Best Pizza Dough, the perfect easy Pizza Dough Recipe you will ever make. Authentic Italian Pizza made delicious.
In your house what day is pizza day? For my family it is either Friday or Saturday. I like pizza day because dinner comes together really quick and really quick means I’m happy and pizza day means everyone else is happy.
So we all win and especially with this fabulous Best Pizza Dough.In Italy it is so easy to get a good pizza dough, I would stop at my local bakery (forno) and pick up a pound or two of dough, but when I tasted a pizza made with this specific dough.
I thought no matter how good the bakery dough was, it was now a thing of the past for me. That pizza made me determined to make my own pizza dough.
With so many ways to make pizza, RED or WHITE or even veggie, this is the best Pizza dough to use.We were invited to lunch at my friend’s Aunt and she made this fabulous pizza, and of course, it was served as an appetizer and not the main dish.
So many main dishes were served that day that I lost count after a while. So I asked my friend’s aunt for her recipe, Italians are wonderful about that.
I believe for an Italian it is probably one of the best compliments to be asked for a recipe, so ask I do and often. If I am lucky enough once in a while they might even come over and give me a cooking lesson in my own kitchen, nothing better than that!
The only thing is most of the time these recipes are from dishes that are made so often (which makes them the best of all I must say) that they don’t measure anything, it is all “oh a little bit of this or a handful of that” which makes it all so much more interesting and creative.
Needless to say this pizza dough was one of those recipes that was passed down for I can’t tell you how many years. But trust me it is a delicious, amazing pizza dough.
Make it thin crust or thick crust whatever suits you, then you can top it with any fresh ingredients you desire.
With this recipe I made 2 large pizzas and 1 small, which I made into a calzone. One of the pizzas I made was an all veggie one, with fresh, halved, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, zucchini, peppers and olives and of course topped with grated mozzarella.
So good. Thank goodness it’s almost Saturday! So however you like your pizza, thick crust, thin crust, double cheese, veggie or pepperoni I hope you try it with this pizza dough. Buon Appetito!
Best Pizza Dough
- 2 cups warm water 472 grams
- pinch sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dry yeast 12 grams
- 2 tablespoons olive oil 26 grams
- 5 cups and 4 tablespoons flour 671 grams
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt 25.5 grams
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In a large bowl add warm water then add yeast and sugar, let sit for 2-3 minutes, then stir to combine. Add the olive oil, flour and salt, with a fork mix till dough starts to come together. On a lightly floured surface remove dough from the bowl and knead until dough is smooth and elastic approximately 10 minutes (if dough is really sticky add a little extra flour). Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a folded up tablecloth (tea towels are too small), leave in a warm draft- free place till doubled in bulk, approximately 1-2 hours.**
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Pre heat oven to 450° (250° celsius). Punch dough down a few times and divide into pizza pans, without rolling it out, let it sit for 10 minutes, then roll. Top with your favourite toppings (without the cheese), bake for approximately 15-20 minutes (till crust is golden) and then top with grated mozzarella cheese and bake for three more minutes or until cheese is melted. Enjoy!
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**At this point, dough can also be refrigerated, place in plastic bag, remove air and tie securley up to 24 hours.
Hi Rose!
Firstly I am so jealous of you: I have wanted to go to Italy since I can remember and have yet to make it there! Florence is first on my list 🙂
I love Italian food and want to organise a dinner party. I would love to make your pizza but have tried homemade pizza base before and it has been a disaster! So keeping my fingers crossed that this recipe will be my first successful homemade pizza base. But I just wanted to ask; I can only get my hands on instant yeast here. Should I follow the same protocol as your recipe?
Thanks!
Hi Ruby, thanks so much and yes Italy is beautiful and I hope you make it here one day. I really hope this pizza dough works out for you if you have any problems let me know and yes instant yeast is just fine. 🙂
I tried this recipe and loved it. I reduced the salt to 1 tablespoon. Is it correct that it is suppose to be 1 1/2 Tablespoon is that the correct amount?
Hi Lena, yes it is the right amount, Italians love their salt. 🙂
this looks like a wonderful recipe..i’m wondering if i could half the ingredients so i could use my bread machine..i just can’t knead dough like i used to ..i think my bread machine is only for 4-1/2 cups flour no more..thx for reply..and i love italian food..huggzz
Hi Gail, sure you can half it, I do all the time. 🙂
i halved the recipe..then froze it..we had it today..oh man it was good..rose beautifully..i should have baked about 5 min. longer…and i baked with the cheese on and all the toppings..my tablet is not working..and was too lazy to run back and forth to my laptop checking directions..lol..hubby said it was a keeper..and out go all my other pizza recipes..this is the best..ty ty ty..huggzz
Thanks Gail, so glad you and your husband enjoyed it. Huggzz to you too. Have a wonderful Sunday.
Can I freeze part of this dough as i am making only 1 pizza please reply tks
Hi Ninette, yes you can freeze it for up to 3 months (freeze it in a plastic bag). When you are ready to use it, put the frozen dough in its bag in the fridge and let it thaw overnight or for at least 12 hours. Before you make the pizza, place the dough on the countertop and let warm up for about 30 minutes before stretching it out to make your pizza. Hope that helps.
i froze it..i made half a recipe in my bread maker..it turned out perfect!!..huggzz
Heirloom recipes are the best! They always work no matter what. I’m going to try this dough over the weekend, because we are all pizza lovers in the family.
Hi Richa, I agree they are the best, hope you enjoy it. Have a great weekend.
Perfect timing I have a new Pizza Stone/steel thingymewatsit coming for me to trial next week 😀
Hi Brian, great, I want one of those things too! Let me know how it turns out. Have a great week.
Will give you a shout on Sunday, it is being christened tomorrow, it certainly feels the part 😀
Great let me know.
I’m definitely saving this recipe to for next time I make pizza. Looking forward to the next pizza day 🙂
Hi Tina, thanks I hope you enjoy it. Let me know.
Pizza is favorite in home, I will try your recipe next time.
Hi Swathi, a favourite in our home too, let me know how you liked it.
Rose, can you tell me what kind of flour you use? That sure can make all the difference in any recipe. Just stumbled onto you thru Pinterest a few weeks ago. Thanks for all the Italian recipes and the time you take to post. My New Years resolution is to eat Italian whenever possible this year. Might as well eat the best food on earth!
Hi Paula, Thank you for your kind words. Great question you have on flour, I have done some searching and I discovered that in Italy flour is measured by how finely it is milled, whereas in most of the other countries (United States and Canada included) it is measured by its gluten content. That being said for pizza I use flour 0 which would be equivalent to bread flour. I have also heard that some stores do sell flour 0 and 00 now (00 I use for baked goods).I must say there is so much variety with Italian food, everyone is happy. Enjoy and Happy New Year! I forgot to say that flour 00 is equivalent to all purpose.
Thanks for the dough recipe. I am often afraid of making my dough from scratch. This one looks like something I can handle. Thanks. By the way, your recipes sound wonderful. I love Italian food.
Hi Analida, thank you very much, this is a really easy pizza dough, hope you enjoy it!
Stopping by from the Flashback Fridays link up. Friday is always pizza day in our house. We have only bought the premade dough but might have to try this out instead! Thank you for sharing.
Hi, thanks for stopping by if you try it let me know how you liked it. Have a great weekend!
Hi Rose! I’ve always wanted to make my own pizza dough and now I can. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. Pinned it! 😀
Hi Vashti, thank you, I hope you enjoy it, so easy and really delicious. Have a great weekend!
Tried this dough recipe today and it was excellent. Usually I buy my dough from a local Italian grocery on the other side of the city. No more…now I can make a far better pizza …all on my own!
Hi Cathy, thank you, glad you liked it! Have a great weekend.
Rosemary,
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I can always use a new recipe for pizza dough. Thanks for the post.
Annamaria
Hi Annamaria, let me know how you liked it. Thanks for stopping by.