This easy pizza dough recipe is SO easy to make! It comes together fast for the best homemade pizza, stromboli, pizza rolls, and more!

Be sure to try this with my Buffalo Chicken Pizza or Hawaiian Pizza recipes! 

A ball of pizza dough topped with flour on a wooden surface.

Pizza Dough Recipe

Knowing how to make your own Pizza Dough is such a handy skill to have! It’s so fun to be able to make restaurant-quality pizza (or stromboli) right at home any night of the week! (Nothing beats homemade pizza night!)

This dough recipe never fails! And I have some handy tricks to make sure it rises every time, no matter what the weather is doing. Be sure to check out my PRO tips below!

Labeled Ingredients for making pizza dough on a white surface.

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Add the yeast to a small bowl with sugar and warm water (105-115°). Cover with saran wrap and let it sit for 5 minutes. 

In a medium bowl, add half of the flour, salt, and garlic powder. Stir to combine. Add the yeast mixture, oil, and gradually mix in remaining flour. 

Making pizza dough with yeast and water in a bowl next to a bowl of flour, olive oil, and salt.

Knead for 3-5 minutes and transfer to a clean bowl. Cover with saran wrap.

Mixing pizza dough in a bowl and forming it into a ball to rise.

Let rise until doubled by half, (30-60+ minutes), or overnight in the fridge.

Gently punch it down and knead 5 times. Form into a ball and store for later (see below for make-ahead information), or proceed with making homemade pizza or stromboli! 

A bowl of pizza dough after rising next to a ball of pizza dough on a pizza stone.

Make-Ahead Method

  • Prepare the dough as outlined in the recipe. Instead of rolling it out for baking, shape into a ball and lightly spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then place it in a Ziploc freezer bag.
  • Refrigerate for 3-4 days or freeze for 3-4 months.

How to Thaw Frozen Pizza Dough

  • Let frozen dough thaw in the fridge for about 8 hours or overnight. Let it sit out for 30 minutes, then prepare pizza as outlined.

If Your Dough Isn’t Rising

A warm, moist environment is needed for dough to activate and rise. If you need a little boost of warm air, try these tricks:

  • Oven:  This trick works great! Heat your oven to 200° for 2 minutes, then shut the heat off. Cover the bowl of dough with a dish towel (no plastic wrap in the oven),  and shut the door to trap the warm air inside. Let it rise!
  • Microwave: Fill a glass measuring cup with 1 cup of water and microwave for 2 minutes, until boiling. Remove the water and replace it with your covered bowl of dough. Close the door right away. The residual heat will allow your dough to rise.
  • Warm Dish Towel: Place a kitchen towel in the dryer until it’s nice and warm, place it over the saran wrap on top of the bowl and let it hang over the sides. Repeat as needed.
  • Outside: If it’s warm outside, place your dough outside to rise! (Even better if it’s a little humid.)

A hand pulling up a slice of cheesy pepperoni pizza.

More Pro Tips

  • Yeast: This recipe calls for Instant Yeast, but I’m always successful when I use Active Dry yeast as well. 
  • Salt: Non-iodized salt is best for baking. (Table salt is generally supplemented with iodine, which can generate a bitter taste in baked goods.) I use Redmond Real Salt for all of my baking and cooking recipes. (Enter code ‘COZY‘ for 15% off!) Of course, table salt can definitely be used if that’s what you have on hand.
  • Flour:Bread flour or all-purpose flour can be used for this recipe. Bread flour has more protein, which results in higher gluten, which results in stretchy dough and slightly chewier crust.
  • Gluten-Free Flour: This 1 to 1 baking flour may also be used in this recipe.
  • High Altitudes: Baking at a high altitude typically requires adjustments, see this guide from Bob’s Red Mill on what adjustments may be needed for this recipe.
  • Use This Dough for These Recipes:– Stromboli, Buffalo Chicken Pizza, Hawaiian Pizza, or my basic Homemade Pizza.

A hand pulling a slice of pepperoni pizza from a pizza pie.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

  • Kitchen Scale– Weigh flour when baking whenever possible, this can ensure your finished product comes out as expected!
  • Mixing Bowls– These 3 sizes are perfect for the bowls needed in this recipe!
  • Wooden Spoon– Nice and sturdy for mixing!
  • Rolling Pin– My preferred tool for rolling out the dough.

Try These Next

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A ball of pizza dough on a wooden surface with flour sprinkled around it.

Pizza Dough Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Rise Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
5 from 8 ratings
Servings: 1 pizza
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This easy pizza dough recipe is SO easy to make! It comes together fast for the best homemade pizza, stromboli, pizza rolls, and more!

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast, equal to 1 packet. See notes.
  • ¾ cup warm water, 105-115° F
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus up to 1/3 cup as needed (250-290 g)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for bowl/crust

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. (The warm water and sugar activates the yeast.) Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 5 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, add the salt, garlic powder, and 1/2 of the flour. Stir to combine. Add the warm water/yeast mixture and the olive oil. Use a wooden spoon to stir well, then gradually stir in the remaining cup of flour. Continue to stir until an elastic ball has formed, slightly sticking to the sides of the bowl.
  • Dust your hands with flour and knead the dough in the bowl for 3-5 minutes. If the dough becomes too sticky, gradually add additional flour in small dustings, up to 1/3 cup additional. If you poke the dough with your finger and it slowly comes back, it’s ready to rise. Shape into a ball.
  • Drizzle a separate large glass bowl with a little olive oil and use a pastry brush to distribute the oil on the bottom and sides. Add the ball of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rise for 30-60+ minutes, until doubled in size. (This gives time for the gluten to develop, which allows the dough to stretch without breaking.) You can also let it rise in the fridge overnight.
  • Gently punch down the dough and knead it 5 times to smooth it out. Shape back into a ball to use now or later. (See notes for make-ahead and storage instructions).
  • Basic Baking Instruction for Pizza: Bake at 450° F for 13 to 15 minutes. See my homemade pizza recipe for topping measurements and full baking instructions.

Notes

Pro Tips:
  • Yeast: This recipe calls for Instant Yeast, but I’m always successful when I use Active Dry yeast as well. 
  • Salt: Non-iodized salt is best for baking. (Table salt is generally supplemented with iodine, which can generate a bitter taste in baked goods.) I use Redmond Real Salt for all of my baking and cooking recipes. (Enter code ‘COZY‘ for 15% off!) Of course, table salt can definitely be used if that’s what you have on hand.
  • Flour: Bread flour or all-purpose flour can be used for this recipe. Bread flour has more protein, which results in higher gluten, which results in stretchy dough and slightly chewier crust.
  • Gluten-Free Flour: This 1 to 1 baking flour may also be used in this recipe.
  • High Altitudes: Baking at a high altitude typically requires adjustments, see this guide from Bob’s Red Mill on what adjustments may be needed for this recipe.
  • Use This Dough for These Recipes:- Stromboli, Buffalo Chicken Pizza, Hawaiian Pizza, or my basic Homemade Pizza.
Make Ahead Method/Storage:
  • Prepare the dough as outlined in the recipe. Instead of rolling it out for baking, shape into a ball and lightly spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then place it in a Ziploc freezer bag.
  • Refrigerate for 3-4 days or freeze for 3-4 months.
To Thaw Frozen Dough:
  • Let frozen dough thaw in the fridge for about 8 hours or overnight. Let it sit out for 30 minutes, then prepare pizza as outlined.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is for the entire batch of dough.

Nutrition

Calories: 1279kcal, Carbohydrates: 210g, Protein: 37g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 22g, Sodium: 2345mg, Potassium: 535mg, Fiber: 14g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 5IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 48mg, Iron: 12mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Author: Stephanie