I know it sounds cheesy, but pizza really is my favorite food. It has endless possibilities and usually includes my favorite things: bread, tomatoes, and cheese. And when you make your pizza crust from scratch, pizza is one of the cheapest dinners you can make. The best part? All of the ingredients for homemade pizza dough are pantry staples, so you can make this whenever without planning ahead. AND it’s freezer-friendly so you can always have some stashed and ready to thaw on a moment’s notice.
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What is in Homemade Pizza Dough?
While there are several styles of pizza dough out there in the world, this particular recipe is super simple and only includes:
- Water
- Yeast
- Sugar
- Salt
- Flour
- Olive Oil
That’s it! Really! This particular recipe creates a crust that is crispy on the outside, but still tender on the inside. If you use a rolling pin to really compact the dough and roll it thin, you’ll get a result that more closely resembles a crispy thin-crust pizza. Toss the dough by hand, gently stretching the dough and leaving some thickness will give you that crispy-yet-tender finish, with a few of those awesome big bubbles.
What Kind of Yeast Can I Use?
The instructions below will work with active dry or instant yeast. If you’re looking for a pizza crust without yeast, check out my No-Yeast Pizza Dough Recipe.
How to Freeze Pizza Dough
After kneading the pizza dough, form it into a ball, coat the dough ball with a little oil to keep it from sticking to the plastic, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place the plastic wrapped dough ball in a heavy duty freezer zip top bag, label, date, and place it in the freezer!
How to Thaw Pizza Dough
To thaw your frozen pizza dough, place it in the refrigerator the night before you intend to bake the pizza. The dough will rise slightly as it thaws. The other option is to allow the dough to thaw at room temperature, which will take about two hours. You’ll want to unwrap the pizza dough from the plastic before letting it thaw. Place the frozen dough in an oiled bowl and cover loosely with a clean towel as it thaws.
Try These Homemade Pizza Flavors:
- BBQ Chicken Pizza
- Breakfast Pizza
- Garlicky Kale and Ricotta Pizza
- Ultimate Portobello Mushroom Pizza
- White Pizza with Parsley Pesto Drizzle
- Spicy Hawaiian Pizza
- Hummus and Grilled Vegetable Pizza
- Stromboli
Make some homemade pizza sauce to go with your pizza crust!
Homemade Pizza Dough
Servings 4Ingredients
- 3/4 cups warm water ($0.00)
- 1 tsp yeast* ($0.08)
- 1 Tbsp sugar ($0.05)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour ($0.30)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.03)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
Instructions
- Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Allow the yeast water to sit for about 5 minutes, or until a thick layer of foam develops on top.
- While you’re waiting for the yeast, add 1 cup of the flour and the salt to a large bowl, then stir well to combine.
- Add the olive oil to the yeast water, then pour the mixture into the bowl with the flour and salt. Begin adding more flour to the bowl, ¼ to ½ cup at a time, until it forms a ball of dough that can no longer be stirred with a spoon.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, then knead for about 5 minutes, adding a little flour as you go to keep it from sticking.
- At this point you have three options: use the dough tonight (one hour after kneading), use it tomorrow (allowing it to rise in the refrigerator over night) or within a month (freezing the dough).
To Use the Pizza Dough Same Day
- Place the kneaded dough back into the mixing bowl, drizzle with a little oil, then turn the dough to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl loosely and let the dough rise in a warm place for one hour, or until it is double in volume.
- Once risen, stretch or roll the dough out to a 14 to 16-inch circle, place on a pizza pan, and top with your favorite sauce and toppings. Bake the pizza in a preheated 450ºF oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are brown and crispy.
To Use the Pizza Dough the Next Day
- Allowing the dough to proof (rise) slowly in the refrigerator for 18-24 hours gives the dough even more flavor. Form the dough into a ball and coat with oil. Place the dough in a covered container and refrigerate for 18-24 hours. Allow the dough to come to room temperature before stretching, topping, and baking.
To Freeze the Dough for Future Use
- Form the kneaded dough into a ball, coat it with oil, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag and transfer to the freezer. When you are ready to use the dough, simply place it on the counter for one hour prior to use. The dough should be at room temperature before stretching, topping, and baking.
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!
How to Make Homemade Pizza Dough – Step By Step Photos
Start this classic pizza crust recipe by dissolving 1 tsp active dry yeast (or instant yeast) and 1 Tbsp sugar in ¾ cup warm water.
Let the yeast water sit for about 5 minutes, or until a thick layer of foam develops on top.
While the yeast is blooming, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 tsp salt in a mixing bowl. Stir until combined.
Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to the yeast water, then pour it into the bowl with the flour and salt. Stir until the mixture is fairly smooth.
Begin adding more flour, about ¼ to ½ cup at a time, until you can no longer stir the mixture with a spoon.
Once it forms a ball that you can no longer stir with a spoon, turn it out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface.
Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, adding a little flour as you go to prevent it from sticking. Once kneaded, you should have used about 2 cups flour total, since the first step of stirring salt into the flour. Total flour amount can vary depending on humidity and other factors. At this point you can let the dough rise and make a pizza same day, refrigerate the dough and make pizza with it the next day, or freeze the dough for future use.
To make a pizza same day: Place the dough ball back into the mixing bowl, add just a small drizzle of oil, and turn the dough to coat it in the oil. The oil will keep the dough from drying out as it rises.
Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for about an hour, or until it is double in size.
Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Stretch or roll the pizza dough out to 14-16 inches and place on a pizza pan. Add your favorite pizza sauce…
And your favorite pizza toppings…
Bake in the fully preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the crust and toppings are browned.
Slice and enjoy!
How would I alter the recipe for almond flour? I read sometimes you will have to add more due to the almond flour’s moisture content. thanks
We don’t use almond flour in our kitchen very much as it can be pretty costly, but you can check out this recipe to get a better idea! https://www.mamaknowsglutenfree.com/almond-flour-pizza-crust/
Anyone use bread flour for this ? Any advantage ? I have both, just wondering 🤔
I used bread flour for this recipe and it turned out great! The crust was chewy and soft in all the right ways. Bread flour is my preferred flour in this recipe.
I tried this pizza recipe and I love it
love all your recipes and this one is no different! just wondering what ratio you would recommend to add whole wheat flour?
I’d recommend doing half AP and half wheat for the best outcome! You may have to use a little less flour when kneading because ww flour does tend to absorb a little more liquid. If using all whole wheat you’d definitely need to use a bit more water!
Do you have a pizza sauce recipe??
Absolutely! https://www.budgetbytes.com/thick-rich-pizza-sauce/
Great recipe! My friend just shared it after she baked one and tasted; it was delicious, and the dough very soft.
I loved it, thank you for your recipe. 😉👍
Can’t wait to make this! Thank you!
Opted to use honey instead of white sugar for a chewier dough to make a ham and pineapple stromboli tonight 10/10 recommend. Has anyone tried to use this dough recipe for bagels?
Comment & Question
We LOVE this pizza dough and its so ridiculously easy to make- we don’t make any changes to the recipe and it comes out perfect! For our family of 4 (2 teens/2 adults), we make two pizzas. Usually a cheese and a veggie pizza. Three important tips:
1. Put your pizza stone in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 430-450! Get the stones HOT
2. Use parchment paper when rolling dough, making your pizzas and its an easier transfer to the stone!
3. Melt butter, Italian seasoning and garlic powder together- spread it on the dough once rolled out and before you put your sauce down. It adds great flavor to the dough!
QUESTION:
Have you tried or anyone tried 1 cup regular all purpose flour and 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour? Do you change the amounts of the recipe? Can you keep the rest of the recipe the same?
I’ve done half ww flour and liked it! Sometimes you have to use a little less flour when kneading because ww flour does tend to absorb a little more liquid, but that’s the only adjustment I made.
This is a really good, simple dough recipe. Can easily add herbs or spices to the dry ingredients to give it a little flavor kick, too! You can even get a little wild if you’re using less traditional toppings (add turmeric, curry powder, etc.).
If you’re not using a preheated pizza stone, I highly suggest baking the crust on its own for a good 7-8 minutes first and then adding the toppings, especially if you want just-melted cheese that doesn’t get all dried out. If you do that, it helps to saute your toppings in a pan for a few minutes first, just to get them a bit soft, so that the toppings are perfect right as the crust gets to the perfect level of doneness.
Made pizza dough first trial. Yummy
I’ve tried a lot of dough recipes… this one is the best. Great feel, great texture, great taste. I made mine fit a 16″ pan so the crust was a little thin, but still chewy. Yum.
A good recipe that is a bit putzy but has great flavor. I like to make it ahead on Sundays and refrigerate it to use on Monday nights!!
I typically use another same day crust recipe, but saw rave reviews from Ooni owners in the comments and decided to give Beth’s recipe a try before recommending it to my dad (who has an Ooni). For some reason, my dough was very dry when following the amounts listed, so I added extra water and oil as needed for texture. I was a little worried, but it rose perfectly and I stretched it out on a half sheet pan in a shaggy rectangle. I ended up lowering the temp to 425° on convection since I saw someone say theirs turned out doughy. It all worked out in the end and made for a delicious pizza! I’m guessing it was probably my flour making the dough dry (and I didn’t spoon it as I measured), so I’ll test that next time I make this again.
Super easy and delicious!
Easy yummy recipe
My very first time making homemade pizza, and it turned out great! My 6-year old loved it! I think we are going to start doing a family pizza night once a week now. Thank you!
I made this dough tonight and it was super easy and made enough for 2 small/medium pizzas. However, I would love to know what type of pan the recipe creator used. Our crust was doughy and undercooked even after we let the toppings get browned. Next time, we will definitely cook the crust on it’s own for about 5 minutes before adding our toppings to ensure the crust is cooked. I would make this again since it was so easy and had good flavor.
I’ve used this same recipe for dough for 30+ years (also makes a great simple bagguette). The one thing I’d add to the process is the “sponge.” I whip the yeast, warm water and sugar and stir in about a half to a full cup of flour to make something like wallpaper paste. The I leave it for at least ten minutes to a half hour to form a sponge: a frothy, bubbly, mix. Then I continue with the flour and kneading (not too much! Just enough).
Looking forward trying several of your recipes.
Great, reliable pizza dough recipe! It turns out so well on when cooked our preheated pizza stone. I double the recipe to make two pizzas for our weekly family pizza night. It stretches easily, and has great taste and texture once cooked! After many weeks of pizza night, I’ve learned to use plenty of cornmeal to keep the dough from sticking to the peel and to go quite light with sauce and cheese.
Love this recipe to make pizza at home that’s FAR superior to frozen and fun, easy, and very cheap to make. Last time, I doubled the recipe to freeze half. Freezing the dough was fine, but I highly recommend you defrost in the fridge the day before, and not on the countertop at room temperature. It took FOREVER to defrost and I was hungry. I ended up defrosting the dough by placing it in a ziploc bag in warm water, which wasn’t ideal but still made for a good pizza. Next time I will triple the recipe and freeze enough for two pizzas, since the pizza sauce recipe makes enough for three also. It won’t be as easy to knead as just one pizza worth of dough but it’s not too much either.
The single most important thing I found was to Not use Treated water from any utility company. It contains anti bacterial chemicals. The water here will kill the action of the Yeast. Hand filtered or pure bottled water raises my yeast every time.
I made this dough last night. A double batch seemed like the perfect amount to stretch out in a sheet pan. I cooked it at 450 for ~15 minutes and it looked done. But I found that the dough was rather soft and bready.
Any idea what I should have done differently? Was it because I used a sheet pan? Or perhaps I let the yeast get a little too frothy (5 minutes wasn’t enough and I had a nice layer of bubbles after more like 10 minutes)?
Doing a long ferment for the dough (like leaving it in the refrigerator for a day, maybe two) can help develop the gluten more so it will be less soft and fluffy. But yes, cooking it on a sheet pan instead of something super hot like a pizza stone will also keep it soft instead of getting a nice crispy bottom.
I tried this again last night with much better results. Got the pizza stone ripping hot (preheated the oven for a half hour), prepared the pizza on parchment paper, and put it directly on the stone for ~14 minutes. Using parchment was far far easier than trying to slide a pizza off a pizza peel!
This recipe is going in the rotation along with many others I have discovered on this site. Thank you!
This is okay pizza dough, but I think the servings are misleading. This does not serve 4. It serves one. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Plus, the water and flour ratios seem off, which makes me think metric would serve better for dough since the way that people scoop flour will change how much flour ends up being used (whether someone sifts, spoons, or just scoops with the cup).
Serves one?? I was able to feed my family of 5 with this recipe.
I don’t know why I use any cooking sites but budgetbytes. After a few trial and errors I finally tried the simplest recipe posted here and it was BY FAR the best. Instant yeast worked well as a replacement.
FYI, it was absolutely perfect dough for calzones.
Hi
Would you be able to send this recipe in grams please?
Thanks
Kamal
This is a great recipe! I’ve made it a bunch of times and had a few batches early on that came out extremely sticky even when using the same amount of flour. I’ve pinned down the variable for me: the yeast foam. At first I would give it just the 5 minutes then mix it in, even if it hadn’t really foamed. However if I wait until a good foam develops, the dough ends up way more workable. This is important because when it’s sticky it’s pretty much impossible to knead, and is then difficult to stretch. So let the yeast foam!! I used yeast with a 2022 expiration date today and it still took a good 15 mins or so. I’m sure the quality matters and probably characteristics of your water too. Beth does say to make sure it’s foamed and that’s what you should go by, just be aware that it might take a good bit more than 5 mins.
This recipe isn’t gluten free.
I don’t have it listed as gluten-free. Where are you seeing that? I’d like to correct it if it says gluten-free somewhere.
Love the recipe! One thing I tweak is adding a touch of garlic powder and basil/Italian seasoning to the flour mixture. Turned out so well though!
Do you let the dough rise then freez
Nope, you’ll want to freeze it before it has risen. :)
I’m interested in making a garlic and herb dough, would I be able to add the ingredients to this recipe?
I haven’t tried it to know for sure, but I would think that you would be able to add some dried herbs and garlic powder to the flour mixture to give it those flavors.
I think I commented when you first posted this, but in the months since, this recipe has been a quarantine lifesaver. We prefer thin crust pizza. As my best pan makes a 12″ pizza, this is plenty for 2. I bake one the day I make the dough and freeze the other half.
I won’t buy any more frozen pizza and not at all sure we will ever go out for pizza again, since this is easy, authentic, and delicious–and inexpensive, particularly since I discovered that Aldi’s yeast is half the price as my regular supermarket. I’ve also had fun subbing half the white flour with whole wheat–some minor time and quantity adjustments since the absorption properties and gluten content are slightly different for whole wheat. It’s particularly yummy with pizzas that don’t use red sauce.
I keep yeast in the fridge–it lasts at least a year after the expiration date, although 2 year old yeast might take more than 5 minutes to get started. Fortunately I had a good supply last March because it was very hard to find in my local stores at least until late June.
How long should the dough knead for in a stand mixer
I haven’t used a stand mixer to knead this dough, unfortunately.
I used a stand mixer this time after kneading in the past. I stirred everything together in the mixer bowl by hand until it got too thick, then switched to the dough hook on speed 2 for 5 minutes (ocassionally scraping off the hook). I just sprayed oil around the sides of the same bowl to get the dough covered for the rise, so I only had to use one bowl. It worked fine!
Actually, I think I used speed 3 for kneading. Speed 2 was a little slow to move the dough around.
I use the stand mixer each time and always double the recipe. Once all the flour is in, speed 2-4 until it is coming off the sides of the bowl and doesn’t stick to your fingers. So easy and little mess. Then I cut that big ball in 1/2, use the same mixer bowl to let the night’s dough rise and freeze the other ball.
We love thin crust so we make this on a stainless steel pizza stone in the oven at 450 and it comes out perfectly crispy with big bubbles!
The last few times I’ve made pizza dough, it’s so sticky I can’t even roll it out without most of the dough getting on my hands and the pizza stone. I end up tossing it in the trash.
My guess — and it’s just a guess– is that I have the water temperature wrong. When you say warm water, what temp should it be? I was thinking of using a thermometer next time to get it exact. Thanks!
If the dough is too sticky it is an issue with the water to flour ratio, not the water temperature. I would try kneading in a bit more flour. :) I just use warm tap water, like bath water, and don’t ever use a thermometer for this.
Thank you so much!
How do I time making dough for dinner ?
Can I let it sit out for a few hours if dinner is late ?
Thanks again
Begin the dough so that you’ll have one hour of rise time before you top and bake your pizza. If it’s going to be longer than that, place the dough in the refrigerator to keep it from over rising, but allow it to rise for one hour at room temperature.
How about using bread flour or should Indtick to the recipe ?
Thank you
You can use bread flour, but you may need to use slightly less flour. It’s best to go by the texture of the dough as you’re kneading. :)
I remember failing horribly when I tried to make homemade pizza…I was expecting the same result but this time it was a success! Thank you so much for this recipe! The dough turns out fluffy and thick at some spots which is what I want out of a pizza. I will be making this one very frequently!
Great! This is my new go-to pizza mixture formula. So natural to twofold or fourfold. My solitary remark is that it doesn’t defrost from solidified following 60 minutes… .it appears it needs at any rate 4 hours at room temp or perhaps overnight in the ice chest (at that point room temp for 60 minutes). Yet, makes impeccable pizza outside layer!!
Perfect! This is my new go-to pizza dough recipe. So easy to double or quadruple. My only comment is that it does not defrost from frozen after 1 hour….it seems it needs at least 4 hours at room temp or maybe overnight in the fridge (then room temp for an hour). But makes perfect pizza crust!!
What size is the cup in ml you use to measure the flour? I’m never sure whether to use a 200ml or 250ml cup when weights are not provided.
We don’t use metric on the site unfortunately. But I would suggest at 250ml cup.
Thank you for telling us that we have to let the yeast and water sit for five minutes. I tried this, and it totally worked! I am now going to try baking bread. I am excited and can’t wait to explore baking now. Thanks again!
How do you get yeast so inexpensively? Are you buying it bulk or using about half of a little packet. Using packets, the best I can do, purchasing at my supermarket is $.28 for half of a packet, and then having to deal with successfully preserving the other half. Aldi probably sells yeast for less, but not much. We’re talking pennies here, but at $.82 (probably a little more unless I have bought the flour on sale), I’m snuggling right up to the purchase price of prepared pizza dough at my supermarket deli for $1 for an equivalent amount of dough.
During the past months of local shortages, yeast was unavailable in my community for several months, and it was even difficult to find flour at times. I was beyond grateful for having a couple of strips of yeast packets in my fridge and extra flour in my pantry left over from the holidays, and also happy to have half a dozen balls of pizza dough in my freezer. This is a terrific recipe, and I’ve used it frequently since everything shut down in March.
Hi Janet! those little single use packets are definitely the most expensive option. You should be able to find these little 4oz. jars of Fleischmann’s yeast at most major grocery stores and even this little jar lasts forever in the fridge and is way less expensive than the little packets. And then sometimes I buy a 1 lb. bag, which is the cheapest option, but a bit harder to find (I got mine at our local health food store for only about $5). But I think the jar is your best bet!
So good and easy! I was so nervous to make a dough, but you spelled it out very simply (I loved the step-by-step photos.) My husband has underlying medical conditions, so we have been taking social distancing very seriously. We have not had ANY take out since the quarantine has started and even though I purchased frozen pizza from the store, we were really missing the kind you get delivered. When you posted this recipe, I couldn’t stop thinking about how easy you made it seem and with only a few ingredients, this recipe allowed me and my hubby to enjoy an inexpensive, delicious pizza dinner that tasted like the kind you get delivered. Thank you!!
Hi,
thanks for the recipe, I too love pizza very much and in this time of the pandemic this is the best idea to make it at home.
Farhat…https://www.bakingnfrosting.com/2020/07/coconut-cake-recipe.html
This worked out really well. My toddler ate some too so thank you!
Do you know why it tastes fermented ? Did i mess up with the yeast or temperature ?
You may have let it proof just a tad too long.
The measurements for 4 people (2cups flour) make one pizza?
You can adjust the servings for any of our recipes by adding the number of people you are cooking for in the servings box and the ingredients will adjust.
I’ve been making pizza using Beth’s dough and pizza sauce recipe every week since we went into quarantine in March. I tried the new version of the recipe this week with the subtle changes (less kneading, adding the olive oil in a different way) and the dough turned out even better – very light and airy, and also crisped up well. I also added a touch of garlic powder to the dough, let it rise in the refrigerator overnight, hand tossed, and baked on a pre-headed pizza stone. Excellent – thank you, Beth for always having such awesome and reliable recipes.
I love this recipe. My son and I made it every week all summer in 2017! So much fun and great memories. I wanted to say that if you get a good pizza seasoning such as frontier coop pizza spice, and add some in the dough before baking it. It is divine and takes this delish dish to the next level!
I’m in awe right now …why havent I made pizza dough before …I have tried and failed when I was younger and just assumed I couldn’t do it but with this recipie I can and it was perfect !
Thank you so much <3
Haven’t tried this specific one yet, but just wanted to say thank you for updating it! I have used the old one many times :]
Add 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil for subtle flavor enhancement.
I saw what you did there with the cheesy, lol.
No better way to eat pizza than with homemade dough!
I spy a professional pizza screen!
Do you have instructions on subbing the active year with instant?
I’ve used active dry for this recipe with great results. You should be able to use active dry or instant/bread machine yeast. :)
Does the yeast matter? When I see a recipe that simply mentions “Yeast”, I assume it means Active Dry Yeast, but the photo you posted seems to indicate that you used RapidRise. But otherwise the type of yeast isn’t mentioned at all in the recipe.
Yes, sorry, this is a very old recipe that needs to be updated (and I plan to do so next week). For this recipe you can use either active dry or rapid rise. Both should work well.
I tried this recipe because it had so many good comments. I followed it to a tee but I don’t think 3/4 cups water is enough. My dough turned out dense even after 10 minutes of properly kneading it.
I plan to make one tonight. Just wanted to check if we bake just the base first and then do the toppings and bake again?
Or just put the toppings on raw base and bake in one go?
It’s up to you! Per the recipe above, the toppings are put onto the raw dough and then baked.
you allowed a single click to the recipe and you consolidated it down to one page with a photo! this is harder to find than gold in a river. i signed up as a result. i’m making the pizza dough today and will review later, but so far, i’m feelin’ you!
This has been my go-to recipe for pizza dough for a year or so now! Very easy and inexpensive. I usually parbake it before topping it with sauce and cheese, but that might be because I use a cookie sheet with foil rather than a perforated pizza pan.
It’s a great staple! Yes with the cookie sheet it may take a little longer to cook. Par-baking is a great way to help that dough cook evenly.
Tried this pizza dough recipe ~ mixed together very nicely, rolled out easy BUT, way too thin and tasteless. Will not be making this recipe again.
Sorry to hear that Carole. I’m happy to walk through the recipe with you to troubleshoot any issues.
This is one of my favorite, go-to recipes! I use 00 flour so I add a little bit more flour (only enough that it doesn’t stick while my mixer does the hard work of kneading) but it leads to some beautiful pizza! I cook my pizza in a preheated cast iron pan in a 500° oven and always parbake for the best result.
A low, slow rise is essential for flavor!
I always add some dried basil and oregano to the flour before mixing for extra flavour! :)
I’m trying to give this recipe five stars but it won’t let me give more than four, WTAF?
Love the dough! I wanted to ask if I can premake an entire pizza and just store it in the freezer before popping it directly into the oven? Or is there another way to do this if I want to premake an entire pizza? The goal is that I have ready-made pizza to heat at any time. Thanks!
You might need to par-bake the crust, but honestly that’s just a guess. I think I’d need to test it out to know what the best method is and I’ve never done that before. :)
Excellent recipe! Came together and I needed very easily. Baked beautifully and gave me a nice solid crust!
I’d think you could because we freeze papa murphies pizza pre-baked pizza all the time
This is an AWESOMELY EASY pizza dough recipe! No need to by store bought dough EVER again. Thanks so much!
This is the Best pizza dough ever! I find it quicker and much tastier than premade supermarket dough. It rolls out so easily and incredibly delicious!
So I just want to make sure I am understanding this right – if you want to freeze the dough you don’t let it rise first, just freeze right after kneading?
Also, just curious what happened to another recipe of yours, summer succotash. I made it once before but it appears it’s been deleted from the site. Thanks.
You actually freeze it just after kneading. :) The dough will kind of go through its rise as it thaws later, so you don’t want it to over rise. I cleaned out some of the older recipes, but I can email the pdf of the summer succotash. I’ll email it to the address you used to make the comment, but if you want it sent somewhere else, just let me know!
Thanks!
NEVER add flour to knead dough for Pizza or Most Breads (really wet dough’s like sweet enriched are an exception then just keep it moving fast with a Bench Scraper) simply rub a bit of olive oil on your surface. add a bit more oil as need but very little at a time. You’ll find that you get a better rise and more tender crumb. Even for Crust Artisan Breads just be sure to spray a bit of water on to it when your put it in the oven or set a pan on the lower rack with Boiling water for that crisp crust
Hi there,
When you pop in the fridge, do you wrap or cover the dough first?
Yes, definitely cover it tightly with plastic or place it in a zip top bag. A thin coating of oil will help keep the dough from sticking to the plastic, if you’re using a bag.
Thanks for the recipe, it’s become a staple in my house. A couple of questions though:
When you double the recipe, should you double the yeast quantity also?
I often use whole wheat flour but find the dough denser, any tips for making it a bit fluffier?
I’m so glad your’e enjoying it! Yes, if you double the recipe, double all of the ingredients including the yeast. Whole wheat flour will always produce a more dense end product, so I suggest only substituting up to 50% of the flour to maintain a lighter texture. Some people add extra gluten to help with this, but I’ve never tried that method.
I agree. Pizza dough can be extremely cheap to make. Flour, water, salt, and yeast are all dirt cheap depending on what you buy.
This is a great recipe I will be using it again soon. One note though if you use a pizza stone you want to lower the cook time a little bit .
Cleanup question: How to do clean the counter after kneading the dough? I have gone through a few sponges trying to clean off the countertop after. Love the pizza!!!
I have a tool called a “bench scraper” or “dough scraper” they come in both metal and plastic and are great for scraping the film off the counter and for use as a cutting tool when dividing dough. :)
Life changing recipe for sure! I have tried making pizza dough in the past and could never get it right. The directions and pictures were very helpful! I have made quite a few of your bread recipes successfully. I always knead in my kitchen-aid mixer with the dough hook which works like a charm. I did make the dough the day before. My first time I tried cooking in a perforated pizza pan but the bottom of the crust did not get brown. Second time I decided to try my pizza stone. I have never been able to figure out how to shape the dough and transfer it to the hot stone successfully, nothing I tried worked. I read on the King Arthur flour website to use parchment on the stone. Finally, success! I shaped the dough on a piece of parchment on my counter and added all my toppings then just lifted the sheet to the hot stone and literally turned out perfect, bottom of crust was perfectly browned! So happy to finally have figured this out after all these years! Thanks again for an awesome recipe.
I’ve never been very good with yeast dough, so coming into this, I was a bit skeptical. Even after cutting this recipe down to only serve one, my singular mini pizza came out beautifully golden! It did rise in the oven a lot more than I was expecting, so next time I’ll try rolling out the dough a lot thinner. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, I plan to use it plenty more in the future!
Hands down the best pizza dough recipe from your collection. I left it in the fridge to make the next day and made two personal pizzas. Perfect for both dd’s and I. 💜
Oh my gosh!!! I can’t thank you enough!! I made this tonight with your pizza sauce and could cry with happiness! I’m just starting to get out of my comfort zone and making more difficult recipes (like bread). This came out so so good! Literally as good as anything we can order! I was so nervous to spend so much time on something but this is going to be a regular thing! I put the rest of the sauce in the freezer and maybe when we get done eating I’ll throw the rest of the pepperoni in a freezer bag, then make a few more batches of dough so I can have this anytime pretty quickly! I did make the dough in my bread machine but added flour as it was kneading (cleaned the kitchen at the same time) and couldn’t be happier!! My husband was even super impressed that I pulled out a pizza that looked professional!
I just think you’re a hidden gem. Thank you for this.
Used this recipe tonight, and our crust is the best we’ve been able to make! Great!
I’ve been using this recipe regularly for several years now. I usually quadruple it and freeze half. It has achieved Holy Grail status in our family. Best pizza crust ever.
I made this the other week and LOVED IT! I’m a beginner when it comes to bread in general. Couple questions? Am I understanding it right that my frozen bread ball will thaw and be ready to use in about and hour? And with fresh dough, how long can it sit out past the initial hour? Could it be made hour ahead?
Thanks for all the great recipes :)
The answer to both questions is that it really just depends on the ambient room temperature. The dough should thaw in about an hour, but you may need to test it to know for sure with your usual indoor air temp. For the fresh dough, I’d pop it in the fridge if you know it’s going to be more than an hour.
My dough turned out thin and a bit tough. Any suggestions?
Usually if it’s tough, too much flour has been added during kneading. That’s the most tricky part about bread dough. You really just have to get used to the texture so you know how much flour to add in. It will vary a little bit every time you make bread due to humidity levels.
Have been trying out different recipes for pizza dough, but this one seems to be the best so far. Made a pizza yesterday and it turned out just fine! Thanks and to all pizza lovers: Try it it works just fine.
I see now that you used “bread machine” yeast. I used regular, active dry yeast and obviously didn’t rise well at all. I wasn’t looking at the photographs as I prepared my dough. I think it would be very helpful to clarify that Instant/Rapid-rise/Bread Machine yeast is needed. I should have known better with a one-hour rise time, but it would be helpful to prevent others from making the same mistake I did. Thanks! Looking forward to trying it again :) Love Budget Bytes!
I’ve used active dry for this recipe with great results. You should be able to use active dry or instant/bread machine yeast. :)
Question: if i refridgerate this over night for use the next night, is the dough supposed to rise at all in the fridge? How long in advance do i take the dough out of the fridge, abd should it rise after its taken out?
Yes, it will definitely continue to rise in the fridge, just at a slower pace. In fact, the flavor is even better if it’s left to rise in the fridge for a day (that’s the technique used in a lot of pizza parlors). If it has risen in the fridge, you only need to take it out long enough for it to warm up to a point where it’s pliable again before you use it. It doesn’t need any additional rise time. We used to take it straight out of the fridge and just work it with our hands until it warmed up and got pliable before building the pizza (at a pizza restaurant I worked at). It’s pretty forgiving!
I love this recipe – the only thing I didn’t like was that I was starving when I wanted pizza and I had to wait for the dough to rise before I could use it. I did a small variation – I added italian seasoning to the dough – IT SMELLED DIVINE IN THE OVEN. Sorry for caps. I have to ask; could I do something like a “cheesy” dough? I was tempted to mix shredded cheese in the dough but was worried that the cheese could burn in the oven.
It might burn and get a little crispy on the edges, but I think that would be good! :D
Hey Beth!
This looks really easy to make, but I’ve got one question about it. I see you’re using dry yeast, like most people in the states.
However, I live in Belgium, and moist (fresh) yeast is the only good kind of yeast we can get here reliably, usually at the local bakery even.
Would you know if it is possible to make this dough with fresh yeast? If so, how far would I have to off recipe to get a similar result?
Hi Mathias! I believe you can proof fresh yeast just like you can dried yeast, but I’ve never cooked with fresh yeast so I’m not sure about the nuances. So, I think it can be done, but unfortunately I can’t advise on the details.
Help! I’m having serious problems with this recipe! The first time I made it with my girlfriend, it turned out phenomenally and with no problems. I tried to make it about a week later at my house and the dough was so sticky it was impossible to knead! I had to throw the whole thing out as it entirely coated my hands and I couldn’t get it off without thorough washing. I tried it once more the next day and I got it to work (so far, it’s kneaded and waiting right now) but I had to start off with 3! cups of flour and then add some during kneading because it was still too sticky. I used a different type of yeast from at my girlfriend’s but I don’t think that should matter. Any ideas?
Flour can be extremely variable like that, which is why people often have a hard time with bread. :) The difference lies in how much moisture is actually *in* the flour. Sometimes it’s extremely dry and will absorb a lot of water, other times it won’t require as much. Once you get the hang of how the dough should feel, you can add flour as needed instead of sticking to rigid measurements. The trick is to keep adding flour in the bowl until it forms a ball that is cohesive enough to handle without being super sticky. Keep at it and you’ll get the hang of it! :)
This is a great recipe!
I actually cut into half, freeze half then divide the other half into quarters. Each of us gets our own pizza (we’re not big eaters) and there aren’t any arguments about mushrooms or olives.
Well….I’m a fun chef to be around. The whole time I was stretching out the dough, I was getting so frustrated because I didn’t see any possible way for it to reach the whole 16 inches.
Turns out I wasn’t supposed to divide the original dough ball in half.
I have the sauciest, most loaded down pizza known to man. And that might not be a bad thing, because it’s delicious.
But I won’t make that mistake twice lmao.
Sometimes I think all pizza dough recipes are the same, but then I come across one that looks the same on paper but is different and yummy than my other recipes. This was really good and probably my favorite right now.
I have probably commented before but I made this dough for the 5th or so time tonight and it always turns out perfect.
Besides the dough and the sauce, it would be great to make some homemade cheese. That way you can make a 100% homemade pizza from scratch.
Is there a cheese recipe on here? I wasn’t able to find one.
Nope, no cheese recipe. I’ve made homemade ricotta before, but didn’t find it that incredible.
I can’t believe I ever thought that take away pizza is good. I’ve lost count of how many times has made his dough :) I just can’t get enough of it :) I’ve used so many various toppings with it, it’s ALWAYS delicious :)
Best pizza dough recipe ever!! I used it twice today to make BBQ chicken pizza for my family, and the pizza went so fast I had to make more. Super easy, light, and satisfying. My family said they never want to order out again after tasting how good my pizzas came out thanks to this dough.
Would this work on a pizza stone?
Yep! :)
This was my first attempt at making pizza dough from scratch. I used this dough recipe for a Hawaiian pizza that we had for dinner tonight and it was awesome! I especially appreciated the link on kneading…I never knew about that 2 finger poke trick. So handy!
Hi Beth!
I’ve used this recipe many times and I’ve found that even though I follow the recipe, the crust does not always turn out the same. Is there a reason you can think of why?
I also watched the video for kneading and followed the instructions, but my ball is never as smoth as the video or your picture…can you help me out!
We still love the crust, every time! I have not bought pizza dough for almost a year now!
Try adding the flour very slowly as you knead. If you add it too quickly, the dough will be stiff before you’ve been able to knead very long. That’s by best guess! :)
Omg, this is such a good recipe! So easy and foolproof. Thank you Beth for all your advices and pictures, it really helped me. I had tried 3 recipes before but none succeeded. I began to think I was unfit for doughs… But yesterday was a hit! Wonderful dough, chewy inside and crispy outside, even without a pizza stone :)
Hi Beth,
Just curious if you knew if this recipe would work using Splenda instead of sugar? Also, will “highly active yeast” work? Thanks so much for all your hard work – your recipes are fantastic!
Hmm, unfortunately I have never cooked with splenda, so I don’t know. :( I haven’t heard of “highly active” yeast, but this recipe works with regular yeast, so that sounds like it would work too!
Thank you, Beth. We tried this recipe and it was perfect! The dough was the best combination of crispy to chewy and the recipe was very easy to follow. (The hardest part was waiting over night)… I’m a long time follower of your blog and you never disappoint. We did use our pizza stone and topped with olive oil, garlic, mozzarella, tomato, basil, spinach, left over rotisserie chicken and feta… Yum!!!
On another note… I love your site photos. ;) thanks again!
This is the first time I’ve been able to get pizza dough to work the way it’s supposed to! We’ve used the recipe several times and it always turns out. Thanks!
I absolutely adore your site because I can find inexpensive recipes that fit our tight budget that my husband will actually eat and want again. I currently have the pizza dough rising and I really hope it works since its my first attempt at dough.
Just posting a follow up now that I’ve actually cooked the dough. It was so good and so easy to do! My husband loved it and we’ve already talked about making a few batches on my next day off and freezing some so thanks again Beth for the amazing recipe that my husband actually wants to eat again. :)
Hi Beth! I hope you’re doing great! Congrats on the site! I loved this recipe (we made it last night and was meant to last for today’s brfst but did not make it). But I was looking for your recipe of thick pizza dough. I remember you even wrote how your boyfriend and you messes up the toppings by not cooking them ahead, I specially liked that tip because my husband and I were about to do the same!…do you know what I’m talking about? Is it the same recipe that was edited? Or I just could not find what I was looking for?
Best regards and congratulations again! <3 from Recife, Brazil
Hmm, I don’t remember writing anything about my boyfriend, and I know I don’t have one that I called “thick”, so that might be from another blog? I have three pizza dough recipes, though, the original recipe, honey wheat, and this overnight version that I used in the kale & swiss pizza. They’re all good! :)
Anon – You definitely want to knead this by hand – it’s the only way you can judge if you have the right amount of flour. The amount of flour needed will vary depending on relative humidity and other factors. It sounds like it needed more flour and perhaps more kneading. I wouldn’t suggest using a food processor for this.
Also, did you let it rise in the refrigerator over night or at room temperature? This dough definitely needs to be in the refrigerator to slow it down (it has a lot more yeast than “no-knead” recipes that rise at room temperature over night). In my experience, doughs that rise at room temperature over night do get pretty soft in the process, so sometimes if you just sprinkle on enough flour to shape it without it sticking to your hands, it still bakes up quite nice (see this recipe). I hope those tips help!
Sadly this was a disaster. I used the food processor to mix it all up and then let it rise overnight. I was actually concerned that I had overworked it in the processor. But when it came time to roll it out tonight, it was just a wet gluey mess that wasnt remotely workable. Any thoughts?
Kim – That is an amazing technique! Thank you so much for sharing it! I can NOT wait to try it :D
Hi Beth! Thank you for giving a really straight forward pizza dough recipe with measurements! My brother uses practically the same pizza dough recipe(but without the measurements) and he taught my mom and I a unique to cook pizza. We’re fans of thin crust, so get our large cast-iron skillet, drizzle a little oil in it, and put over a medium-high stovetop. Then after you rolled out your dough as thin as you can without it breaking, put it into the skillet and let your skillet toast the bottom. Then as the dough is “frying” on the bottom, put on your toppings. Once you’re done, check the bottom of the pizza by lifting it with a spatula to see the leopard spots.
Then we plopped our cast-iron pizza into an oven on broil for a few minutes, just enough to get the cheese all melted and golden and the crust to get golden.
If you have a cast-iron skillet, I HIGHLY recommend baking it this way =). Thank you for doing such amazing work on Budget Bytes
DK – You can freeze the dough raw. Wrap it tightly in plastic to keep it from drying out. Then just let it thaw, either at room temperature or in your refrigerator, stretch it out, top it, and bake!
Hi, you mentioned freezing this dough – do you do that as a dough (before baking) or as a pre-baked crust?
Ok thanks, it’s on the menu for next week :)
Jenn – I haven’t tried it, but I bet you could! I think it has more to do with the type of pan you use than the dough its self.
Looks great! Could you use the same recipe to make deep dish pizza?
Looks great! Could you use this same recipe to make deep dish pizza?
I am a lucky duck and was given a Princess House Pizza Stone by my delightful mother. I used this dough last week, but it didn’t really rise very well. I think that I may have over-kneaded it, so tonight I will be using it to make Calzones. My boss is coming over for dinner (he hates it when I call him that) So I’m hoping they will turn out super amazing.
Anonymous – if you use all whole wheat flour, the dough will be quite dense. I’ve heard of people adding an ingredient called vital wheat gluten to combat this problem, although I’ve never used it before.
Thanks for the recipe! Do I need to make any adjustments if I want a dough that’s completely whole wheat?
Anon – I’m sure it would work great in a slow cooker :)
Do you think this recipe would work in a bread machine? I know it’s not a lot of kneading and rising but I just have a REALLY bad track record with hand-making dough myself.
You definitely need the sugar and the oil. The sugar is needed for the yeast to act quickly and to balance the flavor. The oil is critical to creating the correct texture in the dough.
Can I not add the sugar and oil or will that mess it up? I want to make bread dough at the same time conveniently so it doesnt seem like such a hassle.
I would use your raisin bread recipe actually but without the raisin, sugar and cinnamon.
You’re right, it doesn’t kill it but the yeast will keep doing its thing, just at a slower rate! I’ve pulled a pizza dough out of the freezer before and it was all deflated… it didn’t rise right after thawing like it usually does. A month was just an estimate. You could probably get away with two. The shriveled dough was 3 months old.
Any reason you should use the dough within a month if you freeze it? I don’t think freezing would kill the yeast, since I keep my yeast in the freezer and it’s fine. Does it mess with something else?
Hello, I love your recipes. Just a thought. I work for a kitchen tool company that produces pizza stones. They are made in the USA and are food safe/lead-free. They also have a great warranty. I know they are an investment…I bought their stoneware products for 10 years and they are still around. I love Alton Brown too but I would re-think the investment of a good pizza stone with a great warranty. I have heard others who have purchased stones in stores and they were not made in USA, no guarantee of materials used to make them, and some had a strong chemical smell which was imparted to the pizza.
Great information!
Have you ever tried pizzas in Argentina? I´ve tried their pizzas when I rent a buenos aires apartment last year. I thought they had good meat, but the pizzas were amazing!
Thanks so much for the information.
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This pizza dough was so easy to make and so fantastic! Made three batches today, a total of seven pizzas, and what a hit! So many complimented the crust! And it really works with just about any toppings.
how much flour and at what step? is it still knead-able? at the very worst, you’ve only wasted about 50 cents :)
uh oh…i added too much flour! what do i do :'(
hello there! i just found some dry active yeast in my cupboard and was wondering if that’s the same as plain yeast? i’m new with baking! i want to make this by noon today. hehehe. if anyone could help i’d be grateful!
PS: great blog, i come here all the time ^_^
Thank you so much for this information!
I tried to make this when I rent apartments Buenos Aires and it was excellent; everybody loved it!
Cheers!
Where can I get a list of the entire pizza recipe with video and all ingrediants. I just ate pizza and want to try my own.
You can always make your own pizza stone with unglazed quarry tiles from Home Depot or Lowes. Usually they are on sale this time of year, so you can do it for less than $5 usually.. just have to make sure they are unglazed though.
I tried my first pizza a few weeks back… the sauce turned out amazing, but the dough was a complete failure! My dough from your recipe is rising in the fridge right now and it looks 10 times better than the last one already! Thanks for posting the vid on how to knead too :)
Thanks for the info! Can’t wait to try this! :)
I just posted the sauce recipe :)
What sauce do you use?
Jan – I wish we had one of those stores around here! Since I just moved, I’ll have to do a little research and find out who sells the big bags of yeast.
M – you can add the herbs when you mix the salt into the flour. That way they both get evenly distributed in the flour before you add any wet ingredients. Some of the herbs might get “pushed out” as you knead but don’t worry about it!
Thanks for this! I tried to make bread earlier this year, it was a massive failure, but someone said I should try pizza dough first. This post’s step-by-step directions and pictures are a big help.
One question: If you want to add in herbs, at which step should you do that?
You can cut the cost some by going to one of the big box wholesale clubs – like Costco or BJ’s. Buy the yeast in 2 one lb block packages. It’s the same stuff as that $4.00 + jar of Fleischmans, but at one quarter of the price. I make pizza dough with half white and half whole wheat flour. And my recipe is nearly the same as yours.
Looks good. I recommend keeping the yeast in the freezer, it will be more inert that way and last even longer.