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)
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.
KATHY
OH MY OH MY!!!!
1ST TIME EVER MAKING DOUGH AND PIZZA FROM SCRATCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS SUPER SIMPLE RECIPE. I HAD TO COOK MY PIZZA ABOUT DOUBLE THE TIME DUE TO THE CRUST ALONG THE EDGES WAS MUCH LARGER THAN YOURS. IT WAS SO SO VERY DELICIOUS. I ADDED MY OWN EXTRA SPICE INGREDIENT’S TO THE DOUGH. AND ONCE UNCOVERED THE DOUGH, IT ALREADY HAD A PIZZA SMELL. MY HUSBAND SAID NO MORE ROUND TABLE, THE BEST PIZZA EVER AND EVEN HIGH 5’D ME. THANK YOU SO MUCH 😀
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the pizza dough, Kathy! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Elly
If I am going to prepare ahead of time, what’s the process for refrigeration, etc?
Xoxo
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Elly! I recommend that you let the pizza dough rise at room temperature then store covered in the refrigerator. It will last a few days. I hope that you enjoy it! 🙂
Lisa
Im so glad i came across this recioe i made it 3 times already used different flours each time my favorite by far is the bread flour cause its crispy. It took me some time to figure out how to do the crust thank goodness for u tube it wasnt hard once i knoew how to do it. Thank u for sharing my family and i enjoyed it very much. My toppings were green olives hot sweet bannana peppers onions garlic and red bell peppers and pepperoni alone with shredded mozzarella and provolone cheeses.
Lisa
I also used both instant yeast and original yeast which both worked in this recipe
Sugar Spun Run
That is awesome! So happy to hear! 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the pizza dough, Lisa! I love your choice of toppings too. Sounds delicious! 🙂
Lauren
This is a great recipe. I’ve tried many recipes and none turn out as consistently as this. I double it and then separate it into two after it rises. I’ve used regular flour, bread flour, wheat flour and they’ve all turned out great! My kids won’t eat delivery pizza anymore because they prefer this. Thank you so much for the excellent recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
Your comment made my day, Lauren! I am so glad that your kids prefer this pizza dough over delivery. I am happy to hear that all the flours you have used worked so well. Thanks for commenting and for using my recipe over and over again. Happy Holidays to you! 🙂
Deena
Came out great. It wouldn’t let me edit my previous comment. I’d add using a pizza stone (if you have one) and semolina flour so it doesn’t stick to the pizza peel.
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for sharing, Deena! 🙂
DayceeGmz
I’m excited to try this! Last time I made pizza was in Culinary class last year and can’t recall how we made it lol Thanks for this!!
Sam
I hope you love it! 🙂
Amy M.
How long does the dough keep?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Amy! The dough will last approximately three days in the refrigerator; however, it is best to use it within 48 hours. 🙂
Guest
So easy and turned out great. Made it on a Tuesday night after work. Used active dry yeast. Dissolved with warm water and a bit of sugar beforehand and then added to dry ingredients and had no issues. I know from whatever little experience i have in baking that flour amounts can vary so as suggested in the recipe, I slowly added the second cup of flour/kneaded dough and simply stopped adding flour when I could feel it reached the right consistency. I’m bookmarking this recipe. Thanks 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the pizza dough, Paulina! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Deena C Parsolano
In trying it now. I’ll update later. (My Mom gave me her recipe, but when I went to use it I saw there were no wet ingredients, so I’m trying yours. Thanks. (It’s VERY similar, only you add water and oil.)
Sam
I hope you love the pizza dough, Deena!
AJ
Hi, can I use Active Dry Yeast instead of Instant Yeast?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, AJ! I have never tried it myself, however, someone else who made this recipe used it and had success. With that being said, I think you should be good. Let me know how your pizza dough turns out. 🙂
Liz
I tried this recipe and while everything worked out. The dough was very dry I was looking for something more flaky.
Mary
I’m so bummed. My dough didn’t rise but this is the only recipe I’ve ever tried where you added the yeast in with the flour right off the bat. Usually you add yeast and warm water together and let it sit for a bit before adding to the rest of the ingredients. 🙁 Didn’t work for me. And my last pack of yeast in the house! Gah.
Sugar Spun Run
Oh no, Mary! I am so sorry to hear that you had issues with the pizza dough. Did you use instant yeast? There is a difference between different types of dry yeast: active dry yeast has a larger granule and needs to be dissolved in water before using, while instant yeast has a more fine texture and can be mixed right into dry ingredients. Again, I am so sorry you had issues. 🙁
Mary
You know, I honestly don’t know but I let it sit on the stove while preheating and it did rise a bit so I used it anyway and while I’m sure from reading all the great reviews it wasn’t near what it should have been, it served its purpose! 😊 I will definitely try again and pay closer attention to the proper yeast to use! Merry Christmas 🌲
Sugar Spun Run
Again, I am so sorry Mary that it didn’t rise. I hope that you give it another try. Happy Holidays to you! 🙂
Alyssa Mallgrave
I’ve tried several pizza dough recipes before, with limited success. This one really is the best pizza dough I’ve ever made!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Alyssa! I am so glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂
Chana
Same here. I added the basil and garlic powder to the dough and it really enhanced the pizza.
Thank you.
Sugar Spun Run
I am glad that you enjoyed it, Chana!
Tyrell Fox
Way to much flour for the dough becomes way to dry so it starts to fall apart.
Elizabeth Beltre
Can you us this dough to make mini calzones
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Elizabeth! Yes, you can! Enjoy! 🙂