Angie Persinger
Can this be made ahead and frozen?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello Angie, I have not tried it myself, however, others have and have had success. Let me know how you like your pizza dough. Enjoy! 🙂
Beej
Ii’ve tried many and this is the best thus far! Easy to make and everyone liked it including my son who is hard to please.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Beej! I am so happy that you enjoy the pizza dough! 🙂