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.
Sam
Loved it. Made 6 times the recipe and fed 6 hungry boys with these delicious pizzas. I cooked them on a cast iron pan on the grill. So good!! Thanks for the recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the pizza dough, Sam! I hope that the six hungry boys did too! Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Neil
I don’t have instant yeast but instead have active dry yeast. How would one prepare the active dry yeast to be used and would any of the amounts for the yeast and water be different? I’ve heard that one needs to add 25% more yeast when using active dry vs instant but I want to confirm if that’s the same for your recipe. Thanks.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Neil! I have not used active dry yeast with this recipe, however, others have and have had success. 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. If you use active dry yeast it will need more time to rise (double size) so just keep that in mind. Keep me posted on how it turns out for you!
Susan
I want to commend you for responding so patiently and graciously to people no matter what mood they comment in nor what they have to say. Props to you! I look forward to trying your recipe today!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Susan, I really appreciate it! It isn’t always easy. I hope that you enjoy the pizza dough. Keep me posted on how it turns out for you! 🙂
Dana Von Seggern
We LOVED IT🥰🥰
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the pizza dough, Dana! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Steve
Terrible recipe, definitely not enough water to flour ratio. I excluded the sugar as well and used 1 1/3 cup of warm water. Following this recipe came out to a very dry dough that never got sticky to form together or even knead (and yes I even let it settle for the yeast to activate). Had to throw it away and start over.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so sorry that you experienced an issue with the recipe, Steve. It sounds like the flour was over measured. This is a common mistake in baking so I have created a post on how to properly measure flour that can be used as a reference for next time. I hope that your second time around was more successful. Again, I am sorry you had an issue. 🙂
Taner Boyer
How many inches of pan will l bake this dough?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Taner! This recipe will yield 1 10-12″ pizza. 🙂
Judy
So yummy! I added 1 tsp basil to dough and baked with Monterey and gureye cheese and apple chicken sausage pieces.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the pizza dough, Judy! I love your choice of toppings. Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Cristal
Excellent
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the pizza dough, Cristal! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Sara
Is it okay to double the recipe, then split it in half?
I am going to a friends and wanted to be able to make two pizzas, but make the dough before I got there and don’t have two separate bowls.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Sara! Yes, that will work just fine. I hope that you enjoy the pizza dough. 🙂
Mari
Could a person pre-bake these crusts so it would go a little faster. So guests would be able to top them and then just finish baking it.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Mari! I have never pre-baked the crust before adding the toppings so I am not certain how it will do. You can premake the dough, let it rise completely and store it (well wrapped or in an airtight container) until the next day. I hope that helps! 🙂
Megan
I’m very excited to try making this. Unfortunately, I don’t have a pizza pan or a pizza stone- do you think it would work alright to put it on a regular pan, or use aluminum foil? I wasn’t planning on splitting the dough and making smaller pizzas. Would you adjust the baking time or anything without the pizza pan?
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Megan
Sorry, I meant to say that I *was planning on splitting the dough for smaller pizzas! So they would hopefully fit ok on a baking sheet, if you think that will work.
Sam
Hi Megan! I think a regular pan would be totally fine, I would recommend using parchment paper but aluminum foil should be fine too. I’d probably start by baking 10 minutes and then adding more time as needed. Enjoy! 🙂
Kristen
My girls like making individual pizzas from packaged biscuit dough. I forgot to buy some today but got everything else for them. My oldest had her heart set on little pizzas tonight so I nervously set out to make homemade pizza dough for the first time. Who knew it could be this quick and tasty! My girls decided we aren’t making it any other way going forward. 🙂 Thank you for the great recipe!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that this recipe exceeded their expectations, Kristen, and you now have a new family favorite! Thank you so much for trying my recipe. 🙂
Tom
This is a great recipe that the dough is slightly on the wet side. I use my loyal brand of bread flour and yeast and mix forever using a Kitchen Aid mixer with dough hook. I divide the dough in half and coat a container with a air tight lid with olive oil and leave in the refrigerator for 3 days, the dough rises and gets more flavor. I preheat my electric oven to 550 degrees using a steel flat pizza stone, I have found the steel stone works better than the concrete stone, form the dough on a peel and it’s done in 5-6 mins. The trick is if you make the pizza too big it may have a hard time getting an even bake of the dough, raw dough in the middle, to me it’s better to divide the dough in half and make two smaller pizza’s than one big one when baking at high temps. Hot and fast makes a better pizza.
Q
Didn’t need the essay. Just looking for a recipe.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Q! Just under the title, there is a teal “JUMP TO RECIPE” button that will take you directly there. 🙂
D
Just putting it out there that someone did enjoy the read. Thanks for the effort and sharing your recipe.
Sam
Thank you so much! 🙂
😑
🙄 it’s still February, not too late to add to your list of resolutions: Being more patient and more grateful should definitely make it to your list. 🥂 cheers to being a better version of ourselves with each passing day.
Nitya
Just made the pizza dough..simple easy to follow recipe
How do I post the pic;)
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed pizza dough, Nitya! If you would like to share a picture, feel free to post one on my Facebook Group or by tagging me on Instagram @sugarspun_sam 🙂
Bart Harley Jarvis
Sooooo I forget… Why are we separating the flour into two separate portions of 2 & 1/3 cup again? Your recipe only mentions the use of 2 &1/3 cup, so I have no clue where the other 2 & 1/3 cup I measured out is supposed to go (other than back in the bag with the rest of the flour) since the ingredients say “2-2 1/3 cup flour…”
Was this a type-o by chance?
Thanks…
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Bart! In step one, you are adding 1 cup of flour. Then in step 3, you will gradually add another 1 cup of four. Also in step 3 is where you will add the additional 1/3 cup if needed to get the right dough consistency. The combined total is 2 1/3 cups. 🙂
LALA
SO IF IT IS JUST 2 1/3 WHY DOES IT SAY 2-2 1/3? I’M TYPING IN ALL CAPS BECAUSE I THINK YOU MISSED WHAT SHE WAS ASKING AND THERE IS DEFINITELY A CONFUSING ITEM ON LINE 1 OF YOUR RECIPE YOU’RE NOT SEEING. THANKS.
Sugar Spun Run
I appreciate your comment and I am sorry if there is confusion. You need 2 cups and depending on the consistency of your dough you may need an additional 1/3 cup, which is where the 2-2 1/3 cups come from. I hope that helps clear things up. 🙂
Kristen
I read it the same way at first lol. But as I got to reading it again I realized it’s basically “2 to 2 1/3” as in a flexible amount so as to make it not as sticky. Mine needed 1/4 cup or so making it 2 1/4 cups that I used. Can’t wait to see how this turns out!