This is the best pizza dough with only 6 ingredients. It’s easy to make, has a crispy, chewy crust and is our favorite for homemade pizza night!
My family loves pizza recipes and we pair the dough with my white pizza sauce or red pizza sauce and toppings for pizza better than take-out!
Table of Contents
The Best Pizza Dough Recipe
My family loves to make homemade pizza recipes on the weekends. While this easy crust recipe is our favorite, we make it in all different forms. A few of our other go-to’s are French bread pizza, pizza chicken roll-ups, pizza dip and pizza pinwheels.
This homemade pizza dough recipe is the best! It’s easy enough for beginners and comes together in just 60 minutes from start to finish. The chewy crust is so flavorful and is our go-to for pizza night. Just add your favorite toppings and serve with fresh breadsticks !
Ingredients for Homemade Pizza Dough
No fancy ingredients are needed to make this simple pizza crust at home!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Warm water: You will lukewarm water around 110°F. It should be warm to the touch but not hot.
- Active dry yeast: This may be labeled active yeast at the store. Instant yeast or rapid yeast may also be used to make pizza dough.
- Granulated sugar: Feeds your yeast.
- Olive oil: I like to use extra virgin olive oil.
- Salt: Adds some flavor to the dough.
- All-purpose flour: Regular all-purpose flour works the best, but if you like a chewier crust use bread flour.
How to Flavor the Dough
Most of the flavor in pizza comes from the toppings you add to it before baking! If you would like to jazz up the flavor in the crust, though, it’s easy to do!
- Garlic powder: Add just a dash, around 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder should work.
- Dried basil or dried oregano: You can add up to a Tablespoon of one or the other or a combination of the two. Use more or less to suit your tastes.
- Italian seasoning: Add up to a Tablespoon of Italian herbs to flavor the dough.
How to Make Homemade Pizza Dough
Making your own pizza dough at home is easy to do! Just follow these step-by-step instructions.
- Activate the yeast. Start by proofing the yeast. Simply add 1 cup of warm water (110°F), 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast and 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar in a small bowl. Mix together, then cover with plastic wrap. Let sit until it begins to foam, similar to the left photo below. This usually takes about 5-10 minutes.
- Mix the dough. Once the yeast mixture has foamed, pour it into a large bowl along with 2 Tablespoons oil and salt. Add 2 cups flour (make sure to measure the flour correctly) and knead by hands or with a dough hook until combined. Then add in more of the flour in 1/4 cup increments and knead until the dough is smooth. Continue kneading dough for about 5 minutes.
- Let rise. Shape into a ball and rub a little oil around the dough. Place into a bowl and cover with saran wrap. Let rise for about 20 to 60 minutes. It doesn’t need to rise that much, you just want it to puff up a bit.
- Roll the dough. Once your dough has puffed up, it’s time to roll it out. I like to roll mine out about 1/4″ thick on a pizza stone. You could make it a little thinner or thicker based on preference, however just know that the cooking time will vary.
- Spread on the sauce. After your dough is rolled out, you can add the sauce. We usually use a classic tomato-based pizza sauce, but feel free to use Alfredo sauce or pesto.
- Add toppings. Then it’s time to add your favorite toppings! My kids love plain cheese or pepperoni. However, I love topping mine with burrata cheese, fresh sliced tomatoes, jalapenos and arugula. Yum!
Recipe Tips
You may wonder if there are any secrets to making this easy pizza dough recipe! Here are some tips to consider:
- Choose the right flour and use a high-quality yeast.
- Don’t overwork the dough. Kneading your dough too much can result in a tough crust. Mix the ingredients just until they come together, and then let the dough rest for a few minutes before shaping.
- A slow rise can help develop the flavors and texture of your dough. You can refrigerate this dough up to 12 hours if desired.
- Use high heat: A hot oven is key to achieving a crispy crust. Preheat your oven to at least 450°F (230°C), and use a pizza stone or steel to help evenly distribute the heat.
Favorite Pizza Recipes
There are so many uses for this best homemade pizza dough recipe! You can load it with your favorite pizza toppings or here are a few of our favorite pizza recipes:
- Homemade Pepperoni Pizza
- Easy BBQ Chicken Pizza
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
- Spinach Pesto Pizza
- Spinach Artichoke Pizza
- Buffalo Chicken Pizza
FAQ
I use all-purpose flour to make this easy crust recipe. No fancy flours like bread flour or 00 flour needed! However for a classic Neapolitan-style pizza, use “00” flour or a blend of “00” and all-purpose flour.
I typically let mine rise anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. You want it to puff up a bit, but it doesn’t need to rise all that much. If you want to do a slow rise, cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator overnight.
If you’re looking for a pizza dough recipe with no rising time, check out my easy no yeast pizza dough.
I like to roll out my dough with a rolling pin on a floured surface, however you can toss it as well. Once rolled or tossed, it should be about 12 inches wide and 1/4-inch thick.
No need to precook the dough prior to adding the toppings! Simply roll it out, add sauce, your toppings of choice and then bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Storing and Freezing Pizza Dough
- Storage: Since this recipe makes two pizzas, you may ask ‘how long does pizza dough last in your fridge’, which is a great question! You can store the dough after it has fully risen, covered, in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. Allow room for the dough to expand as it will continue to rise.
- Freeze: Yes, you can freeze pizza dough! Let the dough fully rise (at least an hour) before dividing into 2 or 4 balls. Wrap it in plastic wrap and seal in a zip-top bag. Freeze up to 3 months any longer than that and the yeast starts to break down. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.
Love to make homemade dough from scratch? Try this empanada dough recipe, whole wheat pizza dough or all butter pie crust!
More Pizza Recipes
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Pizza Dough Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water (110°F)
- 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons table or fine sea salt
- 2 ½ – 3 cups all-purpose flour , plus more for the work surface
Optional toppings: Pizza sauce, Shredded or sliced mozzarella, Sliced tomatoes, Fresh basil, Pepperoni, Sliced bell peppers, Olives, Sliced onion, Mushrooms, Canadian bacon, Pineapple, Jalapenos
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix 1 cup water, 1 Tablespoon yeast, and 1 Tablespoon sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 5 minutes, or until it starts to foam.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the yeast mixture, 2 Tablespoons oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Add 2 cups flour and stir on medium low (or can be done by hand) until combined. Add 1/4 cup more flour at a time and knead until the dough is smooth, soft, and just a little bit sticky, but not to where the dough still sticks to the bowl. Knead about 3 to 5 more minutes.
- Roll into a ball and rub the remaining 1 Tablespoon oil around the dough. Place into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest 20 to 60 minutes, or until the dough puffs up a bit. It doesn’t need to rise much.
- Preheat the oven to 475°F. On a floured work surface, cut the dough in half and roll it out with a rolling pin or toss until 1/4-inch thick and 12-inches wide. Repeat with the other half of dough. You can also make 4 6-inch pizzas.
- Lightly brush oil onto a pizza stone or large baking sheet. Transfer dough to the stone or baking sheet. Press dents into the dough using your fingers to prevent bubbling. Spread pizza sauce over the dough and add your favorite toppings.
- Bake 15 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly. If baking smaller pizzas, check for doneness around 12 minutes.
Notes
- Canadian bacon, pineapple, jalapeno (optional)
- Mushroom, green bell peppers, onion, pepperoni
- Fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, and fresh basil
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: Bread, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Italian, Kid-Friendly, Pizza, Reader Favorites, Yeast Bread
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Not yet. All I have on hand is quick rising yeast packets. Will they work? Is one packet = to one tbsp?
One packet is 2 1/4 teaspoons. You can use quick rising as well.
I have used this dough recipe a few times now to make Stromboli and it has been a fabulous hit every time! Even got the comment “Mom!… this is better than any Stromboli we’ve ever gotten at a restaurant!”. Hands down a fav of ours and I would love to be able to prep dough ahead of time for those busier days and still be able to hit a home run dinner… Is that possible?… If so, how long does it keep and what steps do I take to prep dough in advance?
Hi! That’s so awesome. Yes, you can prep it ahead of time. After you had the dough to the bowl, let rest about 10 minutes and then refrigerate the dough for up to 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and let rise about 20-30 minutes before you’re ready to use.
So good!!!
Can I use vegetable oil in place of olive oil?
While I prefer olive oil, you can use vegetable oil.
Can you make a bread from this dough?
Nice.. can I do the dough in the bread machine?
I haven’t tried it before, but I think that should be fine. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Just made this and the whole wheat doigh tonight for dinner – amazing! First time making pizza dough from scratch and don’t think I’ll look any further for a go-to recipe!
Yay! I’m so glad your family enjoyed the homemade pizza. Thanks for sharing :)
Oh my goodness!! This is the bomb recipe! Turned out amazing. I doubled it and it’s gone. My teenagers (a tough crowd) said this is the best pizza they ever had. I’d say that is a huge win. If you are on the fence about it-don’t be. Make it and you will. It be disappointed.
I didn’t see the star option to rate the recipe until after I posted my comments. 5 stars-hands down.
Your comment made my day! Thank you for taking time to come back and report how you liked it :)
So delicious and easy to make! Tanks 😁
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! :)
I’m so glad I found this pizza dough recipe! It was literally the best after trying so many recipes before it! And it tastes absolutely delicious!
Your comment made my day! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This crust turned out perfectly! We like thin crust pizza, so I rolled it out as thin as I could. It didn’t puff up like other pizza dough recipes! This will be my go to pizza dough recipe from now on!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :) Thank you for your comment.
Can I freeze the dough
Yes, of course!
Absolutely amazing recipe, it’s a keeper and easy to make.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Wow! Best crust recipe that I have tried!
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi. Can baking powder use as yeast when making pizza dough?
Hi! I don’t think that would work as well unfortunately.
Thank you.
Homemade pizza is my favorite! So excited to try this dough recipe.
I love how easy this is to make! Thank you!
My kids have been loving having pizza night with homemade pizza lately! This dough is great!
So yummy!
Hi Jamielyn!
I just wanted to tell you that I have consistently been using this recipe every time I have to make pizza and I love it so much!! It’s great because the ingredients easily adjust to the number of pizzas I want to make and it’s delicious every time.
Thank you!!
I’m so glad you love it! Thanks so much for your comment!