My Pizza Dough Recipe couldn’t be any easier, I promise you that! So put down the phone, you’ll never crave delivery or frozen again. All you need are a handful of ingredients and 10 minutes of your time!
With my easy, fool proof Pizza Dough Recipe, you’ll learn to make your own homemade pizza right at home with your favorite ingredients. Watch the video to see how it’s all done!
Years ago, hubs and I started making our own pizza dough. I remember being nervous to try it out because I always mistakenly thought it was going to be very difficult. But I’ve never been so glad to be wrong!
When I think about all the money I could have saved ordering in I just want to go back in time and share this recipe with my former self. All you need is a handful of ingredients and a craving for some delicious crust! It really is incredibly easy to make.
Don’t worry, you don’t need to be a skilled baker to make pizza dough, all you need are a handful of ingredients! I always use all purpose flour, however if you like a chewier crumb use a high protein bread flour. Many times I’ve made the dough and not even let it rise, so I’ll tell you now that it’s really not that important especially if you prefer more of a thin crust.
Ingredients
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Water – We use warm water for this recipe as it will allow our yeast to bloom.
- Sugar – Our yeast needs a little bit of sugar to bloom.
- Yeast – Look for active dry yeast and be sure to check its expiration date.
- Flour – I used all purpose as stated above. If you’d like to use gluten free flour then be sure to include 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum per 1 1/2 cups of gluten free flour.
- Salt – So important in this recipe, as we need flavor and seasoning.
- Olive oil – We’re going to use this olive oil in our dough itself as it will flavor our pizza dough nicely. See below for why oil is needed in pizza dough.
How To Make Pizza Dough
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Prepare the yeast: In a small bowl whisk the water, sugar and yeast together. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. If the yeast is good, it will start to froth up.
- Form the dough: In the bowl of your mixer, add the flour, salt, olive oil and yeast mixture. Mix everything together using the dough hook for about 5 minutes or until the dough is soft and elastic. When it’s done it will come clean from the side of the bowl.
- Finish your pizza dough: Shape the dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl, rubbing oil on the dough as well, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. You can freeze the dough if you aren’t planning on using it right away. Roll it out on the counter when it’s ready and feel free to have some fun!
Why do I need olive oil
Oil is truly important when it comes to pizza dough and it’s a multi-functional ingredient when it comes to pizza dough production. Adding oil to your pizza can affect everything from the crispiness to flavor of the crust, as well as the way the dough handles during shaping. Other oils can be used as well, such as canola, sunflower or soybean, however, but they won’t add the same flavor as olive oil does.
In the end it comes down to what you’re using your pizza dough for. If you’re going the savory route, I recommend using olive oil, however if you want to make a dessert pizza try a sunflower or canola oil.
How to stretch pizza dough
I remember as a kid I used to walk by the great pizza restaurant and in the window I would always see these master pizza makers that would just stretch pizza dough by hands. They’d throw it in the air, twirl it around and out comes this beautifully stretched pizza dough. All I can say is that I was enamoured. Needless to say I never learned to do that, however, it does not matter. Here are some tricks that will make you a pro at stretching out your pizza dough.
- Bring the dough to room temperature – I know this may sound like common sense but if you store the dough in the fridge then take it out when you want to make your pizza, you’ll find that it is quite hard to stretch. So leave it at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before trying to roll it out. Gluten is tighter in cold conditions, so give the dough time to loosen up.
- Don’t flour your workspace – If anything add a bit of olive oil to your workspace to avoid the dough from sticking. Adding flour will make your pizza dough tough, so don’t add anymore.
- Stretch the dough with both hands – If you find that the dough is hard to roll, use hand pulling and gravity to get an even crust.
What can I do with my Dough?
The sky is the limit. This is why it’s always best to make your pizza at home, you can put whatever you like on it! Hubs and I like our pizzas completely different, which is great because I can load mine up with prosciutto and lots of veggies and he can load his up with tuna and anchovies. Don’t ask. Here’s some fun ideas:
- Margherita: tomato sauce, mozzarella, and fresh basil.
- Shakshuka: Harissa sauce, cheese, onions, and eggs cracked right on top before being put in the oven.
- BBQ Chicken: Chicken, BBQ sauce, cheese, onions, and bell peppers.
- Italian: Passata, artichoke, pepperoni, and fresh Parmesan cheese.
- BST: Bacon, spinach, and tomato over cheese.
- Butter chicken: My butter chicken sauce, caramelized onions, and fresh arugula.
How do I bake pizza?
Preheat your oven to its highest temperature, mine goes to 550 F. You can use a pizza stone or a baking sheet just make sure you spray some cooking spray over the baking sheet. If using a pizza stone, heat it up first. Once you top your pizza, bake it for 8 to 10 minutes or until the crust is golden to dark brown.
Leftover dough
Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. This will ensure the dough keeps for up to 2 days in the fridge. You can also freeze this dough nicely! Wrap the dough in individual balls with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat just allow it to thaw at room temperature.
More great recipes to try:
- Breakfast Pizza
- Honey Rolls
- Pie Crust
- No Knead Skillet Bread
- Paczki (Polish Donuts)
- Fast and Easy No Knead Bread
- Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
- Soft Buttermilk Dinner Rolls
- Parker House Rolls
- Texas Roadhouse Rolls
- Beignets
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Pizza Dough Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup water warm
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 package)
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk the water, sugar and yeast together. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. If the yeast is good, it will start to froth up.
- In the bowl of your mixer, add the flour and salt, olive oil and yeast mixture. Mix everything together using the dough hook for about 5 minutes or until the dough is soft and elastic. When it’s done it will come clean from the side of the bowl.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl, rubbing oil on the dough as well, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. If you’re not using the dough right away, you can also freeze the dough.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Recipe will yield enough dough for 2 large pizzas.
- Yeast Information: Always check the expiration date on your yeast and make sure it hasn’t expired. All your yeast products whether it’s in a jar or a package should be stamped with a “Best if Used by” date. Always make sure you check this date, even when you purchase the yeast, who knows it could have been on the shelf past its expiry date.
- To keep your yeast fresh and longer lasting, unopened yeast packages or jars should be stored in a cool or dry place such as your cupboard. However, you can also store your yeast in the fridge or freezer. If you do store it in the freezer and need to use yeast for your baking, make sure you take out the amount you need and let it sit at room temperature for at least half hour before using.
- Once your yeast package or jar has been opened, you must refrigerate the yeast or freeze it in an airtight container.
- One thing to remember about your yeast, is that it is a living organism and over time it will lose activity, even if you’ve never opened the jar or package. So if you don’t bake often, buy the smaller yeast packages rather than a big jar of yeast.
- Make sure your water is not too hot or it could kill the yeast which will cause your dough not to rise at all. The ideal temperature for the water should be between 105 F degrees and 110 F for proofing. While 95 F degrees is the best temperature for yeast to multiply, that’s not warm enough for proofing active dry yeast.
- Do I have to let the dough rise: No you don’t, though if you want, you can. Usually I just refrigerate the dough until I’m ready to use it and while in the fridge it continues to slowly rise. You can use the dough right away after making.
- Can I use instant yeast: Yes, if using instant yeast, you do not need to wait for it to froth up, you can just add all the ingredients to your bowl and mix.
- Can I freeze the dough: Yes, for sure. Just place the dough in a large freezer plastic bag, let out as much of the air as possible and freeze for up to 3 months.
- How do I bake the pizza: Preheat your oven to its highest temperature, mine goes to 550 F. You can use a pizza stone or a baking sheet just make sure you spray some cooking spray over the baking sheet. If using a pizza stone, heat it up first. Once you top your pizza, bake it for 8 to 10 minutes or until the crust is golden to dark brown.
- Nutrition: Nutritional information is just based on pizza dough. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Thanks Jo! This is our favorite pizza recipe. We love thin pizza and this crust is amazing. We freeze half the dough and use remainder to roll 2 thin crust sheet pan pizzas. And thanks for tip to cook at highest temperature, such a yummy dinner ever time. Thanks
We’re so glad you like it!
How long do you leave the pizza dough in the refrigerator?
You can use it right away if you want! That’s just to store it if you are making the dough beforehand 🙂 You want it to be at room temp when you use it, otherwise you’ll find that it is quite hard to stretch. The dough lasts 2 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer!