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.
Aneesa
the recipe was super easy, love being able to add herbs into the base. i did bake my base, for approx 6 minutes before adding my toppings. added the toppings and set back into the oven, the pizza’s came out wonderfully!
thanks for sharing
Aneesa
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it turned out perfectly, Aneesa, and that you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for trying my recipe. 🙂
Dal
No kneading upon initial flour water mixing?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, DaL! You can, however, it is not needed. 🙂
Ebony Broussard
This was my first attempt and this recipe did not disappoint. I feel like a freakin’ rock star. I’m no slouch in the kitchen, but baking is a new adventure. I followed the recipe to the letter, but added an oregano mix with the flour and brushed the dough with melted butter & garlic and sprinkled with an Italian mix. Bomb.com. Next up, aBBQ chicken pizza.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you loved it, Ebony! You choose a perfect selection of spices too. Nice Job! Thanks for commenting. Enjoy your bbq pizza. 🙂
Kathy
Can I bake this in a 9×13 glass pan?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Kathy! Yes, that will be fine. Please note that the bake time will be different than what is listed so you will want to keep an eye on it. Enjoy! 🙂
Eleanor
My daughter used your recipe with bread flour and I loved it! I like crispy crust. Have you tried it with whole wheat bread flour or half whole wheat flour? I’m a diabetic and try to severely limit my white flour consumption. Thanks
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you and your daughter enjoyed the pizza, Eleanor! Thank you for trying my recipe! I have not tried it with whole wheat flour but someone else recently did and had success. I hope that you do as well. 🙂
Deb
Funny everyone is trying this today. So are we. Most of my favorite recipes are still packed so we are trying yours. You all be safe.
Sugar Spun Run
This recipe is a popular one for sure! I hope that you love it, Deb! 🙂
Deb
Loved the crust but we need a different sauce.
Sugar Spun Run
I am glad that you enjoyed the crust. 😉
Mary
I need to triple. Should I triple the amount of yeast too?
Sam
Yup! Enjoy!
Kara
With all the craziness going on we were looking for something fun to do over Skype with my parents so my daughters could see them since they were supposed to be visiting from North Carolina and we are in New Hampshire. We had a cook off with the same recipe and it was AMAZING! People that saw the pictures asked for the recipe so we definitely shared this link with our Facebook friends. Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that in the midst of the chaos this recipe brought your family together and you all had fun making it. Thank you so much for sharing your photos with others and for trying my recipe. I am so glad you enjoyed it, Kara! 🙂
Katie
How many people does this recipe serve?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Katie! This recipe yields one 10″-12″ pizza. It really depends on much pizza you wish to consume. My husband and I typically share one. 🙂
Tanya
I cannot believe I’m on here JUST after you ladies posted! I (too) am excited to try this recipe! I’m wondering if I can make this ahead of time & let it rise for as much as 5 hours? Does that change the end result much? Not recommended? I don’t know if this has been tested. I’ve seen other dough recipes allow it to rise for up to 8 hrs. Just curious. Thanks much! 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Tanya! Yes, you can make the dough in advance, letting it rise for an hour or two. I usually let it rise and store it covered, in the fridge until I am ready to make it for dinner. I hope that you love it! 🙂
Ashima
Just made it. It tasted delicious! Was a bit worried that my water was warmer than warm , but it rose fine. Phew!
Just a quick question, though this is a thicker base, I think the bottom of my base was softer towards the inner circle which I would have liked for it to be crisper like the outer circle. Suggestions?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Ashima! Thank you for trying my recipe! I am glad that you enjoyed it. If you want a crisper crust, you can substitute the all-purpose flour with bread flour. You can also pre-bake the crust for 5 mins before adding the toppings. I hope that helps! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Breanna Fowler
Would this dough be okay to make in the morning and then bake into a pizza at night?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Breanna! Yes, that will be fine. I recommend making it, letting it rise completely, then storing in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to use it. I hope that you enjoy it! 🙂
Chantal Murphy
Have you ever made this with gluten free flour?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Chantal! I have not personally, however someone used the 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour and reported success. I hope that it works well for you too! 🙂
Ashima
Great thanks. Trying this! The quantity you have written is for one 12 inch right? So I double it for two?
Sam
Correct 🙂 Enjoy
1
Mary
Would you double the yeast too?
Sugar Spun Run
If you double the recipe, you will want to double the yeast along with all the other ingredients listed. 🙂
j.phillips
I made this recipe and it was super easy! I made two batches and halved each before we topped them, I also parbaked my crusts for 10 mins so they were super crispy. Thanks for the easy recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for commenting. 🙂