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
Homemade pizza dough is easier than you think! With just a handful of ingredients and a little rise time, you’ll be ready to stretch, bake, and enjoy.
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 plus 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 and set an oven rack in the bottom position. Dust a 13x18-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 ½-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. Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Slice and serve.
- Note: Active dry yeast may be used instead of instant yeast, however the dough will take longer to rise. To give active dry yeast a boost, you can dissolve it in the warm water and let it sit until frothy, about 10 minutes. Following that, add it to the mixing bowl with the flour, oil, and salt and proceed with the recipe.
- Note: The water should be warm to the touch — not hot — as anything over 130°F will kill the yeast and keep the dough from rising. It’s not necessary to measure the temperature, but you’re aiming for around 105°F.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: After step 3, lightly coat the dough balls with olive oil. Place into freezer bags and seal shut, squeezing out all the air. Refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready to use, thaw overnight in the fridge if frozen. Whether refrigerated or frozen, let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before stretching.
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Beautiful supple dough
Perfect dough both fresh and out of the fridge a couple of days later.
My days of buying a pizza at the grocery store to bake at home have ended with this recipe. It was easy and very good. Since there are only two people in my household, half the dough went into the freezer for a later date. Thanks Jenn!
Fantastic and easy! Mine wasn’t quite as beautiful as yours, but tasted great! Made two, one with Italian sausage and onion, one Margarita, with salad. Fed 3 hungry teens, hubby and myself, after mountain bike ride…(barely).
I look forward to making again!
Jen, another great recipe, every one delicious! Thank you!
Hi Jenn, I don’t have much luck with dough. Either they come out too soft or too hard. But this recipe of yours is such an ease to follow and it was perfect! Thank you for sharing this and will be making more pizza in future!
Hello,
I love your pizza dough recipe!! Do you have any ideas on how to make it gluten free?
Thanks so much,
Sasha
Hi Sasha, I’ve only made this with all-purpose flour, so I can’t say for sure how it will turn out with gluten-free flour but if you want to give it a try, a lot of readers have commented they have good luck with King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Flour. Please report back if you try it!
Great recipe and so simple to make! My husband said it’s the best homemade pizza we’ve ever had. I have never had success with fresh store-bought dough and find it so hard to shape – stretch, shrink, stretch, shrink, ugh. Not this dough! A cinch in the stand mixer, easy to handle and oil/store/remove from a ziplock bag, easy to flatten/stretch/shape – just easy, easy, easy! Do not be intimidated to try this. I will definitely be making this many more times in the future! I especially love that it’s a relatively short rise time, so I can decide to make pizza for dinner late afternoon and still pull it off by evening. Thank you!!!
Do you have some tips for using a pizza stone? I have experimented using one with mixed results. The dough sometimes literally melts when placing on a preheated stone (as directions say), and it’s very difficult not to burn hands and fingers. I tried forming the dough on parchment paper and transferring to the stone, but the bottom didn’t crisp up. Thanks!
Hi Michele, The best way to transfer the pizza to the stone is to use a cornmeal-dusted pizza peel. I’m not sure why the dough would melt — are you using a traditional pizza dough?
I don’t have an electric mixer. Can I still make this dough by hand?
Hi Amy, You can definitely knead the dough by hand. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn, I want to use your recipe for calzones. How many do you think your recipe make? Thanks so much. Every recipe I have made of yours turns out great, with adjustments for high altitude.
Hi Jerrie, It depends how big you make them, but I think 4 good-size calzones.
Could you please share your high altitude adjustments? Thank you ☺️