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.
Eli Levine
Great recipe, perfect crust and amazing flavor! Thank you so much for this.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Eli! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Diane
Delicious, making this recipe again! I put butter on the baking dish before putting dough on and then rubbed butter on the edge of the dough before baking. Definitely delicious 😋 Husband loved it!
Jessie
Also from South Africa over here 👋🏻😊 Couldn’t buy bread dough for pizza during lockdown so we made this recipe and it truly is *perfect*! We left out the garlic and basil, and had to add more water. The pizzas came out amazing, better than our usual bread dough. I especially like that they didn’t rise a lot during cooking, because I like my toppings to go all the way to the edge with no bald crust. Best pizza dough ever, thank you ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sam
I’m so happy to hear it was such a hit, Jessie!! Thank you so much for commenting! 🙂
Saman
Hello from Munich, we made it inside the gas BBQ at 200-220˚C, spreading the dough over two rectangle oven plates. The bread was blacken crisp and the pizza tasted great. However, I wished for a more cooked toppings as it seemed that the bread was already done while the toppings still needed more time. Next time I will try lowering the temperature a bit. Thank you!
Sam
You’re very welcome, I’m glad you enjoyed, Saman!
Suzanne Bugeja
Just had a pizza feast … best pizza dough recipe ever!
My boys and hubby rated it 100%
So easy it’s cool proof!
Recipe for keeps !
Sam
I’m so happy you enjoyed, Suzanne! Thank you so much for commenting! 🙂
Maggie
Hi ! Thank you for this recipe but could you please tell me how much of dry yeast I have to use.. we dont have instant yeast.
Thank you!
Sam
Same amount of active dry yeast. Enjoy!
Eloy
When you put it in the fridge, can you work with it after taking it out or do you have to let it sit for a bit before use?
Sam
Hi Eloy! You should be able to roll the dough out when you take it out of the refrigerator. If it is too tough just let it warm up for a few minutes. 🙂
Alicia
First time making pizza dough. My son rated it a “10,000.” Really good. Very pleased and it really was easy. Thank you.
Sam
Thank you so much, Alicia! I’m glad it was such a hit. 🙂
Josh
Does the dough make just one 12” or divide the dough into a couple pizzas?
Sam
Hi Josh! It makes one 12″ pizza, but you could divide it and make several smaller pizzas if you’d like. 🙂
Sarah
I have made this 3 times in the last couple of weeks and it has turned out perfect every time. I have been doubling the recipe to make two pizzas and baking the dough on its own for 5 minutes before I add the toppings and then bake for another 10 minutes or so. So easy!
Sam
I am so glad you are enjoying the pizza dough so much, Sarah! 🙂
Blaise
Enjoyed it and have used it several times. Plan on making it tonight.
Cheers from Northern Virginia
Sam
I am so glad you have enjoyed the pizza dough so much, Blaise! 🙂
Bethany
We’ve made this dough every week for our Friday pizza and a movie tradition. It’s amazing! Thank you so much for this recipe and helping our family keep our little tradition going in the midst of this crazy time!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoys the pizza dough so much, Bethany! 🙂
Eliza
Is there any way to make this dough ahead of time and save to reuse later? If so, how? Thanks!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Eliza! You will make the dough, allow it to rise completely then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can also freeze it using same method. I hope that helps.
Ivette
Hello, hope you’re doing well and thank you for sharing this! I’ve made this twice in 2 days (yes, I know…) and it’s absolutely delicious. I was however hoping to achieve a more charred look and texture. My second time making it, I preheated the stone at 500 degrees for an hour and then lowered the temperature to 425 when I set my dough to rise. I still didn’t really get that blackened crust I wanted. Do you think baking the pie at 500 would yield a good result or would it ruin it? I like the pizza as is (much better than any delivery service) and will continue to make it regardless, but the crust is not my personal preference.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you have enjoyed this recipe, Ivette! To get the best crisp crust I would reccomend using bread flour. Others have also got achieved a blackened crust by cooking it directly on the grill. I hope that helps! 🙂
Rachel
If grilling isn’t an option you could also try adding melted butter to the crust after the pizza is mostly done cooking. Haven’t tried it myself but I imagine with it’s lower burn point the butter would add some color? Good luck with your charring adventures
Carol
I assume you can bake it at 500 degrees. Many pizza ovens get hotter than that. Just keep an eye on it.
Eloïse
First time making it and success! Thank you. We loaded it with toppings. 🤤 Greetings from sunny and locked down South Africa!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Eloïse! Thank you for trying my recipe. Stay safe. 🙂
garry
Can you freeze the dough?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Garry! Yes, you can! You will make the dough, allow it to rise completely then store it in an airtight container and in the freezer for later use. 🙂