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    Home » Easy Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe

    Easy Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe

    Published: Sep 2, 2018 · Modified: Feb 9, 2023 by Laura · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    This is the best pizza dough recipe ever. It's easy to make with 5 ingredients and doesn't need to rise - which means you can have a fresh hot homemade pizza on the table in 30 minutes.

    homemade pizza dough recipe before being rolled out

    I got my very first job when I was 14, answering phones at our favorite local pizza place in the suburbs of Chicago.

    Working there caused me to have incredibly high pizza standards. I grew up and moved away from Chicago to a state that does not have great pizza, so we always make our own.

    We make this easy pizza dough recipe (paired with this homemade pizza sauce) at least once a week. Truly great pizza requires an outstanding crust. And that is what you get with this homemade pizza dough.

    This recipe is easy to make because the dough doesn't have to rise, although rising is an option. Which means you can have fresh, hot, homemade pizza on the table in 30 minutes flat!

    a pizza made with this pizza dough recipe

    Homemade Pizza Dough: Ingredients & Substitutions 

    overhead photo of the ingredients in this Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
    • All-purpose flour. You can use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose baking flour to make this pizza dough gluten-free. If you're looking for a whole wheat pizza dough recipe, this one is the best.
    • Sugar. honey works very well in place of sugar.
    • Olive oil. Any neutral tasting oil works perfectly in this recipe, I suggest olive oil, avocado oil or canola oil.
    • Toppings: The unanimous pizza topping of choice for my family is pepperoni. My hubby prefers turkey pepperoni. But you can top your dough with anything. My personal favorite is a little drizzle of balsamic vinegar, spinach, green peppers and goat cheese!

    Note: The crust is vegan, so you can make delicious dairy-free/vegan pizzas using this recipe, and save yourself lots of money buying vegan options at the store.

    a baked pizza using this Best Pizza Dough Recipe

    How to make Easy Homemade Pizza Dough

    Since we make this easy homemade pizza dough recipe weekly, I have many tips and tricks to ensure it turns out perfectly every time. So we'll walk through the process step by step, and don't forget to watch the video.

    Note: you can mix this pizza dough by hand or use a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook.

    Preheat a Pizza Stone

    If you have a pizza stone - I highly recommend using it to bake your homemade pizzas. You can also preheat a baking sheet.

    We love baking our pizzas on a stone because it crisps the bottom perfectly. Put the pizza stone in the oven and let it preheat with the oven. For the best results, let the stone preheat at 500 degrees F for at least 10 minutes before baking the pizza.

    a pizza stone in an oven

    Proof the yeast 

    To make this pizza dough recipe, begin by proofing the yeast, which means mixing together water, sugar and yeast and letting it sit until it becomes foamy and bubbly (about 5 minutes). It's important that you use warm, but not hot water. Ideally around 105 degrees F.

    two photos showing yeast proofing for pizza dough

    If the water is too warm it will kill the yeast and it won't proof (become nice and foamy and activated). You can use a thermometer to measure the temperature, but it should be warm to the touch but not feel hot.

    proofed yeast in a bowl

    Make homemade pizza sauce

    While the yeast is proofing, take 5 minutes and make this homemade sauce to use on your homemade pizza dough. It truly is the best.

    Sauce being spread onto this pizza dough recipe

    Make the pizza dough

    Once the yeast is proofed, add the olive oil and stir to combine.

    two photos showing How to Make Pizza Dough - stirring in olive oil

    Then add 2 cups of flour and salt and stir to combine. 

    two photos showing How to Make Pizza Dough - adding flour and salt

    The dough will start to form a sticky ball, add more flour as needed until the dough is only very slightly tacky and smooth.

    two photos showing How to Make Pizza Dough - adding more flour and forming a ball

    Knead the dough

    Once the dough is only slightly sticky, transfer it to a floured surface and knead for about 3-5 minutes, or until a smooth ball forms. If necessary, add 1 Tablespoon of flour at a time until it's smooth and not sticky.

    hands kneading pizza dough

    I make this recipe by hand, but it can easily be made and kneaded in a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. It's so fast and simple that I prefer to save some dishes and not pull out my mixer for this one.

    Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe after it has been kneaded and formed into a ball

    Optional - Let the dough rise

    If you have more than 30 minutes, you can let this dough rise for 10 minutes or up to it doubling in size (90 minutes)

    Letting the pizza dough rise results in a softer, more tender crust but rising is not necessary for a great pizza.

    two photos showing pizza dough before and after rising in a glass bowl

    Roll out the pizza dough 

    Once the dough is smooth and elastic, form it into your desired shape. We usually make a circular pizza because that is the shape of our pizza stone. However we have made them in fun shapes too, including a football for the Super Bowl and a heart for Valentine's day.

    a woman rolling out pizza dough with a wooden rolling pin

    Roll it out on a well-floured surface until it's about ½" thick.

    Transfer the rolled-out dough to a piece of parchment paper before you begin adding pizza sauce and toppings.

    hands rolling out pizza dough with a wooden rolling pin

    Add Sauce & Toppings

    Once the dough is rolled out and on a piece of parchment paper, slather on the sauce.

    pizza sauce being spread on homemade pizza dough

    Then, add your desired toppings

    Tip: Add a little cheese before the toppings. This was a trick I learned working at a Chicago pizza restaurant.

    Starting with a very thin layer of cheese, then adding the toppings, then finishing with another layer of cheese helps keep the toppings in place when the pizza is cut.

    two photos showing cheese being sprinkled over homemade pizza douigh

    Bake

    Once the pizza is assembled, transfer it to the preheated stone in the oven using a pizza peel. If you don't have a pizza peel, you can use a flat baking sheet to transfer the pizza to the oven.

    a pizza on a pizza peel before

    Bake the pizza on the preheated pizza stone for 12-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.

    Tip: Watch the pizza carefully. The pizza goes from almost done to too brown fairly quickly. So be careful!

    two photos showing pizza during and after being baked in oven

    Then, use the pizza peel to remove the pizza from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting.

    a baked pizza on a wire cooling rack

    Serve

    We use these pizza scissors to cut our pizzas and it's so easy!

    I love serving homemade pizza with a huge salad (especially this burrata salad) when we have guests over for dinner.

    You can also make the crust into small personal pizzas and let guests make their own pizzas with a variety of toppings, which is really fun.

    pizza made with homemade pizza dough being cut with pizza scissors

    To make ahead:

    You can make this pizza dough in advance. Mix it together and form a ball, then place it in a bowl and tightly cover it with plastic wrap and a damp towel. Store it in the refrigerator until ready to use (up to overnight).

    a cheese pizza made with this pizza dough recipe

    How to Freeze Pizza Dough

    You an freeze this homemade pizza dough in a few ways:

    1. Form it into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze in an airtight container or plastic bag.
    2. Pre-bake the crust for 5 minutes without toppings. Let it cool, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze. To use, let it thaw, add toppings and bake according to the recipe.
    3. Freeze a fully assembled pizza before baking. You can make your own frozen pizzas by making this pizza dough, topping it with sauce and toppings and flash-freezing it on a baking sheet. One it's hardened, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Let thaw and bake.
    Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe dusted with flour

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I double this recipe?

    Yes, this homemade pizza dough recipe is easily doubled or tripled.

    Can I let the dough rise?

    Yes, for a thicker, fluffier dough let it rise for 15-30 minutes, or until doubled.

    Can I make this dough the night before?

    Yes, to make this dough the night before put it in a bowl, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and a damp towel and store it in the refrigerator.

    Can I freeze this pizza dough?

    Yes, there are three ways to freeze this dough:
    1. Form it into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze in an airtight container.
    2. Pre-bake the crust for 5 minutes without toppings. Let it cool, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze.
    3. Freeze a fully assembled pizza before baking. You can make your own frozen pizzas by making this pizza dough, topping it with sauce and toppings and flash-freezing it on a baking sheet. One it's hardened, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 2 months.

    What happens if bubbles form in my dough while it bakes?

    If you notice pockets of air forming in the dough while it's baking, simply prick them with a fork to let the gas out and continue baking.

    What if I don't have a pizza stone?

    If you don't have a pizza stone, you can preheat a pizza pan or baking pan in the same way that you preheat the stone.

    a hand taking a slice of pizza made with this Pizza Dough Recipe

    If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don't forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube - be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can your creations!

    Easy Homemade Pizza Dough

    Laura
    This is the best pizza dough recipe ever. It's easy to makewith 5 ingredients and doesn't need to rise - which means you can have a freshhot homemade pizza on the table in 30 minutes.
    4.98 from 597 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course bread, Main Course
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Servings 14 Pizza (12 servings)
    Calories 67 kcal

    Equipment

    • glass batter bowl
    • measuring spoons
    • measuring cups
    • rolling pin
    • pizza stone
    • Pizza Peel
    • Pizza scissors

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 cup warm water (105 degrees F)
    • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
    • 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
    • 1 TBSaTablespoon olive oil
    • 2 to 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour*
    • 1 tsp fine sea salt
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Put a pizza stone in the oven while it preheats, and let it warm at 500 degrees F for at least 10 minutes.*

    Make the Pizza Dough

    • Combine warm water, yeast and sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
    • Let mixture sit for 5 minutes, or until it becomes frothy and bubbles form.
    • Gently stir in olive oil.
    • Add 2 cups of flour and salt and mix with a spatula until a ball begins to form (dough will still be slightly sticky). Add more flour as needed to form a dough ball.
    • Transfer to a floured surface and knead into a smooth dough, adding up to ½ cup extra flour if needed.
    • Optional. if desired, cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let it rise for 10 minutes or up to 1 hour.

    Assemble the pizza

    • Roll the dough into your desired shape and put it on a piece of parchment paper.
    • Add pizza sauce, cheese and toppings of choice.
    • Use a pizza peel to transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone in the oven.
    • Bake on the preheated pizza stone for 12-15 minutes, or until the bottom of the crust is golden brown.
    • Remove the pizza from the oven with the pizza peel and put it on a wire rack to cool for at 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving.

    Video

    Notes

    If you don't have a pizza stone. 
    You can preheat the pizza pan or baking pan you will be cooking the pizza on in the oven instead of the stone. You will need to bake the pizza slightly longer without a stone. 
    Ingredient Substitutions
    • All-purpose flour. you can replace up to ½ cup flour with whole wheat flour. You can also use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose baking flour for a gluten-free pizza crust.
    • Sugar. honey is a great substitute for sugar.
    • Olive oil. Any neutral tasting oil works perfectly in this recipe, I suggest olive oil, avocado oil or canola oil.
    Double or Triple this recipe
    This pizza dough recipe is easily doubled or tripled. Simply use 2x or 3x the ingredients and divide the dough equally in 2 or 3 portions.
    You can also make the crust into small personal pizzas and let the kids put their own toppings on it, which is really fun.
    To make ahead:
    You can make this pizza dough in advance. Mix it together and form a ball, then place it in a bowl and tightly cover it with plastic wrap and a damp towel. Store it in the refrigerator until ready to use (up to overnight).
    To freeze
    You an freeze this pizza dough in a few ways:
    1. Form it into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze in an airtight container or plastic bag.
    2. Pre-bake the crust for 5 minutes without toppings. Let it cool, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze. To use, let it thaw, add toppings and bake according to the recipe.
    3. Freeze a fully assembled pizza before baking. You can make your own frozen pizzas by making this pizza dough, topping it with sauce and toppings and flash-freezing it on a baking sheet. One it's hardened, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Let thaw and bake.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Serving (Crust only)Calories: 67kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 2gFat: 1.2gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.8gSodium: 177mgPotassium: 20mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 1gCalcium: 1mgIron: 0.1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through a link you clicked on here, I receive a portion of the sale. Thank you for supporting JoyFoodSunshine! 

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Judy

      March 03, 2023 at 7:56 pm

      5 stars
      I tried this and really really liked it. Nice to know I can made this pretty quick with homemade ingredients I have in the kitchen. I Love thick crust and this was. I thought I had rolled it out pretty good because my husband likes thin crust so next time I may cut in half. It’s a keeper. Thanks 😋

      Reply
      • Laura

        March 04, 2023 at 7:08 am

        Thank you Judy! I'm glad you both enjoyed it! You can always make two pizzas and freeze one for later! 😉

        Reply
    2. Renee

      February 24, 2023 at 3:00 pm

      5 stars
      I love this recipe! I hate the wait time for other ones. This works very well and is fast. Thank you very much!

      Reply
    3. Sandra

      February 22, 2023 at 1:35 pm

      Do you keep the oven at 500 degrees or lower when baking the pizza?

      Reply
      • Laura

        February 22, 2023 at 2:50 pm

        500 degrees F

        Reply
      • Laurie

        March 03, 2023 at 7:25 am

        5 stars
        I actually did mine at 450 degrees and left it there and pizza came out fabulous.

        Reply
    4. Sarah Garcia

      February 19, 2023 at 6:55 am

      Do you have to use a pizza stone? What are the instructions if you don’t have one?

      Reply
      • Laura

        February 19, 2023 at 4:37 pm

        You can preheat a baking sheet or pizza pan. Or just bake slightly longer on the lower rack in your oven.

        Reply
    5. Christie

      February 19, 2023 at 6:10 am

      5 stars
      This was fast, easy and delicious! I actually used mine in my cast iron skillets and made a fantastic deep dish pizza!

      Reply
      • Laura

        February 19, 2023 at 4:37 pm

        Thank you Christie!

        Reply
    6. Miranda

      February 15, 2023 at 1:15 pm

      5 stars
      So freaking delicious!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, I was craving since pizza and finally to make some homemade instead of eating out. Best choice I ever made. I will not go back to my usual pizza place!

      Reply
      • Laura

        February 16, 2023 at 7:30 am

        Thank you so much, Miranda!

        Reply
    7. Jim

      February 14, 2023 at 5:16 pm

      5 stars
      Laura you are so kind! You have us a great pizza dough recipe and also a delicious pizza sauce recipe.im enjoying your pizza right now and in future i'll be making x3 batches, they are so good. So from here way down at the bottom of New Zealand, thank you and God bless you and your family.

      Reply
      • Jessica

        February 15, 2023 at 5:41 pm

        5 stars
        This was stunning!! So easy and better than Papa John's!!! This is my future go to recipe, thanks!!!

        Reply
        • Laura

          February 16, 2023 at 7:31 am

          WAY better than PJ's! 😉

    8. G

      February 12, 2023 at 6:16 pm

      For the single recipe(not doubling or tripling it) is it one pie? My dough was pretty thick. I’m wondering if I need to cut the dough in half? The pizza pan used was 16”.

      Reply
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    About Laura

    I’m Laura, a former chemistry teacher turned homeschooling mom of six beautiful babies! I create simple and delicious recipes that are tested and perfected to make cooking and baking joyful and fun!

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