Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
on Mar 05, 2020, Updated Oct 20, 2020
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This Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe is so easy, and I consider it to be no-fail! It results in a traditional crust that is both chewy and crisp. You will make it again and again!
Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
Friday nights are pizza night at our home. And it is for many other families too! We often make homemade pizza because we can customize our options, it’s easier than many would think, and it’s a bit more healthy than take-out or delivery.
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I have used this easy Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe so very many times over the years. Go ahead and use this recipe to make your favorite homemade pizza. We use this pizza crust along with our Easy Pizza Sauce to make the classics like pepperoni, supreme, veggie, and Pizza Margarete.
The Pizza Dough Recipe is so incredibly easy and results in a crust that is sturdy, chewy, and crispy. Since it only requires a handful of ingredients that you most likely have on hand, you can whip it up for dinner tonight.
How to Knead Pizza Dough
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough using two hands, push outward away from you and then turn it slightly and continue kneading. You will want to knead for about 5 minutes or so. Add additional flour to the surface of the dough feels a bit too tacky after the first few presses. But, be cautious as to much flour will result in a tough crust.
How long to let Pizza Dough Rise?
Letting this pizza dough recipe rise for about 30 minutes will result in the best homemade pizza crust. I will sometimes let mine go for an hour if I have time.
Can you make Homemade Pizza Dough ahead of time?
Yes, I do it often! Place the dough in a zippered bag and place it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days before using it to make homemade pizza.
Can you Freeze Homemade Pizza Dough?
Yes, you can! Place the dough in a zippered bag. Frozen pizza dough balls will last for up to 6 months when frozen. When ready to use, thaw and knead slightly before stretching.
Ingredients to Make Easy Pizza Dough
- All-Purpose Flour
- Yeast
- Sugar
- Salt
- Warm Water
- Oil
How to Make Homemade Pizza Dough
First, add the flour to a large mixing bowl. Make a small well in the center. Then, add the yeast, salt, and sugar.
Note: I used the yeast I had on hand, which was Fast-Rise. Any active yeast will work (about 2.5 teaspoons).
Now, add the warm water. Do not use boiling hot water. Tap warm works best. Mix with hands or spatula until combined.
Next, place the dough on a floured surface. Then, knead the dough using the tips that I have mentioned above.
Place a small amount of oil in the bowl and use a paper towel to wipe it up the sides to coat. Place the kneaded dough ball into the prepared bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel—place in a warm place. Let rise for at least 30 minutes. See my tip for rising pizza dough above.
After you have let the pizza dough rise, put back on to the floured surface, and punch out the air. Knead it lightly and separate it into two pieces.
Then, stretch the dough. I like to work around the edges and slightly pull. You can also roll the dough with a rolling pin. Place on a 12-inch pizza pan. Brush with a small amount of olive oil. Add the toppings and bake for about 15 minutes. Note The more toppings that are on the pizza, the longer it will take to cook.
Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 3 cup Flour
- 1 packet Fast Rise Yeast, any yeast should work
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 cup Warm Water
Instructions
- Put flour into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center.
- Add yeast, sugar, salt, olive oil and water. Stir until combined.
- Lightly oil a bowl. Set aside.
- Lightly flour work surface.
- Turn out dough and knead for 10 minutes or until a smooth ball forms.
- Place dough ball into prepared bowl.
- Cover with plastic wrap or clean cloth.
- Set in a warm place for 30 minutes or until dough has doubled in volume.
- Turn dough out on a floured surface and punch the dough to remove excess air, knead lightly.
- Divide dough into 2.
- Makes enough dough for 2 12" thin pizzas.
- When ready to make pizza, stretch dough onto 12" pizza pan, being careful not to tear crust.
- Preheat oven to 450.
- Brush crust with a little olive oil.
- Cover with pizza sauce, cheese and toppings.
- Bake about 15 minutes, until crust is browned an cheese is melted and lightly browned.
Nutrition
Have made this recipe many times it doesn’t disappoint.
Some advise for those running into difficulty, this is an extremely simple recipe with just a few ingredients so should be easy right? Wrong. If you have been baking bread for fifty years like me you’ll be able to do it in your sleep if not, read on.
Use the INSTANT yeast which is added directly to the flour no proofing required. Make sure it is FRESH as in it hasn’t been in the cupboard for two generations. When in doubt buy fresh. Store any left in your FREEZER not the cupboard or fridge. Measure your flour carefully. Spoon into the cup and level with a knife. Use ALL PURPOSE FLOUR as the recipe calls for. Not BREAD flour and notCAKE an PASTRY flour.
Mix all the dry ingredients together and take the temp of your water it should be around 130 degrees which is hotter then most tap water but not boiling. While buying that fresh yeast pick up a THERMOMETER. They are pretty cheap and are valuable tool in the kitchen arsenal.
Mix your olive oil and water together and then mix with the dry. It will seem dry, resist the temptation to add more water. Start kneading. It might start to feel sticky. If all the flour has been absorbed then add a table spoon or two of flour and keep kneading until it feels like a baby’s bum(my great aunt’s method of determining the readiness of bread dough!)
Put the lump into a bowl greased with some olive oil. Roll it around so the whole lump is covered.
Turn the oven on to 100 degrees until it is just SLIGHTLY warm. Turn it OFF. Cover the bowl with cling wrap or a tea towel wrung out in hot water. Place in oven for thirty minutes. If the oven is slightly warm the yeast will rise…you didn’t omit the teeny tablespoon of sugar did you? The yeast NEEDS sugar to develop, omitting it guarantees a lump of lead or a very long rise.
Check your bread after 30 minutes it should double in bulk…not triple just double.
Punch it down an turn it out onto the pan you are baking it in. Let it rest and relax for a few minutes before stretching it. This is a very easy dough to work with.
I have a big ole lump of it in my oven rising now.
Good luck. There is no reason that this should fail if you follow her instructions an use the exact ingredients as written.
Not sure why you say to not use bread flour. I use bread flour and it works great!! If you’re your dough thin and crunchy, with bread flour, you will accomplish it. Regular flour is okay also, but bread flour will guarantee a thin and crunchy dough.
I have made this 4 times, came out excellent each time. Thank you
I’m newer to using yeast, but followed this recipe to a “T”. Neither dough would rise. Upon reading other recipes, it seems imperative to mix the yeast with water and sugar to activate, then add other ingredients. I’m disappointed this recipe didn’t include those additional instructions depending on what kind of yeast is being used.
Love this!! Making it for the second night in a row…. 😆 don’t judge! Pizza is life 🙌 this recipe is so easy to follow. Only thing I changed this second time around is oiling the dish my dough rose in, I opted out and had a nicer dough to work with.
I followed the recipe and let the dough rise for an hour. I couldn’t get it to spread very well. It kept shrinking back up. In no way did I have enough dough for 2 pizzas. I barely got one. I can’t understand what I did wrong.
Had to let it rise for 45 min, but this recipe was absolutely perfect! We have four teen boys so we doubled the recipe to make two extra large pizzas, we also rolled cheese sticks into the crust to make it stuffed. Our boys actually liked this much better than delivery!
I was looking for an easy flavorful pizza crust other than store bought about 2 months ago. I was impressed how easy and great tasting this was! My husband said he likes our homemade pizzas more than ordered pizzas now! I added some Italian seasonings to my crust for an extra boost and they love it! Thanks for sharing! Using the recipe again tonight!
Made this in my stand mixer. It mixed up sooooo easy & feels really nice & soft. I can’t wait for it to rise so I can get the toppings on it & get it in the oven. Your pics look divine!!!! the rater isn’t working but if it was it would be 5 stars.
I made this dough using gluten free baking flour. Followed directions but added more oil (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) and added more water (1 1/4 cup). It came out great.
My go to recipe! I knead it and rise it in the same bowl, so easy! It’s a little chewy and soft which my kids prefer, and when done on a preheated pizza stone it gets nice and crisp.