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.
Michelle
Yummy
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Michelle! 🙂
Beth
Best dough I have made at home!! I did very thin crust and it held up to toppings and stayed crisp.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Beth! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Christine
I love this recipe! It’s quick and easy! Crusty on the outside, soft on the inside. Definitely a keeper!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Christine! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Paula
Thanks for this recipe! I have made it 3 times now and each time it was delicious. I made my first one with AP flour but found the crust too soft so I used bread flour and it was the bomb! I also slid the pie off my pan and onto the rack for the last 5 mins to crisp up the pie. Delicious!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Paula! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Lima N.
OMG AMAZING! I’m 13 years old and always have had trouble making dough for some reason but this came out GREAT! Thank you so much and I will be using this recipe forever! The pizza tasted awesome!!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for commenting, Lima! I am so glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂
riza
I made this the 1st time for lunch. We’re Asian and my husband is not a great fan of pizza for lunch, but with this dough recipe, I decided on pepperoni, ham & sausage for my children and sliced chillies, onions and sardines for my husband.
They loved it and I used up the whole dough! My son even ask for 2nd round. I had to make another dough for dinner the same day 🤣🤣
Riza Singapore 🇲🇨
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that your family enjoyed it, Riza! Thank you so much for trying my recipe, TWICE! 😉
RyNic812
Turned out great!! I have 5 kiddos so we make pizza dough alot. We typically bloom the yeast first in our normal family recipe… but your one bowl, quick rise option seemed a great choice for my son to try. We quadrupled the recipe too since we like to always have frozen dough on hand. He used bread flour, added garlic powder, salt, and basil flakes… yummy! Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that your family enjoyed it! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Grace Gomez
How thin do you roll out the dough?
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Hi, Grace! The best part of this recipe is that you can roll the dough to whatever thickness you’d like. I roll my dough into a 12″ circle and it is approximately 1/4″ thick. I hope that helps! 🙂
Ellie
Great recipe
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Ellie! 🙂
Danni Shepherd
This is an excellent pizza crust recipe and I have tried many different recipes over many years- this is now my go to recipe! Thanks so much for providing this recipe- my family loved it- it was absolutely perfect and delicious. Followed directions exactly!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that the family enjoyed it, Danni! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Tina
I had such great success with this recipe. Thanks so much!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Tina! 🙂
Tisha
Hi
If I make the dough to early can I just keep it cool until ready? I never would have used yeast before so far I have tried the apple cinnamon roll, garlic knots and now the pizza dough but of course I put my own few touches cause I love to cook and bake not trying recipes but this I did.. yeast and I are buddies now.. thank you
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Tisha! I am happy to know that you and yeast have become friends and you are now comfortable using it. As for this recipe, you can prepare the dough, let it rise and store it in the fridge until you are ready to use it. I hope that you enjoy it. 🙂
Sarah
My pizza dough turned out to be super thick. I’m assuming it’s because I didn’t flatten it out enough?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Sarah! Yes, if you don’t like your pizza to be thick, you will want to roll the dough out more. Regardless of it being too thick, I hope that you enjoyed it. 🙂
Jenzchiang
Hi Sam,
Thank you for your recipe sharing.
I use to homemade pizza dough using ice cold water instead of your recipe called for warm water.
Kindly advise what is the difference?
Normally, how long to mix when using mixer machine – ie dough bind (formed already)or till smooth dough?
Appreciate your advise! Thank you 😊
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Jenzchiang! Warm water activates the yeast, helping the dough to rise. If you are using a dough hook on your mixer, you want to mix until combined and dough forms a smooth ball. I hope that helps. Enjoy! 🙂
Muniba
Hey, thank you for sharing it 🤗
I alway had this fear of ruining my dough by drying it. The tip to brush it with olive oil really helped. It turned out just the way I wanted it to. Much love
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you for sharing, Muniba! 🙂
Cyndi
Amazing. I’m fearful of yeast but this is the best pizza I’ve ever made. Next time will try it with the herbs and garlic powder
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear that you had such great success with this recipe, Cyndi! Thanks for commenting. 🙂