Best Homemade Pizza Dough
This is the Best Homemade Pizza Dough. It is definitely the only Pizza Recipe you will ever need. Make it by hand or in your stand mixer. No need for take out, it will make your pizza night even more special. Any topping goes!
Some of our favorite topped pizzas are an Italian Sausage and Artichoke Cheese Pizza to one of the Italian’s favorites, Grilled Zucchini Pizza. But if you want to try something different why not give this Potato Pizza a try!
Authentic Italian Pizza never tasted so good. Everything you need to know to make this your family’s new favourite Pizza Recipe. In your house what day is pizza day? If you are like us it could mean any day!
Why you will love this pizza dough recipe
- Easy – the recipe can be made the same day or left to rise overnight in the fridge, the longer it is left to rise the more delicious it is. Perfect either way. Make a Fresh Tomato Pizza or a popular Pizza Bianca, and of course you can make your preferred thin or thick pizza crust!
- Versaitile – the dough is perfect for making a traditional pizza, mini pizzas or calzone, some readers have even used it to make bread!
- The Best – I can and so can everyone that has tried it say that it is the best pizza dough they have ever tried!
Ingredients needed
- Water – Always use lukewarm water, make sure the temperature is between 98-105F (36-40C). Never use hot or you will kill the yeast and with cold water the yeast will take forever to rise.
- Yeast – I like to use active dry yeast but you could also use instant yeast, for every teaspoon of active dry yeast substitute with 3/4 teaspoon of instant.
- Sugar -It is considered food for the yeast, which converts it to carbon dioxide and alcohol. It also helps enhance the flavour of the pizza.
- Olive Oil – It helps to tenderize the dough and add a wonderful flavour.
- Flour – I usually use all purpose or bread flour, you will need a flour that has at least 12% protein. Bread flour will produce a chewier crust.
- Salt – Is necessary to add flavour to the dough.
How to make the Best Pizza Dough
This is a very simple recipe that can be made by machine or by hand, scroll down to the bottom of the page for the to find the recipe card.
In the bowl of your stand up mixer (or a large bowl if you knead by hand) add the warm water and sugar, sprinkle the yeast on top, let sit, then stir to combine.
Add the olive oil, flour and salt, with the hook attachment start to combine on low speed, scrape the hook and then raise to medium speed, knead until you have a smooth elastic dough. Or if making by hand, combine the ingredients with a fork and knead by hand.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, roll the dough to cover lightly with the oil, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a large clean kitchen towel, leave in a warm draft free area until doubled in bulk.
Pre-heat oven. Punch the dough down a few times and divide into 1-3 balls, let the dough rest. Place the dough in the desired prepared pizza or baking sheets and shape the dough into the desired shapes. Top with your favourite toppings, bake until crust is golden and cheese has melted.
Variations
With this Pizza Dough Recipe I made two large and one small pizza. Sometimes I will make an all veggie one, with fresh, halved, cherry tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms and onions. Or I will sauté a couple of Italian sausage (casing removed) with sliced mushrooms, peppers and a small onion and place the mixture on a pureed tomato sauce (with just a few spices and a little olive oil). For the third pizza I top with chopped fresh tomatoes and sliced black olives and of course all the pizzas are topped with shredded firm mozzarella.
In Italy it is so easy to get a good pizza dough. Sometimes 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 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 from then on.
Needless to say this pizza dough was one of those recipes that was passed down for I can’t tell you how many years. And trust me it is the best Pizza Dough. You can make it thin crust or thick crust whatever suits you, then you can top it with whatever fresh ingredients you want.
Recipe Tip
Be sure to let the dough rest before forming it in the pan, resting will keep it from springing back. And use your hand to gently stretch the dough to fit the dough in the pan and not a rolling pin, using your hands preserves the gas bubbles formed during fermentation and keeps the dough from deflating.
Since there are very few ingredients in Pizza Dough it is important that all the ingredients are good quality and active.
More Pizza Dough Recipes you can try
- No Yeast Pizza Dough – out of yeast? But still want pizza!
- Beer Pizza Dough – adding some beer gives it an extra taste boost
- Lievito Madre Pizza Dough – the Italian sourdough starter way
- No Knead Pizza Dough – no kneading or machine necessary
So however you like your pizza, thick crust, thin crust, double cheese, vegetarian or with pepperoni, I hope you make it with this Pizza dough recipe! Buon appetito.
Best Homemade Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 1 pinch sugar
- 1½ tablespoons active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5¼ cups all purpose flour or bread flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of your stand up mixer (or a large bowl if you knead by hand) add the warm water and sugar, sprinkle the yeast on top, let sit for 5-10 minutes, then stir to combine. Continue with Machine or Hand.
MIXING BY MACHINE
- Add the olive oil, flour and salt, with the hook attachment start to combine on low speed #1, scrape the hook and then raise to medium speed #2 and knead for approximately 5-7 minutes or until you have a smooth elastic dough (scrape the hook halfway through kneading).
MIXING BY HAND
- Add the olive oil, flour and salt, then with a fork mix until the 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).
NEXT STEPS
- Place in a lightly oiled bowl, roll the dough to cover lightly with the oil, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a large clean kitchen towel, leave in a warm draft free area until doubled in bulk, approximately 2 hours.**
- Pre heat oven to 450° (250° celsius). Punch dough down a few times and divide into 1-3 balls, let dough rest for 20 minutes.
- Place the dough in the desired pizza or cookie sheets (lightly oiled) and shape the dough into the desired shapes (using your clean hands).
- Top with your favourite toppings, bake for approximately 15-20 minutes until crust is golden and cheese has melted. Enjoy!
- **At this point, dough can also be refrigerated, place in plastic bag, remove air and tie securely up to 24 hours.
EASY PIZZA SAUCE
- In a medium bowl add a can of diced or pureed tomatoes, add 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon basil, a sprinkle of salt, tablespoon or two of olive oil and stir to combine. Top pizza dough.
FRESH TOMATO SAUCE
- Chop fresh tomatoes (15-20 grape or cherry or 3-4 roma tomatoes)if you use roma tomatoes then remove the seeds, toss with 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon basil (or even 5-6 fresh basil leaves chopped) 1-2 pinches salt and a tablespoon or 2 of olive oil.
STIRRED FRIED VEGGIES & ITALIAN SAUSAGE
- In a medium frying pan add Italian sausage (casing removed and chopped) and fry until starting to brown, add thinly sliced, onion, pepper and mushrooms and a drizzle of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, basil, salt and pepper to taste, cook on medium for approximately 10 minutes. Use as topping for pizza (on the sauce and then bake).
Notes
Substitute instant dry yeast for active dry yeast
If using instant yeast instead of active dry use 3 teaspoons of instant yeast. In the bowl of the mixer add the flour, yeast and sugar and combine, then add the water and oil, start to mix with the dough hook and add the salt, continue to knead for about 8-10 and continue with the recipe. When using active dry yeast your dough may rise a little quicker so keep your eye on it.How To Flavor The Dough
If you like to give your dough a bit of extra flavour then you can certainly add a couple of dashes of garlic or onion powder, or even oregano, thyme, Italian seasoning or basil or if the Italian had is way a couple of good pinches of hot pepper flakes. Whisk them into the flour before adding to the yeast mixture.How Do You Know When The Pizza Dough Has Risen Enough?
With your knuckles or a couple of fingers make an indentation in the dough, If the indentation disappears, the dough needs more time to rise. If the dent remains, the bread is ready to bake.What Weight Should The Pizza Dough Weigh?
If you are looking for a pizza such as pizza Napoletana then I would go with 250-255 gram (9 ounces) dough ball if you want a thicker crust then 280-285 grams (10 ounces) would be the weight, this if for a pizza approximately 28-32 cm (12 inches).Can the dough be made in advance?
The dough can rise in the fridge, overnight works perfectly. Prepare the dough, place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise overnight in the refrigerator, leaving the dough to rise in the fridge from 12-24 hours is considered the best amount of time. Although the dough can remain in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. If the dough smells sour it has probably gone bad and should be discarded. Remove the dough from the fridge and bring it to room temperature, about 30-60 minutes, punch it down, then divide it into 2 or 3 parts, again let it rest for about 20 minutes, form into your preferred shape and top as desired.How to freeze the dough
Let the dough rise before freezing, then divide the dough into your desired pizza portions, place in airtight freezer bags and freeze. Dough will last up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw the frozen dough overnight (8 hours) in the refrigerator. When ready to use, remove it from the fridge and bring it to room temperature, approximately 30-60 minutes on the counter will do. Continue with the recipe from step 4. Or remove the frozen dough from the bag or container, then place it in a bowl with enough room to allow it to expand, cover it with plastic wrap. Let it sit for a couple of hours, giving it time to thaw and rise. Then it is ready to use.How to store the pizza
Any leftover pizza, as long as it hasn’t been left out for more than two hours, should be placed in an airtight container or wrapped well in plastic wrap or foil and placed in the refrigerator, it will last up to four days in the fridge. Cold pizza for breakfast anyone?!Nutrition
Republished from January 6, 2016.
This recipe is amazing it always turns out the most delicious crust and I very much enjoy making it! I have literally only been using this recipe for 4 months and i make it like once every month. My only annoyance it’s kinda sticky so i tend to counterbalance that with more flour. Trust me though this pizza dough is really great.
Hi Maria, thanks so much, the difference in flour can also make it a bit stickier (depending where you are and what flour it is), so yes adding a bit more flour is fine. Have a wonderful Sunday.
Delicious recipe, and so easy! I’ve used it for regular pizza, flatbreads, and something called a morroccan hand pie. Worked wonderfully!
When freezing it, you let the dough rise and then punch it down and portion it into balls? or do you freeze it before you punch it down.
Hi Kirsten, thanks so much, so glad you like. And yes let it rise then punch it down, divide it then freeze it in freezer safe bags or container. To thaw the dough, remove the frozen dough from the freezer, remove from the bag or container, then place it in a bowl with enough room to allow for it to expand, and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it sit for a couple of hours, giving it time to thaw and rise. Then it is ready to use. Hope that helps. Have a great Sunday.
This was really good and I loved that I could make 3 pizzas out of this recipe. I do think the crust could use some more flavor. Maybe I will seasons to the dough to add more flavor.
Hi Elizabeth, thanks glad you enjoyed it.
Hello, I wondering for the dough is there no measurements? because I can’t seem to find it anywhere. Do you just eyeball it?
thank you,
Sara
Hi Sara, the full recipe instructions and measurements are at the bottom of the post. There’s also a jump to recipe button at the top of the post. Hope that helps.
I have tried a lot of dough recipes. This is one of my top two
Hi Dayna, thanks so much so glad you like it. Have a great weekend.
Made this recipe many times its the lightest best tasting pizza base I’ve made
Thanks Luke, so glad you enjoyed it. Have a great week.
Is it ok to cut the dough recipe in half? It’s way too much for 2 people
Hi Laurie, yes you can half it if you wish.
Too much pizza dough? No such thing!
I tried your piazza and it turned out superrrr delicious. Wanted to know if I could make the dough using only whole wheat flour. What should the hydration ratio be if using whole wheat flour. Looking forward to hearing from you soon. Thanks
Hi Sangita, to add whole wheat I would substitute 30% of all purpose flour for whole wheat. So 195 grams (1 1/2 cups) whole wheat flour and remaining all purpose or bread flour. Hope that helps.
If I want to make the dough ahead of time but then roll it and create the pizza before dinner, should I put the dough in the refrigerator? Will the texture change if it is refrigerated for a few hours then brought out to roll? Should I let the dough sit out after refrigeration? If so, how long? Is it ok to leave the dough out longer than 2 hours on the counter?
Thanks for any help.
Hi Amy, instead of letting the dough rise on the counter you could let it rise overnight in the fridge, then bring it out to room temperature for an hour or so and then form it into the desired shape, top it and bake it. You can let it out for up to 2 hours as long as your house isn’t too warm. Let me know how it goes.
Since discovering this a few months ago, Mondays are now pizza day in our house. Works out great every time. I even deliver some frozen dough balls to my friend weekly, as she doesn’t have a mixer. Simple recipe but great results! Fab. Great to see so little oil as well, making this quite healthy compared to others I’ve seen!
Thanks so much Gillian, glad you like it. Have a great week.
Can I freeze the dough and if yes for how long?
Thanks
Hi Ana, in the recipe post in the FAQs I explain how to freeze it and for how long. Thanks have a great week.
1.5 tablespoons yeast sounds a bit excessive. Is this correct ?
Hi Sarah, yes it is correct. 🙂
This was the most delicious and easy pizza dough to manage and handle. I will continue to use this dough as my only go to for pizza and calzones! Looking forward to making a few to stash away in the freezer to grab and use for an evening meal.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi SusanBeth, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Have a great week.
This is the best pizza dough recipe ever! It has become a Friday tradition for my family to have pizza and a movie night. My kids and I have so much fun making it! Thanks for such an amazing recipe!
Hi Lindsey, thanks so much, yes Friday was our pizza night also. So glad the kids enjoyed making it. Take care.
I love pizza and having the Best Pizza Dough recipe has brough my pizza’s up to a new level. I will only use this recipe and have passed it on to my family. Thank you.
Hi Loraine, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed the pizza. Have a great weekend.