This Basic Pizza Dough recipe is made with simple ingredients and works perfectly for everything from thick crust to thin crust, breadsticks, or even grilled pizza. We’ll walk you through everything step-by-step so you'll make delicious homemade pizzas like a pro in no time.
Our basic pizza dough recipe is made from flour, water, oil, sugar, salt, and yeast. From there you can feel free to season the dough with herbs and spices, add cheese, or use however you'd like.
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Basic Pizza Dough Recipe
We don’t call this recipe the best Homemade Pizza Dough for nothing. It uses just 6 ingredients, no fancy flours, and comes together in a snap.
You can even make the pizza dough a day in advance - all it takes is a few minutes out of your day, and a little refrigerator space. Making it ahead of time actually improves the flavor of your dough because the yeast has enough time to sit and do its thing.
Or, you can make the dough first thing in the morning and throw it in the fridge to use later on the same night. There isn’t really an exact timeline for how long the dough needs to rise. We’re telling you, this recipe turns out great every time!
And, if you want an even quicker pizza recipe, try this french bread pizza recipe. Some of our other favorite pizza recipes are our Stuffed Crust Pizza, Hawaiian Pizza and our Pizza Calzone Recipe.
Easy Homemade Pizza Recipe Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- Yeast - this recipe calls for active dry yeast which needs to be activated by mixing first with lukewarm water and a touch of sugar. If you use instant yeast you can skip the proofing step.
- Water - your water should be lukewarm, or around 95-110 degrees F.
- Sugar - you can use regular granulated sugar, or even a bit of honey.
- Salt - sea salt works great.
- Flour - I recommend using all-purpose flour for this pizza dough recipe.
- Oil - olive oil works great, or any other type of cooking oil.
Sauces for Homemade Pizza
I usually use marinara sauce or tomato sauce from a jar. You can also often find pre-made marinara sauce in the deli area at your grocery store. When you have a bit more time, these recipes would all make amazing sauces and spreads for your homemade pizza recipe:
- Homemade Pizza Sauce. This takes just a few minutes and the results are phenomenal.
- Spread a thin layer of Garlic Butter or Pesto over your crust before adding cheese and any toppings.
- Use Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo Sauce to make a white pizza.
- Try using this Homemade Pesto.
Best Cheese For Homemade Pizza
- To get that amazing cheese pull we all love, use a pizza cheese blend or make your own. Pizza cheese is a mixture of mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan. This will give you the best result for a classic cheese pizza.
- You can use lots of other varieties of cheese too. You can use a smoked cheddar or smoked gouda along with some mozzarella for a smokey flavor. (This is incredible on a BBQ Chicken Pizza)
- Pepperjack is a great addition to a spicy pizza. (You can add this to a buffalo chicken pizza; the flavor is amazing.)
- If you want to try another type of cheese, start by adding half mozzarella and then half of whatever kind of cheese sounds great. Mozzarella is a great base and has such a mild flavor. Experiment away!
How to Make This Easy Homemade Pizza Recipe
- Proof the yeast. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast and mix well. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes, or until it becomes frothy and bubbly.
- Mix the pizza dough. Once your yeast has “proofed,” add the olive oil, salt and about 1 ½ cups of flour. Mix with a paddle or dough hook until all the ingredients are completely combined. Add in the rest of the flour, about a ¼ cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl.
- Shape into a dough ball. Mix on low speed for another 1-2 minutes until the dough is nice and smooth, then transfer to a lightly floured surface and shape the dough into a ball.
- Let the dough rest. If you are making the dough ahead, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight. Otherwise, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rest in a warm place for about 15-30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- Shape the pizza. Spray a large baking sheet or a round pizza pie pan with non-stick cooking oil. Place the dough in the middle of the baking dish and use your flat palm to stretch and shape the pizza dough to the edges of the baking dish and roughly ¼" to ⅓" thick. If your dough is tough to work with, simply let it rest for a minute or two and it will relax enough to work with.
- Add toppings. Add your favorite sauce, toppings and cheeses, and brush the edges with olive oil or melted butter.
- Bake. For a thin-crust pizza, bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the cheese has melted.
- Enjoy!
How to Bake Pizza in a Convection Oven
- Be sure to preheat your oven. This is an important step in making great pizza. This will help your crust cook as evenly as possible.
- Adjust the racks in your oven so you have a rack on the two lowest racks in the oven.
- Bake your pizza on one rack up from the bottom.
- Check the bottom of your crust after it has baked for 10 minutes. If your crust looks a little soggy or it's not baking at the same speed as the top of the pizza, move your pizza to the lowest rack.
- If your pizza crust is already golden brown and the top isn't done baking, slide another baking sheet or pizza rack under your pizza so it cools the baking process down a little until the top is golden brown.
Homemade Pizza Tips And Tricks
Here are a few more tips to help you bake a perfect homemade pizza every time:
- If you don’t have time for a slow rise, no worries. Go ahead and let the dough rise for about 15-30 minutes at room temperature before shaping and baking.
- Let your oven preheat for a minimum of 30 minutes before you bake your pizza. If you are using a pizza stone, let the stone preheat along with the oven so it’s piping hot when you transfer your pizza onto it.
- Try to minimize the number of times that you open the oven door and let the heat escape.
- Check your crust after it has baked 10 minutes and move your pizza up or down a rack if needed.
- Bake your pizza at 425-450 degrees.
- If you have a convection oven, you can probably achieve an even higher temperature. This is the time to test the limits of your oven!
Frequently Asked Questions
The short answer to what temp to cook pizza dough is hot! Those brick oven pizzas at your favorite pizza place can get up to 600 degrees, just to give you an idea. I recommend cooking pizza dough between 450-500 degrees F. If you try cooking it too low, you’ll find yourself with a pizza crust that is tough, soggy or both.
For a pizza with a thicker crust or for something like Stuffed Crust Pizza, you’ll want to reduce the pizza baking temperature to around 400 degrees. This gives the dough a chance to bake all the way through before the outside gets too dark.
Did you know that you can also grill pizza dough? It’s a great way to cook a pizza without heating up your house on a hot day. You can find our recipe for Grilled Pizza Dough here.
Yes! Before you freeze your pizza dough, let it rise completely, then shape into rounds and transfer each dough ball to a freezer bag. Press gently to remove any air from the bag and flatten the dough slightly, then seal it completely. It can remain frozen for up to 3 months.
It also works to freeze dough that has risen slowly in the fridge, so don’t worry if you’ve made your dough and then plans have changed by the next day. Just toss it in a freezer bag and save it for a rainy day.
To thaw your dough, pull it from the freezer the day before you want to use it and let it thaw overnight in the fridge. The next day, remove the dough from the cooler and let sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes, then use however you’d like.
If you're wondering how thick your dough should be after you spread it, I would say somewhere in the range of ¼" and ⅓" in the center. Around the edges, the crust can be closer to ½". If you're wanting more of a Chicago Style pizza. You can make your pizza in a pan with higher edges and make the crust up to ½" in the center and ¾" on the edges. You just need to bake your crust longer if you prefer a thicker one.
The cooking time for pizza will depending on how thick the dough is and what kind of oven you have. In general, if you are cooking it in a preheated 450 degree oven, a thin crust pizza will take around 15-20 minutes to bake.
Easy Homemade Pizza Recipe Variations
My family is a pepperoni and cheese family all the way. But it’s also our humble opinion that there are no bad pizza toppings. Yes, we even support pineapple or jalapenos on pizza - whatever floats your boat! Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing...
- Meat Lovers with cooked sausage, diced ham, and grilled chicken
- Hawaiian Pizza- add some ham or Canadian bacon and pineapple.
- Margherita-style with fresh basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella
- Combination Pizza- chock full of meat, veggies, melted mozzarella cheese, and plenty of flavors.
- Taco Pizza- This is a fun combination, your favorite taco flavors, in pizza form. It has a delicious salsa bean sauce and has your favorite taco toppings.
- Spinach and Artichoke with artichoke hearts, cooked spinach, and mozzarella cheese
- BBQ chicken -with grilled chicken, BBQ sauce, onions and mozzarella cheese
- Veggie pizza loaded with your favorite fresh veggies, thinly sliced red onions, and mozzarella cheese
- Mexican pizza with refried beans, corn, cilantro, sliced jalapeños, and a Mexican cheese blend
- Buffalo Chicken Pizza- You can use a white sauce or an alfredo sauce for the base, mozzarella cheese, and then some chicken covered in buffalo sauce. Top that baby with green onions, blue cheese crumbles, and jalapenos, and you've got yourself a party.
Basic Pizza Dough Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Water warm (95-110 degrees F)
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- 2 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2.5 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil or any cooking oil
Instructions
To Make the Pizza Dough
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast and mix well. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes, or until it becomes frothy and bubbly.
- Once your yeast has “proofed,” add the olive oil, salt and about 1 ½ cups of flour. Using a paddle or dough hook, mix until all the ingredients are completely combined.
- Add in the rest of the flour, about a ¼ cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl.
- Mix on low speed for another 1-2 minutes until the dough is nice and smooth, then transfer to a lightly floured surface and shape the dough into a ball.
- If you are making the dough ahead, wrap it tightly and store in the fridge overnight. Otherwise, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rest in a warm place for about 15-30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
To Bake Your Homemade Pizza
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
- With lightly floured hands, stretch and shape your dough into desired pan. If it begins to resist, let the dough relax for a couple of minutes and then continue.
- Add your favorite sauce, toppings and cheeses, and brush the edges with olive oil or melted butter.
- For a thin-crust pizza, bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the cheese has melted.
Notes
- For a pizza with a thicker crust, reduce the oven temp to 400 degrees so that the dough has a chance to bake all the way through before the outside gets too dark.
Nutrition
More Pizza Recipes
- Pizza Monkey Bread
- Pull Apart Garlic Bread
- Rainbow Veggie Pizza Recipe
- Valentines Heart Pizza
- Homemade Cheesy Breadsticks
- Grilled Pizza Dough
- More Easy Dinner Ideas
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This Easy Homemade Pizza Dough is made with simple ingredients and can be used for everything from thick crust to thin crust, or even grilled pizza. Whether you make it a day ahead, freeze it or use it right away, this dough works perfectly every time!
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