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.
Amy
All I have is sprouted wheat flour in the house. Would you give it a shot?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Amy! I am honestly not positive on how it will do. Someone recently used wheat flour and had success, however, it did take longer to rise. It’s worth a shot. Keep me posted on the results. 🙂
Saesha McAllister
Worked Perfectly and so easy to make! Everyone loved it. Thanks for sharing the option to use bread flour too as that is what I had on hand. Great recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
That is wonderful, Saesha! I am so glad that you enjoyed the pizza dough. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Jess
I’ve never worked with yeast before. So i have a question. Do you put the dry packet in the with flour in the first step or do you activate it in water first?
Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Jess! Are you using instant dry yeast (as listed) or active dry 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. If you use active dry yeast it will need more time to rise (double size) so just keep that in mind. I hope this helps!
Jelena
Hi! I accidentally used active dry yeast and added it like in the recipe straight to the flour, did i ruin it? Will it still work?
Sam
Hi Jelena! This should still work but the dough may take longer to rise.
Nicole
Delicious! This is now my go-to recipe! I bake the crust for 5 mins or so before topping it and cooking it directly on the rack. BEST PIZZA CRUST EVER! It is light and crispy without being too thin! Great flavor, too! My husband and 4 year old think it’s restaurant quality!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear how much your family has enjoyed the pizza dough, Nicole! Thank you so much for commenting. 🙂
Martha Smith
Hi, It looks super easy, I am excited to try it, can I bake a little longer so the crust is s bit darker than it seemed in your video? Thanks,
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Martha! Yes, you can bake it until it reaches your desired crispness and color. I hope that you enjoy your pizza! 🙂
Kathleen Cosgrove
I have fresh yeast..can I use that instead? And if so at what amount and would any other part of the recipe change? Thanks
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Kathleen! Unfortunately, I have not used fresh yeast with this recipe so I can not advise. Others have used active dry yeast and have had success. Keep me posted on how it turns out for you if you try it!
Lisa
Do you have to use the dough right away? Can it be kept in the refrigerator for any length of time? or in the freezer? Thanks
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Lisa! I recommend storing it in an airtight container. The pizza dough will be good for a few days in the fridge. After two days, I reccomend freezing it. 🙂
Megan
Love this recipe!! Turns out perfect every time !!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Megan! I am so glad that you have enjoyed it! 🙂
Sandra
I have used this recipe a couple of times now and it works great every time!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that this recipe has been such a hit for you, Sandra! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback. 🙂
Charlie
I’ve been using this recipe for pizza dough for months now and it’s now a staple in our house so thanks so much for this! Is there a way to double the recipe so I can have twice the pizza (one to chill for later) in one go?
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you have enjoyed this recipe, Charlie! Yes, you can double this recipe easily. Others have made one in advance, stored it in an airtight container and then frozen it for next time. Enjoy! 🙂
Elle Ploessl
Eating this currently and omg so good! I added both garlic powder and Italian seasoning and made a rectangle because that’s the shape of my pampered chef stone. Dusted the bottom with a little corn meal for extra crisp. So easy and definitely a keeper!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, Elle! Thank you for commenting. Enjoy! 🙂
Christy
Great recipe, definitely a keeper, we added fresh chopped rosemary and came out delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Christy! Thank you for trying my recipe. 🙂
Stephanie
fantastic and simple love this.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Stephanie! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Vivian
This is such a perfect pizza crust. I can hardly believe how good it is in terms of flavor and texture. It is the second recipe we used from this site, and they are both perfect. I decided that I need to just stay on this site always and make all of the things here. There is no need to ever close this tab. Thank you so much for posting! 💛
Sugar Spun Run
Welcome back to my site, Vivian! What a sweet comment to see. I am so glad that you have enjoyed my recipes. I greatly appreciate the feedback and can’t wait to see what you try next! 🙂
Anita
I used the grams you suggested and maybe it’s the conversion that messed it up
But the dough wasn’t doughy at all, more like a porridge
I adjusted the flour but just so you’re aware
Sam
Thank you for the feedback, Anita! The grams are correct, I use weights myself when making the pizza so they are accurate, I am not sure why this happened.