Pizza Dough Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Want to know how to make the best pizza dough ever? The kind that's chewy and crispy with beautiful scorched bubbles on the crust. Would you also like it if that pizza dough was super easy to make (no kneading required!) and made to bake in your home oven? You're in the right place because this best pizza dough recipe is all those things and more.
Just to entice you further, your final dish could be this spicy chorizo pizza with caramelized onions or this sweet and tangy southwest pizza!
There are three options for pizza: you order in, pick up pre-made pizza dough from the store and top it yourself at home, OR you make the pizza dough from scratch because it's easy, inexpensive, and downright delicious! We're talkin' love you can taste in every bite kind of delicious!
You gotta go with option three!
Pizza made on homemade pizza dough is one of those simple pleasures in life that is very hard to capture in words. Either you've had pizza dough made from scratch before and are looking to now bring this delight to your own kitchen, or you've only had store-bought or take-out and are curious to see if the grass really is greener. Well, it is. It just is.
This pizza dough recipe uses just 4 ingredients, makes 4 pizzas, and is rated 4.99/5 (gold) stars. And it's a no-knead pizza dough recipe so you can put your rolling pin away! And what you end up with is just the right amount of chewy and crispy with beautiful scorched bubbles on the crust. It's heaven!
Ingredients to make your own pizza dough
The most beautiful thing ā wait ā one of the most beautiful things ā because there's lots to love here ā about this pizza dough recipe is its simplicity. There are just 4 ingredients needed to make perfect, chewy pizza dough:
- All-purpose flour
- Fine sea salt
- Active dry yeast
- Warm water
And that's it!
Do I need a pizza stone to make homemade pizza?
For this pizza dough recipe, the cooking instructions are written as if you have a pizza stone to work with. The reason for this is that a pizza stone will heat evenly and make sure you have a perfectly crisp pizza. If you don't have a pizza stone, you can make this pizza dough recipe using a baking sheet. You will simply shape the dough in advance of placing it on the cooking sheet.
Easy pizza dough recipe and how to make it at home
This pizza dough recipe is a fan favorite, one recipe tester even said āThis was better than you can get at a pizzeriaā! So if you're ready to make simple, delicious, and impressive pizza dough at home ā here's how you can make your own pizza dough in 5 easy steps!
- Combine the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and yeast.
- Add the wet stuff: Add the warm water and mix it until it becomes a rough dough. Then use your hands to bring the dough together to form a rough ball.
- Let it rise: Transfer the ball to a large, clean bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Set the bowl aside in a warm (room temperature) draft-free location for at least 18 hours, or until the dough has more than doubled in size.
- Make 4 āpackagesā of dough: Flour your work surface before you transfer the dough and then cut the dough into 4 pieces. Take a corner of the dough and pull it towards the center of the dough. Repeat with the remaining 3 corners until you have a little package. If the āpackage' is a little sticky, dust it with flour. Make 4 little āpackagesā of dough in total. *** See pictures in the recipe card below for a visual.
- Let the āpackagesā of dough rise: Cover with a clean, damp tea towel and set aside for 1 hour.
At this point, you can continue shaping the dough to make pizza(s) or you can wrap/ put them in an airtight container (not touching) to save for later. You can store the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you are going to use your pizza dough immediately, make sure you refer to the section below on ātips for the perfect pizza doughā for how to stretch and shape your pie. The recipe card below includes instructions for how to cook your pizza using a pizza stone.
Watch us make our pizza dough recipe!
Tips for the perfect pizza dough
Before you get started, consider these tips for this chewy pizza dough recipe ā trust that they'll make a big difference to your final product!
- Put your rolling pin away! Seriously. Using a rolling pin will remove all the little air bubbles leaving you with dense pizza crust.
- Turn your oven to the highest temperature for a full hour before baking the pizza. You want it HOT!
- On a lightly floured surface, stretch the dough, starting at the edges and moving in a circle around the dough (or a rectangle if you want to make flatbread)
- Resist the temptation to flatten the pizza dough (see tip #1)
- Make a fist with one hand and drape the pizza dough over your fist. Make a fist with your other hand and slowly rotate with pizza dough around in a circle using your two fists. The pizza dough will look a little like a blanket covering your two hands.
- Once the dough is about 10-12 inches, drop it onto a lightly floured pizza peel or baking sheet.
- Don't worry if it is oddly shaped, it will have more character this way!
Favorite pizza toppings
You can't really go wrong when it comes to choosing pizza toppings. The best way to choose your toppings is to go with what you love or what your family loves. But remember, don't overload each pizza; You want the toppings and the crust to sing. Here are some ideas for inspiration!
- Sauce: When it comes to pizza sauce you can try this homemade pizza sauce recipe or this sweet and spicy pizza sauce. Another nice option for pizza is this easy pesto recipe. A basic marinara sauce or tomato sauce also works well.Ā
- Garlic and onions: Yum! Adding fresh garlic to your pizza base gives a warmth and onions really make the entire pizza shine. You can add caramelized onions or raw onions.
- Meat: Unless you have a serious meat lover in your house, adding one type of meat per pizza is a good idea (this goes back to letting all the toppings sing). Bacon, sausage, and other cured or cooked meats like prosciutto or chicken are tasty options.
- Veggies: When it comes to veg, go with what you like most. Sliced green or red bell peppers, mushrooms, artichokes, fresh arugula ā you name it and it can live on a pizza!
- Fruit: This may be controversial in your house, but sometimes adding fruit to a pizza can be a sweet addition. Pineapple, pear, or figs can all find a mouth that adores them, yes, even on a pizza.
- Cheese: Cheese, glorious cheese! Fresh mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, feta cheese ā it's all delicious!
Recipe FAQs
What type of flour is best for this homemade pizza dough recipe?
This pizza dough recipe uses all-purpose flour. It really does the trick. You can use other flour like whole wheat, pizza flour, bread flour, or almond flour (for gluten-free pizza dough), however, they all behave differently. It's recommended to use all-purpose flour for this pizza dough recipe.
What temperature is best to let pizza dough rise?
Room temperature is recommended for this pizza dough recipe.
Why is my pizza dough tearing?
Make sure you let the dough rest for ample time before trying to work with it. You need the gluten to develop, otherwise, your dough can tear easily.
Do I need active dry yeast to make pizza dough?
For this pizza dough recipe, active dry yeast is recommended. You can, however, use instant yeast, or if you have a sourdough starter that can work, too. Active dry yeast is best for beginners as it's convenient and widely available.
Can I make homemade pizza dough in advance?
Yes! You can make homemade pizza dough in advance. It will last in the fridge, if wrapped or stored in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze homemade pizza dough?
You can! Wrap the pizza dough in parchment or wax paper or place it in a fitted container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Pizza Dough Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Ā¾ cups all-purpose flour (plus more for shaping dough)
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- Ā¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 Ā½ cups warm water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and yeast.3 Ā¾ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons fine sea salt, Ā¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- Add 3 cups of warm water and mix it with a wooden spoon until it becomes a rough dough. Then use your hands to gently bring the dough together to form a rough ball. Note: you may need to knead it a couple of times to get it to create a ball.1 Ā½ cups warm water
- Transfer the ball to a large, clean bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Set the bowl aside in a warm (room temperature) draft-free location for at least 18 hours, or until the dough has more than doubled in size.
- Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Take a corner of the dough and pull it towards the center of the dough. Repeat with the remaining 3 corners until you have a little package. If the 'package' is a little sticky, dust it with flour.
- Place the 'package' seam-side down on a lightly floured surface. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Cover with a clean, damp tea towel and set aside for 1 hour.
To make pizza
- Place a pizza stone (or a baking sheet turned upside down on a rack in the top ā of your oven. Turn your oven on as high as it will go. Make sure it comes to temperature before baking the pizzas. Generously flour your work surface, hands, and 1 ball of pizza dough. Press the pizza dough down in the center then gently push and pull the edges into a 10-inch circle. Try not to squeeze out the air bubbles; they're the best part.
- Transfer the pizza dough to a well-floured pizza peel then top the pizza lightly with sauce and toppings. Slide the pizza from the peel onto the hot pizza stone and bake until the bottom is crisp and the top is blistered ā about 5-6 minutes if using a pizza stone or 10-12 minutes using a baking sheet. Allow your oven to re-heat for 5 minutes between pizzas.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our pizza recipes!
