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.
Cat
This recipe was so great!!! I had tried to follow other pizza dough recipes but this gave me the best pizza crust by far. I had enough to make 4 small personal pizzas (mostly cause it was easier to roll that way and there were 4 of us) and it was the perfect combination of crispy and soft. Thank you so much for this!!! I will leave it bookmarked so it can be my to-go recipe 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it was such a hit, Cat! Thank you so much for commenting and saving my recipe for future use. Enjoy! 🙂
Michelle S.
Hi Sam. Excited to try this later. Can the recipe easily be doubled to make two pizzas?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Michelle! Yes, this recipe doubles easily. I hope that you love it! 🙂
Jane Salem
We have been making breads to share with friends. Can I make several batches of this and freeze to share….like you see dough in the freezer sections of the store? If yes, at what point in the process would I freeze it? Also, can you make ahead and refrigerate? How long would it last in the frig? Thanks!!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Jane! Yes, the dough can be frozen. To freeze it, you will make the dough, allow it to rise completely, then store it in an airtight container (or freezer bag) and place it in the freezer. It will last for up to one month. The same process will apply to store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it. It will stay fresh for 3-4 days. 🙂
Kellie Phillips
This recipe was great! So easy, and the dough was so easy to work with. I added the garlic powder to the dough. My kids loved it. This will be my new go to for homemade pizzas.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you now have a new family favorite and that your kids loved the recipe, Kellie! Thanks for trying it and for commenting. 🙂
Paul Young
If you take a pastry brush and use a mix of “melted butter / minced garlic / garlic powder / and parsley” you can coat the outside of the crust (the part you folded over) and have the outside of your pizza be a garlic breading. It’s so good. Good job on this recipe it’s very good!
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for sharing this tip, Paul! I am so glad that you have enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Shenoa
Can I use this recipe with my bread machine?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Shenoa! Someone recently tried it and had success. The dough rises rather quickly so it is not needed for this recipe. 🙂
Bruce
Fantastic pizza I loved the garlic powder tip , it really mad a huge difference. So easy to make, my mother in law loved it .she has put my name forward to be the next King.
Many thanks Bruce
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it was a big hit and everyone loved it, Bruce! Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂
Radha
Hey there!
Can I use white flour instead?
Sugar Spun Run
Yes, that should be fine. 🙂
Sharon Wright
I’ve been making pizza dough for years. This is way better than my normal recipe. The addition of using bread flour made all the difference. We got a crispier crust that normal.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy that you now have a new go-to recipe and it was a big hit with your family, Sharon! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Eva Kormuskin
I made this dough last night and didn’t have a chance to make a pizza so, after it rose, I depuffed it, wrapped it in plastic wrap and fridged it. Just had it for dinner today and it was AMAZING. I love the tip of adding flavor to the crust with some garlic powder and Italian seasonings. My husband absolutely never eats the ends of crusts, and he ate every bit of it and said the dough was just too good to leave on the plate. He said “better than any bread”. I used a random marinara I had in the fridge for the sauce, not need for special pizza sauce when the dough is this good. Highly recommend getting creative with toppings. We put: mushrooms, mozzarella slices, fresh basil, fresh tomatoes, sliced sausages, kalamata olives, and banana peppers for toppings, it was AMAZING. Don’t limit yourself;) (unless of course picky kids). Thank you for sharing this recipe, it is going in my beloved recipes cook book!
Sam
Thank you so much, Eva! I’m so glad you enjoyed the pizza dough so much! That sounds like an awesome pizza. (except the olives! 😉) 😊😊
Ezra
Hi. I just tried your recipe and its my first time making one. Thank u for sharing
Sugar Spun Run
You are welcome! I hope that you enjoyed it! 🙂
meenu
woww
i like it can we use butter instead of olive oil
Sam
I haven’t tried it but it would probably work. If you don’t have olive oil, canola or vegetable oil are good substitutes. Your dough won’t be quite as elastic as it should be if you use butter. 😊
Jenn
Love this recipe! Have you swapped out instant yeast for active dry and used that with the water first? I can’t get my hands on any more instant yeast at the moment and was hoping that could work. Thanks!
Sam
Hi Jenn! I have not used active dry yeast, but many others have with success. You can proof it in warm water first and then add it but that extra step shouldn’t be necessary. Enjoy! 😊
Clarissa Lewis
I absolutely love this recipe! So does my family 😁 Thank you for posting this recipe 😍🤤
Sam
You’re very welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Sherman
Awesome recipe for pizza dough, and, very easy to make. It turned out perfect.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pizza dough, Sherman! 😊
Lans
Making this in a few. Is this recipe for one pizza?
Sam
It is. Enjoy!
Mommy Deb
Love this pizza recipe. The boys and I made it together so we had a nice unplugged activity. Everyone loved it. Thank you.
Also how thin can you roll the central crust? We want to avoid it getting soggy. We like thin crust.
Thanks so much!
Sam
Hi Deb! I’m glad everyone loved the pizza dough! You can roll it really as thin as you’d like, of course you won’t want to overload the toppings on a really thin crust and you’ll want to take care not to burn it. Enjoy! 😊