Pizza Dough is so easy to make when you have the secret to the perfect recipe. This foolproof pizza dough is so simple and with my step-by-step photos and easy-to-follow directions, you will have the best pizza every time!
This homemade pizza dough recipe is a family recipe passed down from my mom and is an absolute winner. It is one that we use in our house weekly and it always turns out perfectly.
If you read the five star reviews on this post you will see that this recipe really is foolproof. With my step-by-step photos and detailed recipe, you will never use another pizza dough again.
I’m definitely saving this recipe because I just made the most perfect pizza for dinner and it’s because of this perfect crust. Absolutely the perfect balance of tender/chewy/fluffy/crispy.
The Secret to Perfect Pizza Dough
The key to this amazing recipe is water temperature. Yes! It really is that simple.
The temperature of your water needs to be between 110 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Within that perfect temperature range, the yeast will activate. With water that is too cold, the yeast won’t activate. With water that is too hot, the yeast will die.
While my husband and I are at the point where we can feel the water and know that it is in the right range, I highly suggest that you use an instant read thermometer.
Believe me, I wasted lots of dough before my mom, fed up with my phone calls to her about why it wasn’t working, just gave me her thermometer. She could tell the correct temperature by touch and after many batches of dough, you’ll be able to also.
Temperature to Proof Yeast
In order to proof your yeast, the temperature of the water needs to be between 110 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
How to Make Pizza Dough
This step-by-step tutorial will give you a broad overview of how to make this foolproof homemade pizza dough. For the full recipe with detailed instructions and measurements, you will want to see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Gather Your Supplies
You will need a measuring cup with one cup of water, some active dry yeast, a little sugar, and your thermometer. There is a big difference between instant dry yeast and active dry yeast, so please be sure to grab active dry yeast. You can read more on this below.
Heat the Water to the Right Temperature
As mentioned above, your water needs to be between 110 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit to properly activate the yeast. I highly suggest using an instant-read thermometer for this. Over time, you will find that you will make this enough you just know the right temperature, but to start, use a thermometer.
Instant-Read Thermometer
Activate the Yeast for the Dough
With the water at the right temperature, add 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast and one teaspoon of sugar. Let it sit for about five minutes and you will see the yeast start to grow.
Let the Yeast Grow
As mentioned above, we are giving the yeast about five minutes to grow. This next part is extremely important. If the yeast does not look like the picture below after five minutes, throw the whole thing out. Without this great looking yeast, you are not going to get a great pizza dough. You will want to completely start over and try again. I would much rather you waste a little yeast, sugar, and water than end up with a bad batch of dough or pizza.
Combine the Pizza Dough ingredients
I prefer to bring my pizza dough together in a food processor, but a stand mixer with a dough hook or a wooden spoon will also work well.
Combine 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and the yeast mixture in a food processor. It will begin to come together and you will add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Once the dough has come together, you will finish it by hand, kneading it into a ball (this should be extremely minimal kneading), and then place it in a greased mixing bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel. Let it rise for at least one hour.
Let the Dough Rise
After an hour or two, you will see that your dough has doubled in size. This is your sign that it is ready to be made into pizza dough. You can divide it into two balls and roll them out to make two 12-inch pizzas.
Active Dry Yeast vs. Instant Yeast
As mentioned above, we are using active dry yeast in this recipe. You cannot replace it with instant yeast and get the same results. The two are both yeasts, but the way you use them is very different.
Active dry yeast must be activated to be used in a bread or dough recipe. That is what you are seeing above with the sugar, water, and letting the mixture sit for five minutes. With instant yeast, you simply add it to the other ingredients and move along with your recipe.
Please stick with active dry yeast for this recipe.
Flour for Pizza
I’ve had multiple readers ask me on this recipe if they should be using 00 flour or why I am not using 00 flour. If you are unfamiliar, that is the gold standard for flour in Italy. It differs from other flours in the fact that it is much more finely ground.
I do not think 00 flour is necessary for this recipe. We have tested it with both all-purpose flour and 00 flour and we really didn’t notice a difference when it came to several different categories. It rolled out similarly, we did not notice a difference in texture, and we did not notice a difference in taste (which makes sense, as finely grinding it wouldn’t change taste).
All of that is to say that if you want to use 00 flour, absolutely go for it. But it is not necessary. You will have great results with all-purpose flour.
Using this Dough for Pizza
I have many different pizza recipes that I know you will love, but you can really use this to make any pizza. You can make two 12-inch pizzas from this dough. Follow the steps below to make a simple pepperoni pizza.
- Roll out the dough. On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough so it makes a 12-inch circle. Transfer it to a pizza baking sheet or a pizza stone.
- Add some pizza sauce. I typically use about 1/2 cup of pizza sauce per pizza.
- Top the pizza with cheese and pepperoni. Add about 2 cups of freshly grated mozzarella cheese to the prepared pizza dough over the sauce. Top with pepperoni and a dash more cheese.
- Bake the pizza. Place the pizza in a preheated oven set to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges of the crust begin to brown.
Pizza Sauce Recipe
Pre-Baking Pizza Dough
If you are working with a pizza that is heavy on the toppings, I would suggest pre-baking the dough. I like to bake it for about five minutes before taking it out and topping it when I make my Meat Lovers Pizza.
Pizza Stone
Storing Leftover Dough
When we only make one pizza, I store the extra crust covered on my countertop at room temperature and we get to have pizza again tomorrow night. I would not recommend storing this dough for longer than three days.
I haven’t personally frozen this pizza dough recipe because we always eat both pizzas, but several readers have. After they divide the dough into two balls, they make one into a pizza and freeze the other in an airtight container and have had great results.
FAQ
This homemade pizza dough recipe can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored on your countertop.
No, you do not. It is just a really quick way to bring the dough together. You can also use a stand mixer with a dough hook or a wooden spoon and your hands like in my easy dinner roll recipe.
No. This recipe requires active dry yeast.
I have not tested this recipe with whole wheat flour. If you decide to do that, I would only replace 50% of the flour with whole wheat at the most.
This recipe has not been tested with gluten-free flour.
You do not. We have tested this recipe with both 00 flour and all-purpose flour and do not notice a difference.
I have not tested this recipe in a bread maker.
Pizza Recipes
I already told you how to make a simple pepperoni pizza, but if you are looking for other more out of the box recipes, try one of these!
- Buffalo Chicken Pizza: This is a fantastic pizza that you will totally fall in love with.
- Taco Pizza: Not your typical pizza recipe, but my goodness, so amazing!
- Pesto Pizza: I actually really love this as an appetizer for parties! So easy and delicious!
If you make this easy pizza dough recipe, leave me a comment to let me know how it went and what you topped your pizza with!
The Secret To Perfect Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon water heated to 110 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit (251.4 ml)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (8.1 grams)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (4.125 grams)
- 3 cups all purpose flour (360 grams)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt if using table salt, use 1/2 teaspoon (2.6 grams)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (14.8 ml)
Instructions
- Heat water to between 110 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit. (You will use the full 1 cup and 1 tablespoon all at once.)1 cup + 1 tablespoon water
- Sprinkle the active dry yeast over the water. Then sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar over the yeast. Let it sit until the water has become frothy. If it doesn't froth as pictured above, dump your water and start again.2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- In the bowl of a food processor add the all purpose flour and salt. Pulse for a few seconds to evenly distribute the salt. (Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook, or a wooden spoon and then clean hands to knead the dough.)3 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- With the food processor running, add the oil. Then add the yeast water combination with the food processor still running until a dough ball forms. (See note.)1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Put the dough ball in and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to double in size, about an hour to an hour and a half.
- Pull the dough apart to create two dough balls for two pizza crusts. On a well floured surface, roll the dough balls out into two 12-inch pizzas.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- On a well floured surface, roll the dough balls out into two 12 inch pizzas. Place the dough on a pizza stone or pizza baking sheet, add pizza sauce, your favorite toppings, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheesy is bubbly and the edges of the crust are golden brown.
Notes
judith judge says
would the dough come out the same is i used a kitcheaid mixer or is a processor better
I have used a KitchenAid mixer several times with their dough hook attachment. It’s not as quick, but it definitely works.
angela kennedy says
Trying this recipe out for the 1st time. My dough is rising nicely, looks like the photos! Hopefully it comes out good!! (fingers crossed)
rachel frampton says
I’m planning to serve a Marinara cheese pizza on our Brunch this Sunday, which is why I’m currently looking for recipes online. Thank you for this; I’ll make sure to add a teaspoon of Kosher salt in the 3 cups of all-purpose flour so a perfect dough will be obtained. I’ll try my best to perfect this, but since I’m still not there, maybe it would be better to order from an Italian restaurant first.
Jean says
Loved the crust. Only issue I had was the crust came out very hard. I baked it on a pizza stone that I preheated as instructed on the stone. Could that have made the edges so hard? Otherwise, perfect– great taste and texture. It rose perfectly the food processor was great way to mix the dough.
Pizza stones and ovens vary for sure. You might want to try another one without pre baking the crust, or cutting back on the time you do it.
Marc says
excellent recipe the dough was so easy to work with no “pull back ” at all can’t wait to make it again also plan to use it for calzones
I”m so glad to hear this Marc!
Deb says
Maybe a dumb question, It what temperature do you bake your pizza at and for how long.
Thanks
Not a dumb question at all. This recipe should be updated with a section on that. We generally do a pizza stone in a conventional oven at 400 for 20 to 25 minutes. Though, I would play with it, and watch your pizza closely because how thick you roll your crust and how much sauce and toppings you use greatly change cooking time.
Hend says
Thank you for the recipe i will try it today! Just checkin does the dough need to be worked out a bit after the processor or not? Thanks!
Nope! The Food processor should take care of all of it.
bistro sk says
What an awesome dish!!!. Thank you for sharing. I love your recipe very much. I think your dish is very delicious. I will make this recipe for my family and my friend. I hope you have more recipe like this.
Rebecca says
I’m definitely saving this recipe because I just made the most perfect pizza for dinner and it’s because of this perfect crust. Absolutely the perfect balance of tender/chewy/fluffy/crispy. I dusted my hands with flour while giving the risen dough maybe a minute of kneading and forming it, using an ordinary pizza pan, and baked mine at 475 for about 14 minutes. Let it sit for five minutes, then it sliced beautifully. I think I’ll make some garlic knots with the other half of the dough.
Sherry says
Hi Lisa, Since I retired, my #1 goal was to learn how to create the fresh baked smells I would get when coming home from school on a cold winter day and our house being filled with those great aromas. I successfully bake bread and dinner rolls, but my pizza dough will NOT stretch or roll out. I have tried dough rolling enhancers, left it sit on the counter for 30 + minutes a couple times, tried rolling it out between plastic wrap, but it always snaps back, then gets tossed in the trash and I start over and still no luck. I am going to make your recipe today and would like to know if you have encountered or have heard from other bakers with this problem. Also, will using Rapid Rise yeast instead of Active Yeast make a difference. I have both. Thank you.
Hi Sherry! I hope this recipe ended up working out for you. I have not had the trouble with this recipe that you are describing.
Kara Fox says
This recipe saved our Pizza Fridays! We’ve been making homemade pizza every Friday since quarantine started. My crust was always crispy on the bottom and super chewy inside, like couldn’t cut across the stone with a pizza cutter chewy. I made this with water at 115 degrees and sprinkled the sugar on top of the yeast as instructed. Either one or both absolutely made the difference. The yeast foamed in a way it doesn’t when you mix the sugar in the water first. The crust came out perfect. I could tell when rolling it out it was going to be good! Thanks!!
Kara, this makes me so happy!! I’m so glad you love this recipe as much as we do.