Pizza Dough Recipe
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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!
The Best Pizza Dough Recipe
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
- 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
- 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
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup water (warm)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast ((1 package))
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
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.
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 Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
This is the most amazing pizza dough ever!! Literally THE reason I’m like… oh! Pizza is easy at home, and SO YUMMY!! Thank you!
Been years since I worked at Texas Roadhouse as top baker. Everyone loves my yeast rolls. I want to start make my own pizza I tried others recipes yours was the best
I make this every Friday. It’s my favorite! So easy & it’s so good!! I add garlic powder to mine or sometimes Italian seasoning! Don’t be shy it’s easy to make!
Oh wow! Easy and delicious. I’ve made this three times so far and all of my picky eaters LOVE the texture and flavor.
I was craving pizza and stumbled upon this recipe. My circa 1955 MixMaster doesn’t have a dough hook, so I kneaded it by hand. I kept my hands oiled so not too much dough was lost from sticking to my fingers. It took 14 minutes to cook at 550 but I had it pretty loaded. It was great! My husband was super-impressed. The crust tasted so good, I decided next time to streamline it – not so many toppings. I love that it came together so quickly and I now have dough in my freezer! Best part, leftover pizza for lunch tomorrow! Thanks for sharing this fabulous recipe.
My pleasure, enjoy!
Hey Jo I love your recipe for this pizza dough and it’s the only one that I use. It’s absolutely fabulous. I was wondering can I use this same to make gluten free pizza dough? I may have to start a gluten free life style and I really don’t want to give up your pizza dough recipe. Thank you so much
I’m so happy to hear you’re loving this recipe. To make it gluten-free, you’ll need to switch to a gluten-free flour blend designed for baking. Keep in mind that gluten-free dough behaves differently, so the texture and flavor might change a bit. You may also need to tweak the amount of water, as gluten-free flours absorb liquids differently. Experiment a little to get it just right.
Kate McDermott uses gluten free flour, and has a recipe for blending one from different kinds of flour. Her forte is pie, but she does bake bread and other things as well. She is also completely delightful.
https://artofthepie.com/
Thought I’d try a new recipe, and this has now replaced my standard go to! Sooo good and the family loved it!! Thank you so much for sharing 😀
My pleasure, glad you enjoyed it!
Very good recipe, the only one i use!
Glad you like it!
Oh, I had to knead it by hand because I don’t have a stand mixer! Perfecto!
It looks incredible! Looks like you had a great meal!
This was fabulous! I couldn’t find my recipe and I really wanted some quick pizza and this was perfect! Thank you so much!
My pleasure, it looks fabulous!
Hi Jo, I’m going to use this dough for pizza tonight, do I still refrigerate the dough after mixing it up? Thank you.
You can, but I would still take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes to an hour before using it.
Hi, I’m back, I’m making pizza tonight, should I just leave the dough out until I’m going to use it? Thank you.
I would store it in the fridge and just take it out 1 hour before using. Leaving pizza dough out all day isn’t recommended as it may overproof, especially in a warm environment. However, if your kitchen is cool, it might be okay for a few hours. Ideally, aim for no more than 2-4 hours at room temperature to ensure the best texture and flavor.
Hi Jo, it’s in my fridge now, going take it out soon as I’m making it for dinner tonight. I appreciate all your help and prompt replies!
My pleasure!
Amazing recipe! Very easy to make and the BEST pizza crust recipe! I made my dough in the morning and put it in the fridge for about 3 hours to rise. I did add 1 Tablespoon of Italian seasoning to the dough recipe. Very good and so easy! Thank you!
My pleasure, so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
If I use a wooden pizza peel, how do I get the dough off the peel? My dough was super sticky.
If your pizza dough is sticky and you’re using a wooden peel, there are a few tricks to help slide it off smoothly:
Generously flour the peel before placing your dough on it. Some people prefer using cornmeal or semolina flour because they act like little ball bearings, helping the dough slide off easily.
Before adding your toppings, give the peel a little shake to ensure the dough isn’t sticking. If it sticks, gently lift the dough and add more flour or cornmeal underneath.
Assemble your pizza quickly to prevent the dough from absorbing too much flour and sticking.
If the dough still sticks, try gently lifting the edges and blowing under the dough to create an air pocket, which can help it release from the peel.
The best pizza recipe. Period. Have been using for several years and always the best pizza ever. Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure, glad you enjoyed it!
I made this dough but didn’t use it for pizza. I made cheesy garlic buns! I rolled out the dough, washed it with butter, sprinkled oregano, basil, garlic and whole milk mozzarella. I folded it into 4s and cut them just under 1/2 inch wide. 2 pieces per muffin pan slot. Proofed and baked. FANTASTIC! Thanks for this recipe!
What a creative use of the pizza dough recipe for cheesy garlic buns! I’m glad it turned out fantastic.
This is hands down the best pizza dough I’ve ever made. Easy to work with and it makes a wonderful, chewy crust – just like at a pizzaria! Thank you!
So glad you found the recipe easy and delicious. Keep enjoying those pizza nights!
Have been making this recipe for a couple of years now and past it on to many family and friends. I am a big sourdough bread fan but can’t give this recipe up for another recipe with sourdough in it. It always turn out perfect and delicious! May try and incorporate a bit of sourdough starter into the recipe but afraid to ruin it. Anyway it’s the best!!
So glad to hear the recipe has been a consistent favorite and that you’ve shared it with family and friends!