Easy Pizza Dough Recipe

Make pizza at home whenever you want with our easy pizza dough recipe. Simply add all of your favorite toppings and the delicious variations are endless.

Pizza is one of those classic dishes that never gets old.  With hundreds of variations and topping choices, everyone can find a favorite flavor combination.

You can have access to all the best toppings in the world, but a good pizza begins with a good dough. Once you’re done with the dough, we recommend using our tomato sauce for pizzas like Supreme or Pepperoni.

This pizza dough recipe creates a tasty, chewy crust that can handle any toppings you throw at it. The hardest part is waiting for the dough to rise. No worries though, just follow these directions to make your own perfect pizza crust that the whole family will enjoy.

Instructions for Easy Pizza Dough Recipe:

Prepping the Yeast:

First, start by using a microwave or pan to heat your water to 110-115 degrees F. to activate the yeast. Be very careful with the yeast because if it gets too hot, it will kill the yeast and the crust won’t rise.

Now, add the sugar and yeast to the warm water and use a fork to mix the ingredients to quickly mix the ingredients.

After that, let the yeast sit for about 5-10 minutes to activate. The water should begin to bubble and become murky, take a look at the picture below for an example of the activating yeast.

Dry Ingredients:

While the yeast rises, place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Use a whisk to combine everything if your mixer won’t reach them at the bottom of the bowl.

Making the Dough:

Then, carefully pour the activated yeast mixture into the bowl with the flour. Afterwards, using a dough hook attachment, mix on medium speed for 5 to 6 minutes until a smooth, elastic ball forms.

It might be necessary to add additional flour a tablespoon at a time if the dough is too sticky. That happens sometimes depending on the humidity in your house. In Florida, it happened a lot.

Let the Dough Rest:

At this point, you want to let the dough rest and rise (also known as proofing). I would recommend drizzling some olive oil into your mixing bowl.

The bowl can made of plastic, glass, or metal, it doesn’t matter. So, remove the dough from the mixer and place it in your prepped mixing bowl. Go ahead and cover the bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place it in a warm area.

A word of warning, depending upon how much the dough rises, it might stick to your towel. That’s okay, it’s not a big deal, well, except for washing a sticky towel.

Then, allow the dough to rest and double in size. Don’t bother it, touch or “check on it,” the pizza needs that time rest. Kim and I usually let our dough rest for about an hour. I know, it sucks, but good things come to those who wait.

One thing you can do while you wait is prep your toppings. That way, you’ll be ready to build your pizza once the resting time is completed. Also, towards the end of the rising process, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Final Preparations:

After the dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and place it on a well-floured surface. Now, knead it 3 to 4 times by hand and divide it into two equal portions. That’s right, this recipe makes two pizza crusts. You can use the extra one for garlic knots.

Moving on, pick up one of the pieces and carefully begin to stretch it out. Start from the center and work your way out pushing the dough to the outer edge as you go. Once the dough reaches about 6-7 inches in diameter, place it on a greased pizza pan and continue stretching it out the rest of the way.

Toppings and Bake:

Top the homemade pizza dough with your favorite toppings and place in an oven preheated to 400 degrees. The amount and type of toppings will determine how long the pizza needs to bake. The more toppings you have, the longer it will take to bake. My one topping (not pre-baked) pizza takes 15-20 minutes to cook.

A pizza with multiple toppings that has been pre-baked only takes 10-15 minutes. When we say pre-baked, that means baking the crust for 5-10 minutes in the preheated oven without any toppings.

Tips for our Easy Pizza Dough Recipe:

• The dough can be made without yeast, however, it will not rise.
• Additionally, go ahead and add a tablespoon of olive oil to the bottom bowl when you let the dough rise. It will keep it from sticking to your bowl.

• We wouldn’t recommend freezing this dough because we’ve never done that and cannot tell you whether it works or not.
• When using multiple toppings, be sure to bake the dough for 5-10 minutes before you add the toppings. For example, a Supreme or Meat Lover’s style pizza has too many toppings for the pizza to bake without precooking the crust a little bit.
• If you’re not really in the mood for pizza, then use this dough to make garlic bread or knots and pair them with a Greek pasta salad for amazing dinner.

If you like this easy homemade pizza dough recipe, please leave us a comment and rate the recipe card. You can also find us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram searching for Berly’s Kitchen!

Print Recipe

Easy Pizza Dough Recipe

Make pizza at home whenever you want with our easy pizza dough recipe. Simply add all of your favorite toppings and the delicious variations are endless.

Prep Time1 hr 20 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Rest Time1 hr

Total Time2 hrs 40 mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: dough, pizza, yeast, easy recipe, Easy Pizza Dough Recipe

Servings: 2 Servings

Calories: 937kcal

Author: John

Ingredients

• 12 ounces water
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 cups All-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Heat water to 110-115 degrees.
• Add yeast and sugar to water and stir to mix. Set aside and allow yeast to activate.
• Place flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Add yeast mixture to the flour.
• Using a dough hook, mix the flour and yeast on medium speed for 5-6 minutes until a smooth, elastic dough forms.
• If the dough is too sticky, add additional flour a tablespoon at a time.
• Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a towel.
• Allow the dough to double in size.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• After dough has doubled, place it on a well-floured surface. Knead it 4-5 times and divide in half.
• Take one piece and begin stretching it by hand starting in the middle and pushing the dough outward.
• Once the dough is 6-7 inches in diameter, place on a greased pizza pan and continue stretching until the dough covers the pan.
• Add your favorite toppings.
• Place the pan in preheated oven and bake until the crust is golden brown.

Notes

The calories listed are based on the ingredients and represent the total calorie count for one 12-inch pizza crust. This recipe makes enough for two 12-inch pizzas. Actual calories will vary. The dough yields best results when used while fresh.

Nutrition

Calories: 937kcal | Carbohydrates: 195g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 1179mg | Potassium: 324mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 2g | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 11.7mg

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