A step by step guide for making homemade Pizza Dough. This easy pizza dough recipe is quick and inexpensive and adaptable for thin or thick crust pizza!
This basic Pizza Dough Recipe can make a thin crust pizza dough or a thicker, chewy pizza crust. It makes a flavorful pizza crust that’s perfect for serving with any Pizza Recipe including: Pepperoni Pizza, Garlic Ranch Chicken Pizza, and Barbeque Chicken Pizza. Don’t forget to top it with my favorite 5-minute Pizza Sauce!
Easy Pizza Dough Recipe
Everyone needs a good Pizza Dough Recipe in their collection, and this one is my favorite because it’s so easy and flavorful! Though I recently created a Wheat Pizza Crust that is phenomenal as well!
I’ve been making homemade pizzas with my mom, ever since I was little. Once I got married, my husband requested them just about every weekend! But there was only one problem; I wasn’t in love with the pizza dough recipe that I had grown up using.
SO, I set out to make the best pizza dough recipe out there. Now, for someone who makes homemade pizza on almost a weekly basis, I’ve had my fair share of trial and error, but I can confidently say that THIS IS IT!
Ingredients for Homemade Pizza Dough:
- Yeast
- Sugar
- Water
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Vinegar
- Flour (bread flour or all-purpose flour work great)
How to Make Homemade Pizza Dough:
- Dissolve the yeast in warm water with sugar and let it sit for about 5 minutes, to proof. (If the yeast doesn’t foam up like in photo step 1, then the yeast is no good.) Next, add more water, salt, vinegar, and olive oil.
- Knead the dough on a medium-low speed for about 7 minutes, then cover it and let it rise for 1 – 1 1/2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
- Divide the dough into 2-3 balls depending on whether you want to make thin crust pizzas or a thicker, chewy pizza crust. I personally like to divide my pizza dough recipe into three because I like the thin crust pizza.
- Spray your work surface lightly with cooking spray, or dust lightly with flour. Use a rolling pin or your hands to roll and stretch the dough to your desired size. Prick all over with a fork.
Before pre-baking my pizza crust, I heat the oven with a pizza stone inside. If you don’t have a pizza stone you could use a baking tray (like a cookie sheet), turned upside down.
I then sprinkle cornmeal on my pizza peel and place the crust on top, and then slide the crust onto the hot baking stone. If you don’t have a pizza peel you can place the pizza crust on a piece of parchment paper to lift and set it onto your hot pizza stone or baking tray.
If you are looking for an even healthier pizza dough recipe, check out my perfect and flavorful Wheat Pizza Crust!
Tips for Making Perfect Homemade Pizza Dough:
1. Always pre-bake this pizza dough recipe
I’ve found that the key to making homemade pizza dough is pre-baking your pizza dough. It’s absolutely essential to pre-bake the dough for 5-6 minutes before adding your toppings. Once you’ve added Pizza Sauce and all your toppings, return it to the oven to finish baking! This will result in a crust that holds on it’s own and is crispy on the outside, and soft and airy on the inside.
2. Give the pizza dough sufficient time to rise!
You really need to take the time to let the pizza dough rise. I’ve tried many “no-rise” or “15-minute” pizza crust recipes, but I don’t think any of them taste as good as this one. The only recipe I ever use when I’m in a hurry is this No Rise Pizza Crust, made with quick-rise yeast.
You can also make the pizza dough the night before and let it rise in the fridge, in an airtight container, overnight, to save time.
3. What is the best flour for this pizza dough recipe?
In the recipe I call for bread flour but all-purpose flour works perfectly well for this recipe . If you’d like to use whole wheat flour, check out my Wheat Pizza Crust Recipe!
4. To make your pizza dough flavorful:
This is a basic pizza dough recipe, but you can spice it up to make it more flavorful. I sometimes add a couple dashes of garlic powder, dried basil, and oregano at step number 2 below.
5. How to Stretch Pizza Dough
It’s common practice to roll pizza dough on a floured surface, but I actually like to spray my counter with non-stick spray instead of using flour. That way excess flour doesn’t make the dough tough and its really easy to stretch the dough with your hands. You can also use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a circle, or your desired shape but I find that using my hands is just as easy.
If you want to be a true Italian pizza artist, check out this tutorial on how to stretch your pizza dough by tossing the dough in the air!
6. How to Freeze Pizza Dough:
This pizza dough recipe make enough for three thin crust pizzas. If you don’t want to make three, you can freeze the leftover dough. Form a ball with the dough and lightly spray it on all sides. Wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in a ziplock freezer bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the pizza dough in the refrigerator overnight and roll it out when you are ready to pre-bake.
You could also pre-bake the pizza crust and freeze the pre-baked crust before adding sauce and toppings. Just make sure the crust cools completely and then wrap it in plastic wrap and tinfoil and store it in your freezer.
Check out all my Pizza Recipes: Some of my favorites recipes using homemade pizza dough include:
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Easy Pizza Dough
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 3 3/4 - 4 cups bread flour (bread flour works best, but all purpose works fine)
Instructions
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer combine 1/2 cup of the warm water with the sugar and yeast. Stir to dissolve the yeast and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining 1 cup of warm water, and the olive oil, salt and vinegar.
- Begin mixing on medium-low speed, gradually adding the flour, and knead the dough for about 7 minutes, or until it's smooth and elastic. The dough should be slightly sticky, but not so sticky that it really sticks to your fingertip when touched.
- Cover the bowl with a dry towel and allow to rest in a warm place until doubled in volume--about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Gently punch the dough down and place on a lightly greased or floured counter top. Divide the dough into 2 or 3 equal pieces (depending on how thick you want your crust/how big you want your pizza. I make three medium size, thinner crust pizzas. But you could make two larger pizzas).
- Roll and stretch your dough to desired size and thickness.
- Allow the dough to rest while you preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. If you have a pizza stone (or want to use a baking tray) place it in the oven while it preheats.
- Brush pizza dough lightly with olive oil and prick it all over with a fork. Pre-bake the dough on a hot pizza stone or in pizza pan for 6 minutes.
- Remove from oven and add pizza sauce and toppings. Return to oven and bake for 8-15 more minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly.
Notes
Make ahead Instructions:
Option 1: Make the dough up until the first rise. Place the dough in an airtight container in the fridge to rise overnight, or for several hours, before rolling it out and pre-baking it. Option 2: Completely make the pizza dough, including pre-baking it in the oven for 6 minutes. Top with desired pizza toppings, cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours, until ready to bake your pizza. Find instructions for freezing pizza dough, above in the post. Adapted from All RecipesNutrition
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
*I originally shared this recipe March 2013. Updated March 2019.
*This post contains affiliate links. I love sharing my favorite products with you!
Bassy says
What does the vinager do to the dough?
Lauren Allen says
It helps with flavor and boosting the rise of the yeast.
Rose Theobald says
This is IT. I’ve searched for a great pizza crust recipe and I’ve finally found it, and it’s easy to boot! This crust is soooo DELICIOUS. Words cannot describe it accurately. I am curious about one thing, how would it taste if I put it in an oiled pan and made it pan style? Thank you so very much for the PERFECT PIZZA RECIPE.
Lauren Allen says
Thanks Rose, I’m so happy to hear that! And that would definitely work 🙂 You could even just put cornmeal in the bottom of the pan.
Boyd Kobe says
Homemade pizza dough is the best! I love this easy recipe!
Lynette says
Excellent! We are always trying pizza crust recipes and this one did not disappoint!
Suzanne says
This is a great recipe. I often double it and after the first bake I cool on wire racks, layer with parchment paper between each and freeze in 2 gallon freezer bags. Then when we need a quick meal I pull them out and add sauce and toppings
( while still frozen and oven is heating) then bake. Faster than delivery and so good!
Lauren Allen says
Thanks so much!
Thibs says
How do you make without a stand mixer.
Lauren Allen says
You can make it in a mixing bowl, stirring it well, and then knead the dough by hand on your counter for 10 minutes.