This easy Pizza Dough Recipe makes two homemade crusts with a simple blend of yeast, flour, water, olive oil, sugar, and salt, kneaded until smooth and elastic. After a short rise, the dough is ready to be shaped, topped with your favorite ingredients, and baked into a golden, delicious pizza.
Top it with a homemade pizza sauce, then turn it into a supreme pizza or a margherita pizza.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights: The Best Homemade Pizza Dough
- Flavor: This savory pizza crust bakes up light and pillowy with a tender, springy crumb, just the right thickness to hold your favorite toppings, and a delicious, golden chew!
- Why Make It: One batch makes two pizza crusts, letting you freeze one for later. It’s perfect to turn into homemade calzones or an easy stromboli.
- Prep Note: Let the chilled dough rest at room temperature before shaping so it stretches without springing back.
Total Time: 1 Hr 19 Mins (45 Min Rise) Yield: 2 Pizza Crusts
Ingredient Notes
- Instant Dry Yeast:Â Instant yeast can be mixed directly into the flour. If using active dry yeast, dissolve it in the lukewarm water with the sugar and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy, before adding it to the flour.
- All-Purpose Flour:Â All-purpose flour gives the crust a tender, pleasantly chewy texture while keeping the recipe simple and accessible. Avoid adding too much extra flour while kneading or shaping, as it can make the crust tough.
- Water:Â Lukewarm water helps activate the yeast and encourages a good rise. Avoid water that is too hot, which can damage the yeast, or too cold, which can slow the rising process.
Make It Now or Later
- Freezer: Divide the risen dough into portions and freeze individually in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then let the dough come to room temperature before shaping.
- Baked Pizza: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in a skillet, oven, toaster oven, or air fryer to restore the crisp crust.
Pizza Night Favorites
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Stir the yeast into the flour.
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Stir the water, olive oil, sugar, and salt into the flour mixture. Knead the dough by hand for 5 to 7 minutes until it is smooth and elastic.
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Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover, let rise in a warm area for 30 to 40 minutes or until doubled. Punch the dough down and divide into 2 portions. Dough can be frozen at this point.
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Preheat oven to 450°F.
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Lightly flour or oil a work surface and stretch or roll the dough into the desired pizza shape. Gently fold the edges under to form a crust. Allow the dough to rest for about 10 to 15 minutes.
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Poke the dough with a fork and lightly brush with olive oil.
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Top the pizza with toppings as desired and bake for 11 to 14 minutes. Cool for 3 to 5 minutes before cutting.
- The pizza dough can be frozen after rising. Thaw dough overnight in the fridge and roll and bake as directed.Â
- Ensure dough is room temperature before stretching or rolling (especially if made ahead of time). Stretching pizza dough gives the best texture (but I find rolling to be quick and easy).
- Darker pans will brown faster. If you have a pizza stone, preheat the stone while you preheat the oven.
*Nutrition information is for â…›th of a pizza and includes the dough only.Â
Serving: 1piece | Calories: 123 | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 183mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Bread, Pizza
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
