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.
DC
Worked well. Believe the hype. I used it to make Christmas Tree Cheese Bread (which called for pizza dough), and we devoured the entire thing. Video helped get texture right. I just threw the ingredients into my bread machine.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Hilary
I used this dough to make Stromboli and it was great!
Sam
So happy to hear this! 🙂
BE
Great dough!! Is it really only 101 calories for the entire thing??
Sam
Hi! It’s actually 101 calories for 1/12th of the pizza (which is approximately 1 slice). I hope that helps!
Eric Dawson
Hi and thanks!
Can I make this dough ahead of time? I’m not making pizza with it.
Thanks
Sam
Hi, Eric. After you let it rise, you can put it in the refrigerator for several hours and it should be fine. Just make sure to cover it, so it doesn’t dry out. 🙂
Trish Tempalski
Can you let it rise longer than 30 minutes?
Sam
How much longer did you have in mind? If it’s not hours and hours longer it will be fine 🙂
Iresha Ranasinghe
Best recipe for a first timer like myself. Pizza dough turned out perfect!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Iresha! 🙂
Mishaal
I make only every weekend since my parents do not like pizza from most pizzerias, but they absolutely dote this dough and the flavors of it. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Sam
I am so glad everyone loved it, Mishaal! 🙂
Cathy C
I often use bread flour for pizza dough but I was out because of holiday baking. I was relieved to find this recipe and after watching the video (thank you) and reading the comments, decided to give it a try. SO glad I did. So good and so easy. I prep my pizza on a wooden peel and cook it on a stone. The dough slid off super easily and kept its shape. Will definitely make it again. De-lish!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear it worked so well for you! Thank you for commenting, Cathy!! 🙂
Brittany
This is by far my favourite pizza dough recipe yet!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoy it, Brittany! 🙂
Kat Gabel
This is a great recipe and easy too. My husband loves it and told me I have to use this from now on. I top mine with my made from scratch pizza sauce.
Sam
Ooo made from scratch pizza sauce sounds excellent! My husband won’t let me use it, because it “tastes too much like tomatoes” I am so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Lilie
The best pizza dough u can ever find
Sam
Thank you so much, Lilie! 🙂
Jennifer Pitcairn
Have you precooked this dough before? If yes (successfully), for how long? It really is one of the best dough recipes I’ve ever tried! I keep going back to it. I’m making 4 pizzas on Friday and would like to partially precook the crusts without toppings earlier in the day so it’s less chaotic with guests.
Sam
Hi, Jennifer. I have not precooked this crust, but I think it should work just fine. I would cook it for like 5 minutes or so then add your toppings and finish baking it. 🙂
Regina Ulmer
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve always been afraid of yeast doughs for some reason, now I have no fear! I’d always tried using a baking powder/baking soda recipe, but they just never really turned out right. Your recipe was wonderful and I’m never going back to what I was doing before. I think we will have homemade pizza on a more regular basis now thanks to you 🙂
Sam
I was the exact same way! I am glad you have conquered your fear. Enjoy! 🙂
Charly Collins
Been making my own pizza dough for over 40 years. I couldn’t find any of my usual recipes in my piles of paper recipes and after a bit lacked the initiative to look much harder than Google.This is now the best recipe for pizza dough in my collection, by far. We made taco pizza tonight and the whole family ate much more than intended. Ever eat something so good you wish you weren’t full? This is that recipe. Thank you!
Sam
Thank you so much, Charly! I am so glad everyone enjoyed it. 🙂
Alane
My husband and I absolutely loved this pizza dough. We are all about the crust and this was the crispiest crust we ever made. Thank you!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thank you for commenting! 🙂