I love making pizza at home. So fun! Usually I make my own crust too. Actually, it is not that hard as you think it is. Believe me. I took some step-by-step photos to show you how to make your own pizza dough from scratch.
The dough is made with all-purpose flour, instant dry yeast, sugar, salt, water and olive oil. Of course, you can add some garlic or herbs for extra flavor, if desired.
I prefer instant dry yeast in all my pizza recipes of its convenience. It doesn’t need to be dissolved in warm water like active dry yeast and can be added with the other dry ingredients. Also, the dough made with instant dry yeast rises faster. A great option if you want to save some time.
In the process of making this pizza dough I don’t use a bread machine or food processor. I make everything by hand. Easy, simple and fun. You want it mixed very well so don’t be afraid to use your hands!
Kneading the dough is a pleasure… And it is a very good exercise for you. 🙂
Don’t stop kneading until you get a soft and elastic dough. Now shape it into a ball.
Lightly grease a large bowl with olive oil, then set the dough inside, turning to coat it all over with oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a clean towel and let it sit in a warm place for about 1 hour.
Suggestion to create warm environment: turn on the oven for a minute, then turn it off and place the dough in the oven to rise. I always use this method while working with yeasted dough.
After an hour or so the dough should have doubled in size.
Punch it down to release the air.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Honestly, I don’t have a pizza stone or a pizza pan. Usually, I turn the dough onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper and shape it into a round with my hands. Sometimes I use a rolling pin for that. Using a parchment paper, it is easier to transfer the pizza to the baking stone or sheet after you have assembled it.
This recipe is for one 12-13 inch pizza depending on the thickness of the crust. If you love a thick and chewy pizza crust, this recipe is for you!
A final tip: always preheat the oven at least 30 minutes prior to baking. Remember, you need a VERY hot oven to make a great crust. 😉
I hope you enjoy it and check out my other favorite dishes on the blog for more inspiration!
- Baked Gnocchi with Spinach and Tomatoes
- Chicken Macaroni Salad
- Cantaloupe Salad with Prosciutto
- Baked Chicken Kiev
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant dry yeast (1 package)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup lukewarm water (105-115 F or 40-45 C)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Combine warm water with olive oil. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Make a well in the center, pour in water mixture and mix until all the flour has been incorporated and the mixture pulls together into a dough (If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour, if it’s too dry, add more water, a little at a time).
- Place your dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it with your hands until it is smooth, elastic and springs back when pressed (about 7 minutes). Shape the dough into a ball and place in large greased bowl, rolling the dough around the bowl to coat with oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.
- Punch the dough down to release the air. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper and shape it into a 12-inch round. Now your pizza dough is ready for your favorite toppings!
64 Comments
Dorine Harris
July 27, 2014 at 12:44 amI have a problem with using my hands for any kind of bread making. I have carpel tunnel and arthritis. Is there a way I can do this with a machine?
Carol
July 28, 2014 at 7:59 pmIf you have a Kitchenaid mixer with a dough hook, you can make this recipe in it. It would only take a very small amount of kneading, ( or for you, shaping ) before you put it in the oiled bowl to rise. I make homemade sour dough bread for communion each month and I start my doughs this way. I hope this helps.
Jovita
August 5, 2014 at 3:40 pmI have never made this dough with Kitchenaid mixer but I think it should work too. Thanks for the answer, Carol!
Jennifer Hust
October 7, 2017 at 3:41 amI used my hand-held Black & Decker mixer with dough hooks. Only had to shape for rising.
Jovita
October 28, 2017 at 12:25 pmThanks for the comment, Jennifer!
Charity
September 18, 2015 at 8:06 pmThis is my go to recipe for pizza dough now. We love making homemade pizza and this one works everytime! I had the hardest time trying to find a recipe that was all by hand if you can imagine that. I take much pleasure in kneading my own dough and proofing. This recipe is foolproof because using the well technique allows me to use as much flour as the dough wants on that particular day. Most don’t account for this in recipes, but this one turns out perfect.
For example, today it needed all but about 1/4 cup…some days it needs more as I knead it. Also, I tend to oil my hands for the last 4 mins or so of kneading instead of adding more flour to deal with the stickiness so I don’t dry it out.
Thanks so much!
Trudy
September 20, 2016 at 10:05 pmI have made pizza dough this way for many years. Just put everything into your processor except the water, process and then add water through the top a little at a time until if form a ball. Just take it out and place in a bowl to raise.
Also I find that after rolling out the couch I bake it without the toppings. When done I place the toppings on and bake until the veggies are roasted and the cheese melted.
Trudy
September 20, 2016 at 10:07 pmIt is dough not couch – my computer changed the word.
Jovita
September 27, 2016 at 9:00 amRolling out the couch, ha ha! 🙂 Thanks for the tips, Trudy!
Marlyn
July 22, 2019 at 5:38 amI’ve just made pizza tonight, the only thing is that I followed the recipe but I did not have 2 cups of all purpose flour, just had one cup and an entire bag of whole wheat so I decided to use it (1 cup of regular and 1 cup whole wheat flour) not knowing what I was going to get, well let me tell you that I’ve got the best pizza ever!!! Delicious and healthier, we all loved the result.
Veronica
April 11, 2020 at 2:58 amThere is no baking directions but I baked at 450.
Mary
January 4, 2018 at 11:17 pmI love this pizza dough. Can we make it ahead and refrigerate??? If so, how do you do that? I would love to make a day or two ahead or even in the morning. Sometimes it’s hard to wait an hour when time is limited. Thanks!!! ~Mary
Marie
August 1, 2014 at 7:24 pmWhat temp. do you bake at?
Jovita
August 1, 2014 at 7:27 pmHi Marie! Bake at 475 F degrees (let the oven heat up for at least 30 minutes) for about 10-13 minutes. Baking time depends on the amount of toppings and size of the pizza crust. Hope it helps!
You can see the example of the pizza made using this dough here: https://yummyaddiction.com/veggie-pizza/
Charity
September 18, 2015 at 8:07 pmOh…one last thing I meant to add is that I actually double your recipe everytime I make it and it turns out perfectly.
Jeana
August 5, 2014 at 6:10 pmHi! Making pizza is a weekly ritual with my BF and I. Can I use whole wheat flour instead of all purpose?
Thanks!
Jovita
August 5, 2014 at 7:05 pmHi, Jeana! It’s so great that you like to make homemade pizza too! Actually, I have never made this dough using whole wheat flour… If I were you, I would try to use a mixture of half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour. In this case you may need to add more or less flour. Again, I didn’t try this before, so I can’t tell you what the result will be. Next time I will use whole wheat flour and I will see how that works out. 😉
Angela
May 17, 2015 at 9:42 pmHi! Looks so yummy! I’d like to make this tomorrow. I’ve lost my pizza tin. Would this dough work in a 9×13 pan?
Jovita
May 20, 2015 at 10:30 amHi Angela! I think it should work in that pan. 😉
diane
June 9, 2015 at 6:15 pmCan you double the recipe to make an extra dough to freeze?
A
July 13, 2015 at 6:46 amCan i use lard instead of olive oil? Thanks!
Brnda
April 10, 2016 at 12:20 amI have been looking for an easy pizza crust to make. Let me tell you, I love love this crust. Is it not only easy but it is so good. It is crispy and chewy at the same time. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Jovita
April 26, 2016 at 6:31 amSo glad you enjoyed it and thank you for coming back and letting me know!! 😉
Ron
July 10, 2016 at 4:46 pmIt’s in the oven rising! Don’t Plan cooking on the BBQ until later. Can I knead it, put in a plastic bag and refrigerated? Pull it out an hour in advance and then shape into proper size and add ingredients? I also made with Bread Flour as I didn’t have All Purpose. Will also double next time!
Holly
October 17, 2016 at 12:37 pmWould also like to know if this freezes well or if you can put it in a bag in the fridge for later use that same day?
Jovita
November 26, 2016 at 12:32 pmI am not sure about it, Holly, you will have to try it yourself 😉
Geri
December 12, 2016 at 3:04 amI made my dough a day ahead and keep it in the refrigerator until I need it. I also freeze the dough, but don’t let it rise. This can be done the day you want to use it.
SC
November 7, 2016 at 9:29 pmCan you substitute olive oil to canola oil
Jovita
November 9, 2016 at 10:40 amHi, yes you can.
Jessica
March 24, 2017 at 10:12 pmHi! I made this recipe EXACTLY…. and after an hr my dough didn’t rise at all! ??
I made homemade bread and rolls alllllll the time; I don’t know what I did wrong! The only thing I am thinking maybe happened is that I didn’t measure out my dry instant yeast….. I just used 1 packet like you said. Maybe my packet is a different size and maybe I needed more?! Anyway…. not giving up on this recipe! Will try again soon!!?
Jovita
March 26, 2017 at 12:11 pmHi, Jessica. It’s strange. I don’t think that your yeast packet could have been smaller than mine. They are all pretty much the same. Maybe your yeast wasn’t instant? If you use active dry yeast than you need to proof it first. Or maybe your water wasn’t warm enough? Anyway, give this recipe a try once more and I am sure everything will be alright. Let me know how it goes!
pooja
July 24, 2017 at 7:47 amThank you for this blog post. I made this dough at home ans teh pizza was delicious. I posted a link on my blog here.
https://chukkiskitchen.wordpress.com/2017/07/24/chicken-tikka-masala-pizza/
Jovita
July 30, 2017 at 8:55 pmI am glad you liked it, Pooja!
Donna
August 13, 2017 at 9:04 pmMade this exactly as the recipe says ? Perfecto!! My kids loved it❤️❤️
Jovita
August 21, 2017 at 6:38 pmSo happy to hear it!
Nikki
August 27, 2017 at 9:58 pmHi! I’ve used this recipe before and it turned out great. Tonight, I was going to triple the recipe to make some for my friends, but I wasn’t sure if I should triple the amount of yeast as well or just double it…any suggestions?
Jovita
September 21, 2017 at 11:36 amHi, Nikki! That’s a hard question to answer. I tried googling it and found different opinions. To be on the safe side, I would triple the amount of yeast if I were you. Let me know how it turned out!
Jennifer Hust
October 7, 2017 at 3:45 amLOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe!! I added 2tsp of Italian Seasoning to the dry ingredients and cooked it on my Pizza Stone for 15min at 450°F. Kids and husband approved!!
Jovita
October 28, 2017 at 12:23 pmI am so glad it turned out great, Jennifer!
Misty manire
October 29, 2017 at 11:31 pmThis was amazing!!! We’ll rarely if ever order takeout again!! I thought the crust was the perfect consistency. Thank you so much for the recipe!!!
Jovita
October 30, 2017 at 8:35 pmYay! Thanks for the comment, Misty!
Carolina
November 1, 2017 at 2:24 pmJovita, this dough was amazing! And soooooo easy. Did it last night for family and friends and it was a success! Definitely doing it again. I just needed to add more flower because it was a bit sticky to knead at the begining, but overall perfect… next time I’m trying it with rye flower. Thank you!
Jovita
November 2, 2017 at 8:22 pmRye flour is a great idea! I am so happy you loved the dough, Carolina!
Marlene
December 17, 2017 at 6:41 pmWhat is the best temp for warm water to add to yeast?
Jovita
December 27, 2017 at 4:59 pmIt should be about 110º F (45 º C).
Daniela
January 1, 2018 at 10:14 pmMuchas gracias por esta receta! La he hecho muchas veces y todos mis invitados la encuentran perfecta. Saludos desde Chile.
Jovita
January 11, 2018 at 3:36 pmMuchas gracias!
Jean Dowling
March 18, 2018 at 11:07 pmGreat dough, I used my Kitchenaid my Cher with the dough hook and added Italian seasoning in the dough. It was fabulous with no sauce, just spinach, grilled chicken , diced tomatoes and mozzarella. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
JAs
August 13, 2018 at 2:27 amI made this recipe. I just loved it my kids loved the pepperoni pizza we made. Thank you for this recipe.
Elizabeth Bergin
September 18, 2018 at 7:03 pmI tried your pizza crust recipe last night. I used the kitchen aid and I thought the dough came together very quickly. I let it rise for 1 hour and them punched it down and left it on the counter in the bowl. It rose again. I’m new at this and Im wondering if I should have put it in the refrigerator until I was ready to bake the pie. Not sure if it would have been very different if it only rose once. It was very good.
Jovita
February 23, 2021 at 9:13 pmHi, Elizabeth! There is absolutely nothing wrong that the dough rose two times instead of one 🙂
Laura
February 15, 2019 at 4:31 amGoing to try this tomorrow! I have a possibly embarrassing question though, when you say instant yeast, is that Active Dry or Rapid Rise? Thanks!
Jovita
March 27, 2019 at 4:57 pmIt’s Rapid Rise 🙂 Hope you loved it!
Debbie
June 3, 2019 at 9:13 pmWe have a pizza oven that fits in out BBQ (Grill) and usually use pre-made,pre-baked crusts (from Costco). Could you put your dough directly in the oven (toppings included) with a pizza peel or would you pre bake it first?
Jovita
February 23, 2021 at 3:50 pmHi, Debbie! This crust doesn’t have to be pre-baked. You can bake it right away with your favorite toppings 😉
Bonita
July 3, 2019 at 5:52 pmI always use this recipe. It’s great and makes one good size pizza. Only the two of us so it’s just right.
Jovita
March 6, 2020 at 8:52 pmThank you, Bonita!
Marlyn
July 25, 2019 at 10:59 pmI’ve just made it and it turned out great, I didn’t have 2 cups of all purpose flour so I combined 1 cup whole wheat and 1 all purpose flour and got a very delicious and healthier crust for my pizza, my family enjoyed it. Thanks.
Jovita
March 6, 2020 at 8:47 pmSo happy to hear it, Marlyn!
Glitter glue
October 21, 2019 at 9:43 pmLovely lovely crust
I failed so many times but nailed it this time with your recipe
Thank you for sharing
Jovita
January 13, 2020 at 8:17 pmSo happy to hear it!
Heather
March 1, 2022 at 6:56 pmI love this recipe
I use all the time now
Andrew
November 11, 2023 at 3:38 pmOne of if not the best pizza dough I’ve ever made
Jovita
November 14, 2023 at 9:14 amI am so happy to hear it, Andrew!