Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
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Made with kitchen staples like yeast, oil, and flour, this homemade pizza dough recipe is the best basic dough to showcase all of your pizza creations. Although store-bought pizza doughs and pre-made frozen crusts are readily available, homemade pizza dough is actually very easy to make from scratch. It’s slightly more time consuming, but most of that is rising time. The actual dough-making only takes about 15 minutes, plus a few more to assemble the pizza. Then just bake and enjoy!
Key Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour – All purpose flour (plain flour in the UK) forms the base of the dough. You can also experiment with replacing a portion of the AP flour with bread flour, for a chewier crust. Keep plenty of extra flour on hand for dusting the countertop. And because precise measurements matter (too much flour and the dough will be dry; not enough and it will be overly sticky and difficult to manipulate) I recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh the flour.
- Yeast – I like instant yeast for speed and consistency, but active dry works, too. If you do choose to use active dry yeast, remember to prove it in the warm water before combining with the other ingredients.
- Granulated Sugar – A teaspoon of granulated sugar gives the yeast a boost.
- Olive Oil – You’ll need olive oil for the dough, plus more for coating the bowl. I make my pizza dough with a good, basic extra virgin olive oil, but you can also experiment with flavored oils, like one infused with rosemary or garlic.
- Kosher Salt – Kosher salt regulates the yeast, adds flavor, and promotes gluten development.
Tips and Tricks
- Choose your toppings. The pizza pictured here is a classic Margherita pizza. I topped it with red sauce, sliced mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, olive oil, Parmesan, and loads of fresh basil, plus a sprinkling of crushed red pepper flakes for a little bit of heat. However, this recipe is highly versatile, and makes the perfect blank canvas for all of your pizza creations. Top it with red sauce, white sauce, sweet chili sauce, meat, vegetables, pineapple, olives, grilled peaches, or buffalo cauliflower. This is my go-to dough recipe for pizza rolls, calzones, garlic knots, and strombolis, too.
- Use a ventilated pan. I recommend using a ventilated pizza pan or a pizza stone to bake your pie. If you don’t have either, you can bake your pizza on a large metal baking tray lined with parchment instead.
- Prove under plastic. These reusable elastic covers are great for proving the dough, but clingfilm/plastic wrap or a tea towel will also work in a pinch. I also once took a breadmaking class with a baker who used cheap shower caps for proving!
- Gather the right tools. Homemade pizza dough is easy to make, and does not require many fancy tools are ingredients. However, I recommend gathering: a bench scraper (for mixing the dough—I prefer a plastic bench scraper, rather than metal); a pastry brush (a natural-bristled pastry brush works best for brushing the dough with olive oil); kitchen scissors (to cut the finished pizza); and a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients.
Homemade Pizza Dough
- Total Time2 hours, 15 minutes
- Yield1 thick 12-14-inch pizza crust, or 2 thin crusts 1x
My go-to homemade pizza dough recipe, made with just a few simple ingredients. This easy pizza dough recipes makes the perfect blank canvas for showcasing all of your pizza creations.
Ingredients
256 grams all-purpose flour (2 cups), plus more for coating the countertop
180 milliliters lukewarm water (3/4 cup)
7 grams instant yeast (2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for coating the bowl
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, water, instant yeast, granulated sugar, olive oil, and kosher salt.
Use a bench scraper to combine the ingredients until a shaggy dough forms.
Turn dough out onto a generously floured countertop. With your hands, knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding more flour as necessary. The dough will seem very wet and sticky at first, but will become more workable as you incorporate the flour from the countertop.
Place ball of dough in an oiled bowl, and coat dough in additional oil.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tea towel. These reusable elastic food storage covers are also great for proving pizza and bread doughs.
Allow bowl to stand in a warm place until dough has doubled in size, about 1-1.5 hours.
When doubled in size, punch dough down and allow to rise again, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450° F / 230° C.
Stretch pizza dough into a round, about 12-14 inches in diameter.* Transfer to a pizza pan and use your fingertips to stretch again, until dough reaches the edges of the pan.
Brush dough with a few tablespoons of olive oil, then add sauce, cheese, and other toppings as desired.
Bake pizza in preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown.
Notes
*As written, this recipe will make two 12-14-inch thin crust pizzas, or one similarly sized pizza with a thicker crust. The photos above show the thinner crust version.
Recipe can be doubled or halved.
I recommend using a ventilated pizza pan or a pizza stone to bake your pie. If you don’t have either, you can bake your pizza on a large metal baking tray lined with parchment instead.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
Plan ahead. Homemade pizza dough requires about two hours of rise time before it’s ready to top and bake.
Other Pizza Recipes You Might Enjoy
Buffalo Caulilfower Pizza
Grilled Peach and Goat Cheese Pizza
Cheese Pizza Rolls
Pesto Pizza
Roasted Brussels Sprout Pizza
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, be sure to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
