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.
Melissa
Amazing! I added garlic,onion, and Italian seasoning to the crust. My family loved it! I’m gluten free and I even had to taste it because they were raving about it so much.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it was such a hit with your family, Melissa! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Kayley Stas
Making this recipe for the second night in a row! I made it with all purpose flour first, it was very good. Tonight I used bread flour. It’s in the oven now! Very excited to see how it comes out. Thanks for the awesome recipe.
Sugar Spun Run
TWO NIGHTS IN A ROW! That is awesome, Kayley! I am so happy to hear how much you have enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting and for trying my recipe. 🙂
Debbie
Tonight I made two different crust. This crust won hands down. It was easy and tasted great. I used bread flour because I like a crispy crust. It was perfect. My whole family loved it. Thank you
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it was such a hit, Debbie! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Bill
We are stuck in the house and wanted some pizza so we tried the recipe and it was great we will be trying this more often it’s better than delivery Thank you.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that this recipe exceeded your expectations and everyone enjoyed it, Bill! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Christine
Just finished eating the pizza. Yummmm! It turned out awesome. Definitely my go to recipe from now on.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it turned out so well and you enjoyed it, Christine! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
paula
can you make calzones with this recipe ?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Paula! Yes, absolutely! I also use it to make homemade garlic knots (SO GOOD!). 🙂
Momi F
Thank you! Easy and delicious!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Momi! Thanks for sharing your image with me and for commenting. 🙂
Mary
Used bread flour as family likes a crusty crust, turned out wonderfully. Thank you
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Mary! I am so glad that your family enjoyed it! 🙂
Carolynn
Hi, I’m out of yeast except a jar of bread machine yeast my sis gave me. Can I use that to make this recipe as I don’t have a bread machine and is the measure to the same?
Sam
Hi Carolynn! I have never used this type of yeast myself but a quick Google search looks like it should work just fine. I hope your pizza turns out perfectly!
Sheelah
I would like to make a large family size pizza. Would you recommend doing 1 1/2 times the recipe? Double? Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Sheelah! This recipe yields (1) 10″-12″ pizza. Depending on how hungry your family is, I would recommend doubling it. Any leftover can be reheated easily. I hope that you guys have a wonderful pizza night and enjoy it! 🙂
Danielle
Can you freeze this dough before baking? If so do you freeze before it has a chance to rise or freeze after it has risen?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Danielle! Yes, you can freeze the dough. You want to make the dough, allow it to rise completely, then store it in an airtight container until you’re ready to use it. 🙂
Sm1301
Why does this recipe not require 10 mins kneading like all other recipes I’ve seen?
Sam
It’s just not necessary with this one. This is a nice and easy version and yields a great tasting crust 🙂
Sm1301
Update: made a pizza using this recipe after your reassurance, turned out perfectly! Took approx an hour to double in size and baked deliciously. Thank you for your recipe
Side note: I was baking for a family of 4 so made 2x the recipe (2 pizzas) but we were full after just 1. It’s quite a generous size!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that your family enjoyed it! Thank you for the feedback. 🙂
Skeeter hudgens
Is it 2 1/3 cup or 2 2/1/3 cups?
Sam
It’s between 2 and 2 1/3 cups, with yeast doughs the amount of flour you need will vary a bit.
Sheena
Thank you very much for the recipe. I made it today and everyone enjoyed it.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it was a hit, Sheena! Thank you so much for commenting. 🙂
vanessa
This was such yummy crust! thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Vanessa! Thanks for commenting. 🙂