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.
Such a soft and fluffy dough – and so so easy to work with! This is my new go to pizza dough recipe 🙂
Hi Sylvie, thanks so much so glad you like it. Take care.
Can this be made in a Bread Maker?
Hi Ralph, you could try, I have never used a bread machine, so I really can’t say. 🙂
Hi Rosemary, I prepared the dough last night, put it in the fridge and baked it today.It is a perfect pizza recipe I ever used, so tasty . Also your explanations for the details are perfect, very helpfull. I’ve used some of your other recipes and results were really delicious as well. Thank you Rosemary.
Hi Jale, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed the pizza and the other recipes. Take care.
i notice recipe3 says 1 1/2 tbl yeast but if yiou use instant yeast its 3 teas what is the reason for that
Hi Judith, you need less instant yeast because the dough rises faster with instant. 🙂
Hi Rosemary,
What is the weight of the finished doughs, and what size pizza’s will they yield? I’m looking for a 17″ pizza, which is the biggest I can fit on my stone. Thanks!
Hi Roger, I have never weighed the dough, although I just made 3 pizzas using 3 15 inch cookie sheets. They were quite thin so you could probably make 2 17 inch thicker crust pizzas. Hope the helps.
I’ve been using this recipe for a year and it hasn’t let me down once. It works great whether I use all purpose or bread flour, and instant or active yeast. It freezes well, so I try to always have it on hand now. It’s also incredibly versatile, and I used it to make savory curry and sweet orange rollups, too. Thanks for this delightful and dependable recipe!
Hi Stefanie, thanks so much, I am so glad it works for so many other things. Have a great week.
Hi there, would this recipe be suitable to use in a wood fired oven? I’m guessing the temperature would be somewhere between 350-450 degrees
Hi Ashlyn, yes you can use a wood fired oven, although I don’t really know the temperature, you could try it at that and see how it goes. Let me know.
Awesome recipe. Really smells beautiful as well. The only concern i had was that the grams of flour i used needed more after the liquid went in. I probably added about another 3/4 cup of flour to get it to dough stage. Otherwise it remained very wet.
Hi Sachin, thanks glad you like it, the type of flour could have something to do with having the extra moisture. 🙂
What is the portion size for your nutrition info? That is a lot of sodium. Do you need to use all that salt?
Hi Lois, the nutritional values are not always accurate, it is generated through the recipe card.
Hi, I am making this for the first time right. I used instant yeast and my Kitchenaid stand mixer. Do I still need to proof the dough twice since I’m using instant yeast? I know some recipes call for only one rising. I can’t wait to taste this when done. Will comment again then. Thank you.
Hi Marilynn, yes even using instant yeast you should proof the dough twice. I hope you enjoyed it.
Hi RoseMarie
i am new to your site , and so glad you are helping us to be better cooks , my Husband is Italian and i LOVE Italian food , always dissapointed in recipes on the internet UNTILL NOW , you made my day, and THANK YOU so much for showing us the real way to cook Italian , your way is simple and delicious , this pizza dough is now a keeper for me it’s fantastic , and i can’t wait to try the other recipes ty again for explaining the way you do , and the Crepe Cannelloni are just the way my Mother Inlaw made them ,gosh so glad i found your site happy to be on board .
Hi Kryshia, thanks so much, so glad you like the pizza dough and so glad you found me also. Have a great weekend. 🙂
This recipe is very good .
I like the sliding scale for quantities.
However you need to measure in cups as the conversion to grams doesn’t work.
I tried to make half the recipe and ended up in a mess as the weight of flour didn’t change 🙃
Hi Pete, thanks glad you like it. I don’t know why the gram conversion doesn’t work for you. The gram amount is correct. Have a great weekend.
This is a wonderful crust with the perfect texture and chewiness. Beautiful thin crust pizza. We always use this recipe now and haven’t ordered out for months. Thanks so much.
Hi Cynthia, thanks so much, so glad you enjoy it. Have a great weekend.
I’m so excited to try this! I’m a little confused on making this dough ahead of time. If I make it the day before, should I put it in a plastic bag without any air or in an oiled bowl with plastic wrap?
Hi Katie, I store my dough in a lightly oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap. Have a great week.
Might be a silly question but if I were to use a holed pizza pan, would the dough melt through the holes? I’ve used other pizza dough recipes and they just fell through the holes and left me disappointed.
Hi Marie, interesting, I have never used a pizza pan like that. I have no idea if it would go through the holes, I think it would also depend on how heavy and how much your topping is. This is a sturdy dough so I don’t think it would go through but I can’t say 100%. Let me know if you use it and how it goes. Have a great weekend.