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.
Sherri
Hello! This recipe was AWWSOME! I had fun making our pizza and will definitely make it again! I’ve already shared with others and I think I may try it with whole wheat flour (since I have more of it than all-purpose flour)! Do you think there is much to be changed when using whole wheat?
Thank you for sharing!! ♥️
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you for trying my recipe, Sherri! I am so glad that you enjoyed it. I personally have not tried it using whole wheat flour, however, others have with success. Based on their feedback, you may not need as much flour. Enjoy! 🙂
rochelle Plomaritis
Can i make the dough in a bread machine?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Rochelle! I have never tried it with this recipe. Since I use instant yeast, it really does not need it. I feel like the bread machine would just overcomplicate this recipe.
Pola
If i want to make this dough ahead of time, can I put this in the fridge?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Pola! You can make this dough in advance but you will want to allow the dough to rise completely before placing it in an airtight container and in the fridge. The dough will need to be used within 3 days.
Anbha
Hey, can I use wheat flour instead of all.purpose ?? Do I need to change anything?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Anbha! I personally have never used wheat flour however, others have and reported success. I hope that it works well for you too. 🙂
Carmen Martinez
Ir was perfect! My pizza crust was not round lo lol But it was delicious. I used the garlic in the crust.
Sugar Spun Run
I have been making this recipe for years and have NEVER been able to roll a round-shaped crust to save my life. The one pictured my husband actually did. He is way better at it than I am. lol. Regardless of your imperfect circle, I am so glad that you enjoyed the pizza. Thanks for commenting, Carmen! 🙂
Yevonne
Excellent recipe! I have baked pizza’s for years but decided to try this one and turned out perfect!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Yevonne! I am so glad that it turned out perfectly for you and you enjoyed it. Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂
Anne
Can this recipe be doubled? Thank you
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Anne! Yes, it can be doubled easily. 🙂
Erin Frakes
How long can it sit before being baked?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Erin! The pizza dough should be fine to sit out at room temperature for up to 2 hours. After that, I recommend storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Enjoy! 🙂
Miriam
Thank you so much!! My pizza came out fabulous, my family enjoy it. Really good…
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad your family enjoyed it, Miriam! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Saks
This was my first time making pizza and i have to say that this recipe is amazing . The pizza was amazing and divine . I am really happy that it turned out well .Thanks for sharing . 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the pizza, Saks! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Sara
This is the most perfect pizza dough!! We all loved it! I’m curious if this dough can be used for rolls?
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you for trying my recipe, Sara! I am so glad that you enjoyed it. This recipe can be used for Calzones, Stromboli, but my favorite is for homemade garlic knots. I also have a great dinner roll recipe that you could try. 🙂
Giselle
Hi! Instead of using instant yeast can I use active dry yeast that raises 50% faster? I have that one or the regular active dry yeast. I don’t have instant dry yeast unfortunately 😣
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Giselle! Active Dry Yeast will work fine. Another user who used active dry yeast proofed the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water + 1 tsp sugar before putting it in the flour mixture. Then added the rest of the wet ingredients and flour. After about 45 mins it should double in size! I hope that you enjoy this recipe! 🙂
Shanelle
Its my first attempt at making pizza and i followed ur recipe…and guess wat it was divine 😋😋i will definately be using this recipe if urz for all future pizzas
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear how much you enjoyed this recipe, Shanelle! Thank you so much for trying it. Enjoy! 🙂
Nicole Greene
I’m so thrilled. I tried this recipe for the first time ever for my family last Friday and it was it hit! It was easy to follow and everything turned out perfectly. Thank you
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it was a hit, Nicole! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Dana
I just made this recipe and I ate more of it than I should have! It’s so good. Thanks!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Dana! I am so glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂
Natalia
Tried this and loved it.. it’s the pizza of my dreams!! I didn’t need any extra flour and used a packet of yeast of about 8g and it turned out so light and fluffy. I’ll definitely be keeping this recipe, thanks so much!!
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much, Natalia! I am so glad that you enjoyed it! Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂