Homemade Pizza Dough
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Why settle for store-bought when you can make your own pizza dough in just 20 minutes? This foolproof pizza dough recipe delivers a crispy, chewy crust every time—plus, it’s freezer-friendly for whenever the craving strikes!
If you’re looking for the perfect crust for homemade pizza, making your own dough is the way to go. With just five simple ingredients, you can whip up a batch in just 20 minutes. The key is to plan ahead—you’ll need to allow at at least 90 minutes for the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free spot before using it.
This recipe makes two pounds of dough, enough for two large pizzas, four individual ones, two stromboli, or four calzones. You can prepare it up to two days ahead, and it freezes beautifully for future meals!
“I’ve made many pizza doughs and this is by far the easiest yet tastiest dough ever!”
What you’ll need to make Homemade pizza dough
- All-Purpose Flour: Forms the base of the dough.
- Extra-virgin Olive Oil: Adds richness to the dough and helps it crisp up in the oven.
- Salt: A healthy dose is added for flavor.
- Cornmeal: Used to dust the baking sheet and keep the dough from sticking as it bakes; it also gives the crust a bit of extra crispiness and flavor.
- Yeast: It’s what makes the dough rise! I like to use instant yeast, which you might also see labeled as rapid-rise, quick-rise, or even bread machine yeast (I know, it’s confusing—but they’re all the same thing). If you only have active dry yeast, also known as regular yeast, that works too—just keep in mind it’ll take about 50% longer for the dough to rise.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
To begin, combine the flour, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Stir with a spoon to combine, and then add the oil and warm water.
Stir until the dough comes together into a shaggy mass.
Fit the mixer with the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. (Alternatively, you can knead the dough by hand.)
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel, and let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
There are plenty of great spots to let your dough rise—try a sunny spot, near a heating vent in colder months, or even on top of a warm appliance like your fridge. If your oven has a proof setting, use it! No proof setting? Just turn on the oven light; it creates just enough warmth for a perfect rise.
Once the dough has risen, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut it in half and roll each piece into a ball. Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
If you’re not using the dough right away, lightly coat the balls with olive oil, place them in freezer bags, and squeeze out all the air before sealing. They’ll keep in the fridge for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use the dough, thaw if necessary, and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
When it comes time to shape the pizza dough for baking, you can stretch it into any shape, size, or thickness you like (just keep in mind that a thicker crust will take longer to bake). Simply press and stretch the dough using your hands, dusting with more flour if necessary.
Baking Instructions
Every pizza recipe is a little different, but as a general guideline:
- Preheat the oven to 500°F and set an oven rack in the bottom position. Dust a 13×18-inch baking sheet lightly with cornmeal.
- Place the stretched dough on the baking sheet, and gently stretch it out again so that it maintains its shape.
- Spread your sauce over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until the crust is partially cooked. Remove from the oven and scatter the cheese and toppings over the sauce. Slide the pan back into the oven and cook until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbling, 4 to 6 minutes more.
Video Tutorial
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Homemade Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off, plus more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon instant/quick-rise yeast
- 2¼ teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1¼ cups + 2 tablespoons warm water (see note)
- Cornmeal, for dusting the pan before baking
Instructions
- Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir with a spoon to combine. Add the oil and water and stir until the dough comes together into a shaggy mass. Fit the stand mixer with the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. (Alternatively, you can knead the dough by hand.) The dough should be slightly tacky and cling just to the bottom of the bowl; if it seems too dry during the kneading process, add 1 tablespoon of water. If it seems too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour.
- Dust your hands with flour, then gather the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
- When the dough has risen, punch it down and place on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in half and roll each piece into a ball. (If you're not planning to use the dough right away, see the make-ahead/freezing instructions below.)
- Cover the dough balls with a damp kitchen towel and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes (the dough will rise a bit). Using your hands, stretch the dough to the desired shape. Proceed with your pizza recipe, or follow the general baking instructions below.
General Baking Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) and set an oven rack in the bottom position. Dust a 13 x 18-in (33 x 46-cm) baking sheet lightly with cornmeal. Place the stretched dough on the baking sheet, and gently stretch it out again so that it maintains its shape. Spread your sauce over the dough, leaving a ½-in (13-mm) border around the edges. Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until the crust is partially cooked. Remove from the oven and scatter the cheese and toppings over the sauce. Slide the pan back into the oven and cook until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbling, 4 to 6 minutes more. Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Slice and serve.
Notes
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hello, when did you change your recipe?? I have acopy of your old one, 3 cups flour??now 4??
Hi Janice, I changed it a few years ago. (I tweaked it so it would make two 1-lb dough balls.)
Hi Jen, I really like this recipe and use it often. One question: Would it work to do the first bake with the sauce an hour or two prior to the final bake with the other toppings? I’m thinking of making two or three pizzas and this would help to have them all ready in advance for the final bake, but I don’t want to compromise the quality.
Thanks!
Hi Gloria, I don’t recommend it. I think it would have a negative impact on the texture – Sorry!