Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe (2024)

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Pizza is a staple at our house. Thick-crust, thin-crust, we love it all! With this Homemade Pizza Dough, it’s a snap to make any pizza we can dream up!

I love pizza. As in, “How dare you ask me to share?” L-O-V-E pizza. There are a million and five ways to top your pie. They can be sweet or savory, and eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Pizza is my desert island food.

Today, I’m going show you how to make all your pizza fantasies come true! It just takes this homemade pizza dough recipe and your imagination!

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This dough does take some time since it needs to rise twice. So if you get it going in the morning, you’ll be all set for lunch. Or start it in the afternoon for dinner time.

If you’re in a rush for time, see my notes about thin-crust pizza in the how-to tips below.

Bonus: After you make the full dough recipe, cook one half for dinner and put the other half in a gallon-sized ziploc bag and save it for another day. (Make sure the bag is big enough! No exploding dough in fridge surprises here. Thank you very much.)

This dough will keep for 1-2 days in the fridge and you’ll save yourself a step for dinner. Make your life easier friends.

What are the Ingredients to Pizza Dough?

Warm water
Active dry yeast
Flour
Salt
Olive oil

So simple, but you have to treat these ingredients right to get a good pizza crust!

What’s the best flour for pizza dough?

I use all-purpose flour. It’s easy to find and works just fine for my needs. It works great for thin-crust pizza, which I use to make garlic breadsticks for the boys.

Bread flour is another popular choice for pizza dough. It has a higher amount of gluten than all-purpose flour and makes a super soft, super fluffy dough.

You may have heard of 00 (double zero) flour. This is the pro-level stuff and is used for Neapolitan style pizza.

How do you activate yeast for pizza dough?

Warm 1.5 cups of water to 105 to 110 degrees F. Add one 0.25-ounce envelope of yeast to the water and give a quick stir. Then leave it alone for about 5 minutes.
The warm water lets the yeast bloom and activates it. Bubbles will form on top of the water and you’ll smell that lovely yeast scent. This yeast mixture is the base for any dough.

Don’t let your water get too hot!! It’ll kill the yeast. If you’re not sure of the right temperature for the yeast you bought, double-check the package directions.

How to Make Pizza Dough

Start by adding the flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer the dough hook attachment in place. Give the mixer a spin to combine them together.
Then, pour in the activated yeast and water. Use a rubber spatula to get everything out of the measuring cup. You want ALL the yeast. Pour the olive oil into the bowl as well.
Turn your mixer on medium-low and mix until the dough forms a ball. If the dough is too dry, add more warm water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together. Or if the dough is too wet, add 1 tablespoon flour until the dough is less sticky.
Once a ball forms, turn your mixer up to medium-high speed and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes. This kneading will get the glutens going in your dough and give it a great texture.
Coat a large mixing bowl with a little olive oil and transfer the dough to your prepared bowl. Roll the dough around a little to coat the outside.
Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it on the counter for 2 hours to let it rise. **If you’re making thin-crust pizza, only let your dough rise for 1 hour. Then make your pizzas.**
After 2 hours, the dough will have doubled in size. Uncover the dough and gently punch it down. Recover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise again for 1 hour.
Once the hour is up you’re ready to cook! Divide the dough ball in half and make your pizzas. There will enough dough for two 12-inch pizzas.

Place the rolled out pizza dough (use your hands or a rolling pin) on a pizza stone, pizza pan, or baking sheet and top it any way you like.

Do you knead pizza dough after it rises?

Nope! You want to knead the dough BEFORE it rises to develop the gluten.

Kneading the dough after it rises will destroy to bubbles and it’ll become flat and dense.

No one wants that kind of pizza crust.

I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve made this crust over the years. I swear we make pizza every couple of weeks. The boys love to help and pick out their toppings.

I love that I can cook up enough pizza for the whole family for a fraction of the price of our local pizza place! AND!! Thin-crust pizza dough takes about as long to rise as our wait for pizza on a Friday or Saturday night.

So why not just make your own pizza pie?!

More yummy recipes to make with this pizza crust recipe!

Bacon Alfredo Pizza – my pizza obsession!
Cinnamon Sugar Cheesecake Bombs
Caramelized Onion & Italian Sausage Pizza – our readers LOVE this one!
Pizza Muffins – my kids ask for these ALL THE TIME!
Grilled Blueberry Dessert Pizza

Homemade Pizza Dough

Julie Kotzbach

Pizza is a staple at our house. Thick-crust, thin-crust, we love it all! With this Homemade Pizza Dough, it's a snap to make any pizza we can dream up!

4.24 from 17 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Rising Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 2 12-inch pizzas

Calories 1159 kcal

Ingredients

1 ½ cups warm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
0.25 ounce packet dry-active yeast about 2 teaspoons
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour divided
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil plus extra

Instructions

Add yeast to warm water and give it a quick stir. (I leave everything in the measuring cup the water's in.) Let sit for 5 minutes so the yeast can bloom (see: bubbles).
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour and salt. Using the dough hook attachment, stir together the flour and salt.
Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture, being sure to get all the yeast out of the measuring cup. The pour in the olive oil.
Turn the mixture to stir until the dough starts to come together a bit, you don't want flour flying everywhere. Increase the speed to medium-low and let the mixer do its thing for 1 to 2 minutes until the dough forms a ball. (see notes) Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes.
Coat a large mixing bowl lightly with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and roll it around to coat the outside of the dough in oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place on the counter for 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size. (see notes for thin-crust pizza)
Unwrap the bowl, and gently punch down the dough. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise for another hour.
Uncover the dough, divide it in half, and roll out into two 12-inch pizzas. Place crust on a pizza stone, pizza pan, or baking sheet. Cook in an oven preheated to 400 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove crust and carefully top with sauce, cheese, and your choice of toppings. I like to brush the edge of the crust with a little olive oil too. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden.

Notes

If you notice the dough looks dry, add 1 tablespoon of water as needed until the dough starts to stick together. (My dough is always dry, maybe it's an AZ thing. I end up adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup more warm water to the original dough recipe.)
If the dough gets too wet, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it's not as sticky.
For a thinner crust, let the dough rise once for 1 hour and use immediately.
If you don't want to use your dough right away, place it in an air tight container (with room for the dough to rise, because it will) and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 1159kcalCarbohydrates: 216gProtein: 30gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1761mgPotassium: 334mgFiber: 8gSugar: 0gCalcium: 48mgIron: 13.1mg

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.

Keyword pizza

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FAQs

What is the secret to making good pizza dough? ›

The secret to great dough isn't kneading or throwing . . .

It's good old-fashioned H20. “Water, water, water,” says Falco. “Pizza dough made at home should be 50 percent water. Pizza needs to cook longer in a home oven, which means the dough needs to be more hydrated.”

Get More Info Here ›

What is the best flour to use for pizza dough? ›

The best flour for making Deep-Dish Pizza Dough is all-purpose flour. In bakeries and pizzerias, Pizza Flour is often used because it is a high-protein flour that produces a light and airy crust. However, all-purpose flour will also work well for Deep-Dish Pizza Dough.

What ingredients is pizza dough made from? ›

All pizza dough starts with the same basic ingredients: flour, yeast, water, salt, and olive oil. Here's the breakdown of what I use in my homemade pizza crust recipe. The full printable recipe is below.

Learn More ›

Can you use maple syrup instead of sugar in pizza dough? ›

Sugar – It feeds the yeast, helping the dough rise. Maple syrup or honey works well here too. Sea salt – It's essential for a flavorful crust. And extra-virgin olive oil – For richness, moisture, and flavor.

Find Out More ›

Is it bad to let pizza dough rise too long? ›

Don't let it rise for too long, though.

Though a long and slow rise is beneficial for flavor and texture, you can run into issues if you allow your pizza dough to rest for too long.

Learn More ›

What flour do Italians use for pizza? ›

All Purpose Flour or Bread Flour mixed with Semola Remacinata di Grano Duro for thick crust pan pizza. “00” Farina di Grano Tenero mixed with Bread Flour for long rise, thin crust pizza (pizzeria style) “00” Farina di Grano Tenero for fresh, egg pasta.

What flour do restaurants use for pizza? ›

Both bread flour and 00 flour contain a lot of gluten, which makes them ideal for creating pizza or bread dough since they produce an incredibly chewy crust. Whole wheat flour is used instead of 00 flour in pizza dough.

Learn More Now ›

Is bread flour or AP better for pizza dough? ›

Bread flour is higher in protein than all-purpose, at around 11 to 13%. Higher protein content means higher gluten content, as we now know, so using bread flour in your pizza dough will result in a stretchy dough that's less likely to tear.

Tell Me More ›

What is Papa John's pizza dough made of? ›

Water, Sorghum Flour, Modified Rice Starch, Tapioca Starch, Teff Flour, Cage Free Egg Whites, Whey Powder, Shortening Flakes (Palm Oil, Natural Butter Flavor, Soy Lecithin), Quinoa Flour, Amaranth Flour, Canola/Olive Oil Blend, Yeast, Sugar, Brown Flax Seed, Salt, Cultured Brown Rice, Xanthan Gum, Natural Flavors.

Show Me More ›

What is the most important ingredient in pizza dough? ›

Flour is the main ingredient in pizza dough, and the type you use can have a big effect on the end result. All-purpose flour will work fine, but if you want a chewier crumb and a better hole structure, you should consider buying yourself some high protein bread flour.