Easy Homemade Pizza Dough | Forget takeout, forget delivery, I'm going to show you how to make homemade pizza dough from scratch with simple pantry ingredients. Homemade pizza dough is delicious and opens up so many possibilities for your next pizza night!
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Homemade pizza dough is super easy to make and requires simple ingredients. You can make your pizza dough in a stand mixer like a Kitchen Aid Mixer, or you can make it by hand. Making it by hand requires kneading the dough on the counter for 5-10 minutes to make the dough turns nice and smooth on the exterior.
Add my easy 5-minute no cook pizza sauce and think up some fun toppings! Need some pizza topping ideas? Try my Thai Chicken Pizza or my Potato Pizza.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact amounts.
- flour: I just use all-purpose flour for my pizza dough, you don't need anything special.
- sugar: helps feed the yeast to get a bubblier dough.
- salt: brings out flavor
- olive oil: adding oil to your pizza dough helps with the hydration of the dough and stretchability, as well as adding flavor.
- yeast: you can use either Active Dry Yeast or Instant Yeast when making pizza dough. See below.
Active Dry Yeast vs. Instant Yeast
Active dry yeast is a yeast that needs to be activated or proofed in warm water (between 120˚F and 130˚F) before using in a recipe. Instant Yeast can be mixed in with the flour without proofing it.
You can substitute active dry yeast for instant yeast in a recipe, or vice versa without changing the recipe. The recipe, like this pizza dough or bread dough, using active dry yeast may need a slightly longer rise time. The measured amounts remain the same.
What is the best yeast for pizza?
You can use either active dry yeast or instant yeast for pizza dough. There is very little difference.
Substitutions
How to Make Homemade Pizza Dough
Prep Tips
I use my Kitchen-Aid mixer to make my pizza dough but you can make pizza dough by hand as well. The step-by-step photos are for the method using Instant Yeast which doesn't need to be proofed in warm water like Active Dry Yeast.
To use Active Dry yeast, add the sugar, oil, and yeast to warm water (between 120˚F and 130˚F) and let sit for 10 minutes until foamy. The salt will kill the yeast so don't add it to the water. Add the foamy yeast to the salt and flour and continue from step three below, the mixing and kneading.
Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt together. It's ok if the salt and yeast go together here, we're mixing it all right away.
Add the oil and mix it throughout the flour using a fork. Use your hands to break up any large bits.
Add the water.
Start the mixer on medium-low, using the dough hook.
As it begins to mix, you may need to stop and give it a small stir to help the water incorporate.
After about two minutes the ingredients will be combined but the dough will be soft and wet. Keep mixing.
The dough will start to gather together around the dough hook and pull away from the sides. If after 5 minutes the dough still looks like this, add flour a tablespoon at a time.
The dough should fully pull away from the edges of the bowl and form a smooth ball. It should still be soft.
Oil the dough and place it in a bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and a towel and let it sit in a warm place to rise.
After 45 minutes to an hour, the dough should double in size. If it doesn't, try a warmer area.
This is a same-day pizza dough recipe. Once the dough has risen it's ready to use in your pizza recipe.
This dough makes 2 thick crusts, 3 thin crusts, or about 4-5 individual pizzas in a cast iron pan.
Top your dough with your favorite sauce, like my easy no-cook pizza sauce, some toppings, and a bunch of cheese. Bake at 450°F for 15 minutes or so.
RECIPE TIP: Bake on a pizza stone for a super crispy crust. If using a baking sheet instead, cover it with some cornmeal before adding the dough. Cornmeal adds flavor, helps the crust crisp, and prevents it from sticking to the pan.
What to make with homemade pizza dough
This pizza dough is perfect for whatever pizza toppings you come up with. For some topping ideas, you could try my Thai Chicken Pizza with a Peanut Sauce, or my Potato Pizza with crispy chickpeas and balsamic glaze. You could go for Mediterranean Inspired Pizza toppings, or try Fig + Goat Cheese or Mexican Street Corn on this homemade pizza dough. Browse my Pizza Category for more pizza ideas.
Tips for making pizza dough
Equipment
I use my Kitchen-Aid stand mixer for my dough but you can also make this dough by hand. You may need to knead the dough on the counter for double the time (about 10 minutes) to get a smooth ball of dough.
Storage
You can keep this dough in the fridge to do a slow cold ferment for up to 4 days. Make sure to punch the dough down daily, not let it rise out of its container, and cover it tightly so it doesn't form a dry, inedible crust.
To freeze the dough, portion it per pizza - 2 thick crusts or 3 thin crusts. Defrost only the dough you need for your recipe. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then allow it to sit and rise for about 2 hours at room temperature before using.
FAQs
Yes, I use regular all-purpose flour in my pizza dough recipe.
Yes, this pizza dough recipe can sit in the fridge for up to 4 days. (That's the longest I've kept it in the fridge).
Yes, you can freeze homemade pizza dough. Make the dough, let it rise, then punch it down and portion it. Wrap it tightly and freeze it for up to 3 months.
Recipe
Homemade Pizza Dough
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast (or active dry yeast in the same amount)
- ½ teaspoon granulated white sugar
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
For Instant Yeast
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast.
- Add the oil and mix with a fork.
- Add the water. Mix on medium-low, using a dough hook, for about 5 minutes or until it pulls away from the side of the bowl and is smooth and soft.
For Active Dry Yeast
- Mix together the warm water, sugar, yeast, and oil. Let sit until foamy, approximately 10 minutes.
- Add flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk together with a fork.
- Add the yeast mixture. Mix on medium-low, using a dough hook, for about 5 minutes or until it pulls away from the side of the bowl and is smooth and soft.
- Use immediately, refrigerate, or freeze.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.
This post was originally posted on April 3, 2019.
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