Last updated on November 14th, 2018 at 08:47 pm
Making Pizza Dough at home couldn’t get any easier than with my simple pizza dough recipe. You’ll never want to buy or order pizza again.
Years ago, hubs and I started making our own pizza dough. I remember in the beginning we thought it was really difficult but once we tried we realized we’ve been missing out on real good homemade pizza and spent a lot of money when we could have been saving lots. Trust me when I tell you that I’ve bought pizza dough from the store many times and always found it difficult to work with, or I’d put it in the freezer and forget about it for months.
Don’t worry, you don’t need to be a skilled baker to make pizza dough, all you need are a handful of ingredients and you’re in business.
HOW TO MAKE PIZZA DOUGH
Pizza dough is super easy to make and only requires 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 had not even let it rise, so I’ll tell you now that it’s really not that important to let it rise as it will rise in the oven, plus I always prefer more of a thin crust, however as shown in the video I have let it rise, the result is really the same.
CAN YOU FREEZE PIZZA DOUGH
Absolutely! The beauty of this recipe is that it makes lots of dough, enough for 4 smaller pizzas or 2 large ones. Usually we’ll use half the dough and freeze the rest.
To use up frozen dough, I usually just let it thaw on the counter for a few hours until it’s malleable enough so that I can roll it out.
Because you don’t really need to let this dough rise, this pizza dough is ideal for when you’re in a rush and let me tell you this is really quick to make and you’ll probably be spending more time chopping up your toppings.
WHAT TO TOP YOUR PIZZA WITH
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, or whatever you have in the fridge, like we’ve done many times. 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.
When you’re done loading up your pizza the way you like to, all you really have to do is bake it. I like to bake mine at the highest temperature my oven goes, which is 550F for about 8 to 10 minutes.
Perfect every single time!
CHECK OUT THESE PIZZAS
- Artichoke, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese Pizza
- Lamb Souvlaki Pizza with Tzatziki Sauce
- Deli Pizza
Pizza Dough Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup water warm
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 package)
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/3 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
Notes
- 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.
- 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.
Nutrition
My go to for a pizza dough recipe.
I love colorful recipes indeed, and this pizza is absolutely flavorful!
Love this so good, our family really enjoyed it… saved it to one of my pins for pizza night! thanks! 🍕
My pleasure, Jenny!
Oh my heavens. I cannot believe I found this site and this recipe. You have made my day. I too lived in Italy with so many fond memories. I was a child when my father took a job with Pirelli. Then there were the Detroit days and a lot of waiting in line at Buddy’s for the best pizza ever. You have sparked a lot of interest for me. Thank you.
Have fun with your pizza making! Nothing is quite like homemade 🙂
Elle est superbe cette pizza !!
Excellent pizza dough. Easy to make and delicious!!!
I dont exactly what is yeast? I want fo cook pizza
You will find yeast in either jars, or individual use packets in the baking aisle of your local grocery store. Buy the “active yeast”, not the “instant yeast”. For baking, it converts sugar to carbon dioxide. This is why bread has air pockets. Without it, your bread would be too dense to eat.
This was very quick to make and its super easy too! Next time i’ll be sure to season the dough a bit more with a little extra salt and maybe some italian herb mix. Delicious nonetheless.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I don’t have any of those things to make Pizza and It is easy to do it and I like and love Pizza .
SO EASY AND SO DELICIOUS! Way better than ordering pizza from anywhere, love love love my new pizza recipe!
Absolutely love this pizza recipe. It’s the only one I use. I make it every Friday night, my husband and kids love it. 👨👩👧👦 I’ve also done it for other members of the family and they can’t believe how amazing and authentic the pizzas turn out 🍕
I’ve been using a shop bought pizza sauce but would love to make my own.
Love this so good, our family really enjoyed it… saved it to one of my pins for pizza night! thanks!
I messed up! My dough is like pudding! Can I add flour to try to save it? Followed the instructions, yeast is crazy active, is it because I used the ninja to blend it???
Yes definitely don’t use a blender ever for any type of dough. Batter is okay (cake, pancakes, etc) but not dough. It needs to be kneaded. You can do this by hand if you don’t have a proper mixer with a dough hook.
I’d give it 6 stars if I could!
Perfect crust!!! This crust was a smashing success … when I saw my East Coast family were holding their crust “folded”, I knew this was a hit!
Thanks so much for sharing!!
My favorite cause it’s super good and really easy
Best dough recipe I’ve ever tried! Delicious!
This is the best pizza dough recipe I’ve ever tried thanks so much for sharing
My pleasure, glad you enjoyed it!
Our family loves grilled pizza and we’re always trying new dough recipes. This is absolutely the best. Followed recipe exactly and it grilled to perfection using a pizza stone.
So happy to hear you enjoyed it!
I am in LOVE!! Awesome recipe!