Making homemade pizza dough really is so easy and you only need 6 ingredients for this recipe. Skip the delivery and make your own pizzas at home instead! This pizza crust is chewy, bubbly and so simple and delicious you’ll want to make it every week.
This recipe is part of my foundational recipes series, helping you build out a repertoire of simple, everyday recipes that form the basis of more complex home cooked meals.
It’s an exciting day for me as I am finally publishing my homemade pizza dough recipe! I have been making my own pizza dough since I was a kid as our small town didn’t have pizza delivery and it was really learn to make it yourself or miss out.
Making your own pizza base may seem like a lot of work when you can easily buy premade ones at the grocery store, but let me tell you every time I take this extra step, I enjoy pizza night so much more.
This is my basic pizza dough recipe and it creates a base that is more bread-like than thin and crispy. It’s puffy but still chewy and has enough structure that it can handle all the toppings without collapsing but isn’t hard. This is exactly the style of pizza crust that makes pizza one of my favourite all time foods.
As I said, this is a foundational recipe so once you make your dough you can use it for any pizza toppings you like.
Or you can make one of these recipes:
- Classic ham and pineapple pizza
- Simple prosciutto pizza
- Vegan buffalo cauliflower pizza (recipe in my ebook COMFORT)
Key Ingredients
I have tried many combinations and ratios of ingredients to get the best, simple and easy, works every time pizza dough recipe. This is that recipe, so each ingredient plays a key role in the end result.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Plain flour – also known as all purpose flour in the US. You could also use bread flour for an even chewier texture.
- Yeast – I use instant dried yeast for this recipe.
- Warm water – the water should feel slightly warm to the touch but not hot. I usually find the water from my hot tap in my kitchen is perfect.
- White sugar – activates the yeast.
- Olive oil – adds flavour to the dough.
- Salt – I have made the mistake of forgetting to add the salt and the result is very bland and not enjoyable to eat so don’t leave this out!
TIP! Store your yeast in the fridge to keep it fresh for longer. You’ll know it needs replacing if it doesn’t become frothy after combining it with warm water and sugar.
Step-By-Step Instructions
When it comes to the equipment needed to make pizza dough, I recommend using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment as it makes this recipe even easier and very low effort but it’s not essential. Also if you like making homemade pizzas, I recommend investing in a pizza stone. They are relatively low cost and it’s been a game changer for my pizza nights. I even use it to make my caramel apple galette!
Most of the time needed for this recipe is hands off as you let the dough rise, but it does require you to semi plan dinner ahead of time to allow enough time for this. See further down in this post for more information on making the pizza dough ahead of time as well as this can make busy nights much more manageable.
Start by combining the warm water, white sugar, and yeast in a bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer and letting it stand for 5-10 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy. It should also have a strong, bready smell.
Tip! The water should be warm to the touch but not hot, around 37-43°C (98-110°F). This is the ideal temperature range for activating yeast. If the water is too hot, it can kill the yeast, and if it’s too cold, the yeast may not activate properly.
Add in half of the flour and begin mixing on low speed, or using a wooden spoon if making by hand, until just starting to combine. Add the remaining flour, olive oil and salt and continue to mix until a rough dough forms.
If using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, mix on low speed for 6-8 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. If kneading by hand, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Lightly oil the bowl and place the dough inside, turning to coat in the oil. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
TIP! If you’re struggling to find a warm spot for the dough to rise, turn your oven on to about 100°C (210°F) while you prepare the dough. Once done, turn off the oven and place the bowl inside, leaving the door slightly ajar. Let it rise for about 45 minutes and watch the dough double in size.
Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release any air bubbles and place the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 portions and roll each portion out to your desired thickness.
From here, you can start to add your toppings and make your pizza as usual. Try this easy homemade marina sauce for that restaurant quality flavour at home!
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
Homemade pizza dough is a great recipe to batch make as you can store the dough in the fridge or freezer to make things even easier next time you need an easy dinner.
Once the dough has risen, continue to follow the instructions to punch the dough down and divide it into 2 portions and roll into balls. Lightly coat each portion with olive oil to prevent sticking and place the dough in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.
I prefer to use a container or a zip lock bag as this allows the dough to expand a little as it cools.
- Fridge: Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (the flavour will continue to develop as well making it taste even better!)
- Freezer: Store the dough in the freezer for up to three months. Place the frozen dough in the fridge overnight to defrost.
Before using, remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour. This will make it easier to roll out and shape, and will allow the gluten to relax a bit.
Recipe FAQs
If your dough doesn’t rise, it could be due to several factors:
Expired or inactive yeast: Ensure your yeast is fresh and active.
Incorrect water temperature: Water that’s too hot or too cold can affect yeast activation. The ideal temperature is between 37-43°C (98-110°F).
Low ambient temperature: If the room is too cold, the dough may rise very slowly or not at all. Try placing the dough in a warmer spot, such as near a heater or in a turned-off oven with the light on to create a slightly warmer environment. You can also cover the dough with a damp cloth to help retain warmth.
The dough is ready when it’s smooth and elastic. You can test it by gently pressing the dough with your finger. If it springs back, it’s ready!
You can use a pizza paddle for this, but the easiest method is to stretch out your pizza dough onto a sheet of baking paper. Carefully slide the baking paper with the dough onto a flat baking tray to carry it to the pizza stone. Then, slide the pizza (still on the baking paper) onto the stone. You can use the baking paper to help slide the pizza off onto your serving board for cutting, avoiding direct contact with the extremely hot stone.
Easy Pizza Dough Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups plain flour
- 3 ¼ teaspoons yeast
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons warm water
- 1 ½ tablespoons white sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm water, white sugar, and yeast. Stir gently and set aside for 5-10 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy.
- Add in half of the flour and begin mixing on low speed, or using a wooden spoon if making by hand, until just starting to combine. Add the remaining flour, olive oil and salt and continue to mix until a rough dough forms.
- If using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, mix on low speed for 6-8 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. If kneading by hand, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Lightly oil the bowl and place the dough inside, turning to coat in the oil. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release any air bubbles and place the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 portions and roll each portion out to your desired thickness.
- Add your favourite toppings to the pizza base and bake on a preheated pizza stone or tray at 200°C / 400°F for 10 minutes or until the crust is golden.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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