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Homemade pizza dough ball lightly dusted with flour resting on a marble countertop next to a small bowl of olive oil and sea salt

Pizza Dough Recipe

A quick, reliable homemade pizza dough made with six pantry ingredients and ready to stretch in under an hour. Produces a chewy, lightly crisp crust that works for thin-crust pizza, thick-crust pizza, stromboli, or breakfast pizza with no changes to the base recipe.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 57 minutes
Servings: 2 12-inch pizza crusts
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 312
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour plus extra for kneading and shaping
  • 2.25 tsp instant yeast one standard packet
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1 cup warm water around 110°F
  • 2 tbsp olive oil plus more for coating bowl

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Baking Sheet or Pizza Stone
  • Stand Mixer with Dough Hook (optional)

Method
 

  1. Whisk flour, instant yeast, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl until evenly distributed.
  2. Add warm water and olive oil. Stir until a shaggy dough forms with no dry flour remaining at the bottom.
  3. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky, or 5 to 6 minutes in a stand mixer with a dough hook on medium speed.
  4. Shape into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and rest at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes until puffed.
  5. Divide into two portions. Hand-stretch each on a floured surface to about 12 inches in diameter. Transfer to an oiled baking sheet or preheated pizza stone.
  6. Add toppings and bake at 475°F to 500°F for 10 to 14 minutes until crust edges are golden and the underside is lightly crisp.

Notes

  • Use water around 110°F - too hot kills the yeast, too cold slows activation too much for a quick rise.
  • Do not skip kneading - under-kneaded dough tears when stretched and bakes up dense and bready.
  • If dough snaps back when stretching, cover and rest 10 minutes before trying again - the gluten needs more time to relax.
  • Preheat the baking surface inside the oven for 30 minutes before baking for the crispiest bottom crust.
  • Raw dough keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months - overnight cold fermentation improves flavor.