For the ultimate pizza experience at home, make Pizza Dough from scratch. It’s simple and allows you to build your own pizza just the way you like it. Perfect cooking project for kids too!
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The Best Homemade Pizza Dough
Pizza night is a favorite in almost every household, so this pizza dough recipe comes in handy! You only need 6 simple ingredients and you probably already have most of them in your pantry. Whip up the dough, then add sauce and the toppings you like before baking until hot and the cheese is melted.
If you haven’t worked with yeast before, pizza dough is actually a great place to start – so don’t feel intimated! The key to working with yeast is making sure your water is not too cold and not too hot. You’re going for that “goldilocks” zone where the liquid is warm enough to activate the yeast but not so hot that you kill it (which will then prevent your dough from rising.)
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
Ready to get started? Let’s get to it.
The Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make Homemade Pizza Dough (the exact measurements and full recipe instructions are below in the easy to print recipe card):
- Flour – all-purpose flour works just fine, but you could also use bread flour.
- Water – make sure it is warm but not hot.
- Sugar – the sugar feeds the yeast and helps with the rising of the dough.
- Olive oil – vegetable oil could be used in place of olive oil if necessary.
- Yeast – be sure to use fresh rapid rise yeast.
- Salt
- 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 from Scratch
Making your pizza dough takes about 5 minutes of effort. That’s it! Then you just let your dough rise, add your favorite toppings and bake. Here’s how to do it:
Combine the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup of flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and garlic powder.
Add wet ingredients. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the warm water and mix well.
Add more flour until dough forms. 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.
Let the dough rise. 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.
Punch down and knead the dough. Once the dough has risen, punch it down then transfer to a floured surface and knead for 1 minute until smooth.
Shape the dough into a pizza crust. Roll the dough into a large circle, then place on a pizza pan. Poke the dough all over with a fork.
- Pro tip for stretching the dough: I like to use a rolling pin to stretch out my pizza dough. Simply place the ball of dough on a lightly floured 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.
Brush with olive oil. Next, brush the dough with olive oil.
Add Toppings and Bake Your Pizza!
To turn your homemade dough into pizza, you’ll need three things:
1. Pizza sauce – Use a jar of pizza sauce, or try making sauce from scratch with our recipe.
2. Cheese – Mozzarella cheese or a blend of cheese meant for pizza is best.
3. Toppings – Add any toppings you like!
- Pro Tip: Add a little more cheese on top of your pizza toppings.
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.
Pizza Topping Ideas
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
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 freeze 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.
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.
Easy 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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