Pizza Dough Recipe

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

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

Prep Time15

Rise Time30

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: pizza

Calories: 1279kcal

Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

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

US Customary - Metric

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. My Olive Oil Bread Dip is great on the crust too!
OR, skip the dough and make my French Bread Pizza instead!
📘 Find this recipe on page 242 of my 2nd cookbook, Let’s Eat!

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