You can make this easy Homemade Pizza Dough any time you are craving delicious pizza from scratch. It’s super quick and easy and even your kids can help! Add your favorite toppings and you have the perfect dinner for the whole family.
The Best Pizza Dough Recipe
We love pizza in our house. Even though we have our favorite local place, ordering dinner for the whole family can get expensive. Homemade pizza is an inexpensive way to enjoy one of our favorite meals. Plus, it’s so simple to prepare. All you need is 6 ingredients to make a flavorful pizza dough. It is even great for calzones or garlic knots if you want to make something a little different!
You’re probably thinking that it’s more convenient to buy frozen pizza dough but trust me, nothing beats the flavor of fresh pizza dough. This recipe for pizza dough results in a soft and chewy crust with just the right amount of crisp. It’s not a thin crust but it isn’t too thick – with the perfect texture. The ratio of crust to sauce to cheese is absolute perfection. Plus, you can make it ahead of time and freeze it for another day.
It is easy to feel intimidated if you have never made dough from scratch. Believe it or not, homemade pizza dough is a great place to start. We give you easy-to-follow directions in this recipe so you know the right way to handle yeast. That way, you can make this pizza dough recipe again, or be inspired to try something new like these copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls.
If your family loves pizza as much as mine, here are some more great make-at-home pizza recipes: Pepperoni Pizza Wontons | Easy Air Fryer Pizzas | Garlic Bread Pizzas | Hawaiian Roll Pizza Sliders | Pepperoni Pizza Pockets
What You’ll Need For This Easy Pizza Dough Recipe
- Flour – All-purpose flour works just fine, but you could also use bread flour.
- Water – You are aiming for luke warm water here. Not too hot and not too cold.
- Sugar – The sugar feeds the yeast and helps with the rising of the dough.
- Extra Virgin Olive oil – Vegetable oil could be used in place of olive oil if necessary.
- Active dry yeast – Be sure to use fresh rapid rise yeast.
- Salt– Make sure the salt doesn’t touch the yeast directly. It will kill it causing the dough not to rise.
- Garlic powder – This is optional, but adds a nice hint of garlic flavor to the crust.
What Kind of Flour To Use
I usually use all-purpose flour for my pizza dough. I know that many recipes will recommend bread dough to get a chewy crust, but I like to use ingredients that most people (including myself!) already have in the pantry. No last-minute trips to the grocery store for me thank you very much.
Therefore, my recipe uses all-purpose flour, and let me tell you, it makes an amazing homemade pizza dough that’s perfect for all your favorite toppings.
How To Make Pizza Dough
Allowing the pizza dough to rise is the longest part of this recipe. Other than that, it comes together very quickly.
- Step 1. Whisk 1 cup of flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and garlic powder in a large bowl.
- Step 2. Stir in 2 tbsp of olive oil and the warm water. Ensure it is well combined.
- Step 3. Stir in an additional cup of flour gradually. Continue to stir until the dough becomes a soft and elastic ball.
- Step 4. Add the remaining flour only if the dough is too wet to form a ball. It will be sticky but still come together.
- Step 5. Brush the inside of a large, clean bowl generously with olive oil.
- Step 6. Place the dough ball into the oiled bowl. Gently roll it so it gets some olive oil on all sides.
- Step 7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Place it in a warm place to rise. It should take 30-60 minutes to double in size.
- Step 8. Once the dough has risen, transfer it to a floured work surface or a clean countertop dusted with flour. Knead the pizza dough until smooth.
- Step 9. Roll out the dough into a large circle and place it on a pizza pan or pizza peel if you have one.
- Step 10. Poke holes in the dough and brush it with olive oil. Then, top with sauce, mozzarella cheese, and your favorite toppings.
Tip For Stretching Pizza Dough
I like to use a rolling pin to stretch out my pizza dough. Simply place the ball of dough on a lightly floured surface like your countertop, then use your rolling pin to stretch it out to the appropriate size for your pizza pan. You can also use your hands to gently stretch the dough if you find that it is pulling back in on itself after you roll out out.
Add Toppings to the Best Pizza Dough Recipe
What is the secret to great homemade pizza dough? It’s easy. It’s really all about the toppings.
Pizza sauce and cheese – Start by adding sauce to the pizza dough. I highly recommend making pizza sauce from scratch. It is incredibly easy and tastes so much better. Mozzarella cheese or a blend of cheese meant for pizza is best.
Toppings – Add any toppings you like! Tomatoes, basil and fresh Mozzarella are a classic combination. As a pro tip, I recommend adding more cheese over top of the pizza toppings. Just a little.
Bake your pizza! Bake the pizza at 425F for 12-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and reaches your desired level of doneness. Cut the pizza into wedges and serve warm.
Favorite Pizza Toppings
There are so many ways to top a pizza I could almost write a separate post about it! In addition to adding mozzarella cheese, here are some popular toppings ideas:
- Pepperoni
- More cheese or different kind of cheese
- Cooked sausage
- Cooked mushrooms
- Black olives
- Ham
- Pineapple
- Cooked bacon
- Red pepper chili flakes
- Fresh basil
Have you ever tried dipping your pizza slices into sauce, like this Alabama White BBQ Sauce? Maybe that sounds strange but it’s seriously good!
Can I Freeze Pizza Dough?
Yes! The pizza dough itself can be frozen. Just wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap before it rises and freezer for up to two months. Thaw it completely then let it rise in a warm place until doubled and follow the rest of the directions to make the pizza. You can also freeze a baked pizza crust.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Pizza
Store leftover homemade pizza in an airtight food storage container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat individual slices in the microwave for about a minute, or in an oven preheated to 350F for about 5 minutes.
Some of My Favorite Pizza Recipes
- Easy Pizza Grilled Cheese
- Easy Taco Pizza Recipe
- Pizza Egg Rolls
- Crescent Roll Veggie Pizza
- Pepperoni Pizza Pockets
- Easy Air Fryer Pizza
Easy Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour or bread flour divided
- 1 packet instant yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus additional for brushing the dough
- ¾ cup warm water
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup of flour, the yeast, sugar, salt, and garlic powder.
- Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the warm water and mix well.
- Gradually stir in another 1 cup flour, stirring until the dough forms a soft, elastic ball. Use the remaining 1/3 cup flour only if needed. The dough should still be slightly sticky, but able to form a ball.
- Prepare a large, clean bowl by very generously brushing with olive oil.
- Transfer the dough ball to the bowl and turn once so that the dough is lightly oiled on all sides. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled, 30-60 minutes.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down then transfer to a floured surface and knead for 1 minute until smooth.
- Roll the dough into a large circle, then place on a pizza pan. Poke the dough all over with a fork, then brush the dough with olive oil.
- To make the pizza, preheat the oven to 425F. Top the dough with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and the toppings of your choice. Bake the pizza at 425F for 12-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and reaches your desired level of doneness. Cut the pizza into wedges and serve warm.
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