The Best Pizza Dough Recipe

This pizza dough recipe is the one I come back to every single time pizza night rolls around. There is nothing quite like fresh oven-baked homemade pizza, and this dough is easy and delicious, requires little to no special equipment, and can become a family affair in minutes. Let the kids build their own pizzas. They are going to have so much fun with it.

Homemade pizza dough, looks very tasty (Pin it to save it for later)

My favorite thing about making homemade pizza is that I get to choose exactly how it turns out. Thin or thick, cheesy or extra cheesy, loaded with toppings or completely plain, golden and crisp or lightly baked. You get to be the creative director of your own pizza. But like all good things, it starts with a good base, and this dough is the very best place to start.

Why You’ll Love This Pizza Dough Recipe

• Simple pantry ingredients. You only need flour, yeast, sugar, salt, olive oil and water, nothing exotic required.
• One easy rise. The dough needs just one rise, so you are not waiting around all afternoon for pizza.
• Fully customizable. Shape it thin or thick, fold the edges for a thicker crust, and top it however you like.
• Great for the whole family. Kids love shaping their own dough and choosing their own toppings, which makes it a fun activity as well as dinner.
• No fancy equipment needed. A bowl, a spoon or a stand mixer, and a pizza pan are really all you need to get started.

Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe (Looks yummy)

What Is the Best Flour for a Pizza Dough Recipe?

Some pizza makers swear that bread flour is best because its higher protein content builds more gluten, which gives the crust a chewier, crispier bite. This recipe was built and tested with all-purpose flour, which produces a softer, more tender crust and is what most people already have in the pantry. If you want to try bread flour instead, you can swap it in using the same amount listed in the ingredients, since the recipe card lists both as options.

Ingredient Notes

• All-purpose or bread flour. All-purpose flour gives a soft, tender crust, while bread flour gives a chewier, slightly crispier one. Either works in this recipe.
• Instant yeast. Instant yeast gets mixed right into the dry ingredients with no need to bloom it first. If you only have active dry yeast, you can use the same amount, just bloom it in the warm water with the sugar first like the recipe already does.
• Sugar. A small amount of sugar feeds the yeast and helps it activate, and it also adds a touch of flavor to the crust.
• Salt. Salt controls the yeast and adds flavor to the dough. Do not skip it, even though it is a small amount.
• Garlic powder and dried basil. These are optional, but they flavor the dough itself rather than just the toppings. Leave them out if you prefer a plain crust.
• Olive oil. Olive oil goes into the dough for softness and flavor, plus extra for greasing the bowl and brushing the crust before baking.
• Warm water. Warm water activates the yeast. Keep it lukewarm rather than hot, since water that is too hot can kill the yeast before it has a chance to work.

How To Make Pizza Dough Recipe

STEP 1 – First, prepare the yeast. In a small bowl, add ¼ cup of the warm water, making sure it is lukewarm and not too hot. Add the yeast and sugar and stir. Leave it in a warm place for 10 to 15 minutes, or until bubbly, to activate the yeast.

STEP 2 – Next, in a large bowl or stand mixer, add 1 cup flour, salt, garlic powder and dried basil, and mix.

STEP 3 – Then add the olive oil, the leftover warm water (½ cup), and the yeast mixture to the bowl or mixer. Mix with a wooden spoon, or with the hook attachment if you are using a stand mixer, until well combined.

STEP 4 – After that, slowly start adding the remaining flour (1⅓ cups) until the mixture scrapes off the bowl.

STEP 5 – Next, transfer the dough to a clean surface dusted with flour and knead for 5 minutes. Form a dough ball.

STEP 6 – Then transfer the dough ball to the greased bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Let it rise until it has doubled in size. If you live in a cooler climate, turn the oven on for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn it off and let the dough rise inside the oven. The leftover warmth helps the dough proof quicker.

STEP 7 – Once the dough has doubled in size, gently deflate it and knead 3 to 5 times to form a smooth ball. Transfer it to a lightly floured surface and shape it with a rolling pin or with your hands into a 12-inch circle.

STEP 8 – After that, transfer the dough to a pizza pan. You can line the pan with parchment paper for easier cleanup. Pinch or fold the borders to form a pizza crust.

STEP 9 – Next, lightly grease the surface of the pizza with olive oil and poke holes with a fork in the center to avoid any bubbling during baking.

STEP 10 – Then add any toppings you would like to use, such as tomato sauce, cheese or pepperoni.

STEP 11 – Finally, bake in a preheated oven until crisp and golden, about 13 to 15 minutes. Slice and serve.

Tips for the Best Pizza Dough Recipe

• Keep the water lukewarm. Water that feels comfortably warm to the touch, not hot, will activate the yeast without killing it. If your yeast mixture does not look bubbly after 10 to 15 minutes, start over with a fresh batch.
• Preheat the oven fully. Give your oven enough time to reach temperature before the pizza goes in, since an oven that is not fully preheated can leave the crust pale or undercooked.
• Do not skip the fork holes. Poking holes in the center of the dough before baking lets steam escape and keeps the crust from bubbling up unevenly.
• Fold the edges for a thicker crust. Folding the border over on itself gives you a puffier, thicker crust, while leaving it flat and just pinching the edge keeps things thinner.
• Use a pizza pan or stone. A pizza pan works well for this recipe, and a pizza cutter makes slicing much easier once it comes out of the oven.

Poke holes with a fork like this

Make It Ahead

You can make this dough ahead of time if you want to get a head start on pizza night. Let the dough rise as directed, then gently deflate it, wrap it tightly so it does not dry out, and refrigerate it until you are ready to shape and bake. Let it sit at room temperature for a bit before shaping it, since cold dough is harder to stretch.

Storing Pizza Dough Recipe

• Refrigerate for a few days. Wrap the risen dough tightly and keep it in the refrigerator if you plan to use it within a few days.
• Freeze for longer storage. Unbaked yeast dough can be frozen for up to a month (source: blogs.extension.iastate.edu). Wrap it tightly to prevent freezer burn and thaw it in the refrigerator before shaping (source: blogs.extension.iastate.edu).
• Bring to room temperature before shaping. Cold dough is stiff and hard to stretch, so give refrigerated or thawed dough some time on the counter before rolling it out.

Added Tomato sauce and cheese

Variations and Substitutions

• Thin or thick crust. Stretch the dough thinner for a crisp, thin crust, or leave it thicker and fold the edges for a puffier crust.
• Swap in bread flour. Use bread flour in place of all-purpose flour, in the same amount, if you want a chewier bite.
• Add extra seasoning. Stir in more garlic powder, dried basil, or other dried herbs into the dry ingredients for extra flavor in the crust itself.
• Turn it into stuffed rolls. This same dough works well for other pizza-based recipes, like this Homemade Pizza Roll With Sausage and Cheese, if you want to use it a different way.

Final result of this amazing easy dough pizza (Bon apétit)

What to Serve with Pizza Dough Recipe

Once your crust comes out of the oven golden and crisp, top it with tomato sauce, cheese, pepperoni, or whatever combination you love, and slice it up while it is hot. If you want to put this dough to work in other ways, try it in a Chicken Alfredo Pizza Fritta (Copycat) for a fun twist, or use it as the base for a Apple Crisp Pizza when you are in the mood for something a little different.

The best Pizza Dough Ever (share it in facebook and Pinterest)

Pizza Dough Recipe FAQ

Eightyrecipes

The Best Pizza Dough Recipe

by Bity · eightyrecipes.com

How to make the BEST Pizza Dough Recipe? There’s nothing quite like fresh oven-baked homemade pizza. This is the absolute best pizza dough recipe.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 1

Calories 113 kcal

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• 2-2 ⅓ cups 250-295g all-purpose flour OR bread flour
• 1 packet 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ⅛-¼ teaspoon garlic powder and/or dried basil leaves optional
• 2 tablespoons olive oil + additional
• ¾ cup 175ml warm water

Instructions

• STEP 1: Prepare the yeast. In a small bowl add ¼ cup of the warm water (make sure is lukewarm and not too hot!). Add yeast and sugar and stir. Leave in a warm place for 10-15 minutes or until bubbly to activate the yeast.
• STEP 2: In a large bowl or standing mixer, add 1 cup flour, salt, garlic powder, and dried basil. Mix.
• STEP 3: Add the olive oil, the leftover warm water (1/2 cup), and yeast mixture to the bowl or mixer. Mix with a wooden spoon or with the hook attachment if you’re using a standing mixer, until well combined.
• STEP 4: Slowly start adding the remaining flour (1 1/3 cup) until the mixture scrapes off the bowl.
• STEP 5: Transfer the dough to a clean surface dusted with flour and knead for 5 minutes. Form a dough ball.
• STEP 6: Transfer the dough ball to the greased bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Let rise until it has doubled in size. Tip: If you live in a cooler climate, turn the oven on for 2-3 minutes, then turn off and let the dough rise inside the oven. The leftover warmth in the oven will help the dough proof quicker.
• STEP 7: Once the dough has doubled in size, gently deflate and knead 3-5 times to form a smooth ball. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and shape with a rolling pin or with your hands into a 12” circle.
• STEP 8: Transfer to a pizza pan. You can choose to line the pizza pan with parchment paper for easier cleanup. Pinch or fold the borders to form a pizza crust.
• STEP 9: Lightly grease the surface of the pizza with olive oil and poke holes with a fork in the center to avoid any bubbling during baking.
• STEP 10: Add any toppings you would like to use (tomato sauce, cheese, pepperoni, etc.).
• STEP 11: Bake in a preheated oven until crisp and golden (13-15 minutes). Slice and serve.

Notes

Nutrition information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered as an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary depending on the brands used, measurement methods, cooking method, serving size, etc.

Nutrition

Calories 113 kcal

Fat 3 g

Saturated Fat 1 g

Protein 3 g

Carbohydrates 19 g

Sugar 1 g

Sodium 146 mg

Nutrition is an estimate, calculated automatically.

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