How To Cook Homemade Pizza Dough – Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe with all the tips and tricks! Such an easy method that gives amazing results! A soft and chewy interior and a nice crispy, golden brown exterior.
For the ultimate DIY pizza, pair it with my delicious, vibrant and easy-to-make homemade pizza sauce!
How To Cook Homemade Pizza Dough
There is something so satisfying about making a pizza from scratch from start to finish. This homemade crust made from simple pizza dough is a game changer! It’s been my recipe for years.
Easy Pizza Crust
It requires the most basic of basic ingredients, but forms the basis of one of the best foods ever!
And really an electric mixer does most of the work. But if you don’t have one, you can definitely go the old fashioned way and knead by hand.
A world of possibilities with this pizza dough. What would you top it with? You can check out some ideas at the end of this post (definitely try the Spinach Artichoke Pizza, so amazingly good!).
Yeast: Active dry yeast or instant yeast can be used here. The mixing methods differ only slightly because active dry yeast needs to be proofed first and instant yeast does not.
Basic Pizza Dough
Salt: I use table salt, but kosher salt or sea salt work great too, you’ll just want to increase the amount by about 1/4 teaspoon because the granules are larger so the volume is different.
Sugar: You only need a small amount here. It helps the yeast and also adds a faint background flavor.
Wondering which type of flour to use out of the two? I have used both and both offer excellent results.
Alternatively, you can just roll out and shape the pizza dough on a floured piece of parchment paper or a well-floured pizza peel (used for transferring).
Artisan Pizza Dough
Unfortunately, this recipe will not work with a gluten-free flour blend. The relationships and methods will be different, something like this, or this one without eggs.
Of course, the number one use for this recipe is pizza crust, but this recipe makes enough for 2 pizzas so you can make 1 pizza and reserve the other portion to make one of these:
Such an easy method that gives amazing results! A pizza crust with a soft and chewy interior and a nice crispy, golden brown exterior.
Makes about two (1 lb) pizza doughs, or enough for two 11 – 14 inch pizzas (depending on how thick you like your crust).
Basic Pizza Dough Recipe
***Parchment paper should be cut to fit the crust or removed during baking to prevent browning. Also at this point to reduce bubbles if you like, you can press your fingertips randomly over the shaped dough or poke randomly across the top with a fork. This easy pizza dough recipe is great for beginners and produces a soft homemade pizza crust. Skip pizza delivery because you only need 6 basic ingredients to get started!
Every great pizza starts with a great pizza crust. Some like it thin and crispy, while others prefer a thick and soft crust. This homemade pizza crust has it all: soft and chewy with a delicious crunch and GREAT flavor. That’s my pizza dough recipe and just a look at it
This is an easy dough recipe for beginners. You only need 6 basic ingredients, plus some cornmeal to make the pan. (You can skip this if needed.) Most of the time there are no hands while the dough is rising. You might be wondering…why waste time when you can just buy frozen pizza dough? Frozen pizza dough is certainly convenient, but a made-from-scratch crust has an unmatched flavor and texture that only comes from fresh dough. And you can also use the dough for cheese sticks!
Reader Andy commented: “Super easy, super fast, super good! I don’t like thick dough pizzas and I find that with this recipe I can make them thin and crispy, I love how easy it is. I make pizza once or twice a month! I haven’t bought one in a while! ★★★★★“
White Wheat Homemade Pizza Dough
If you’ve ever made homemade pastries or sandwich bread, you can easily make pizza dough because it’s faster, easier, and requires fewer steps.
All pizza dough starts with the same basic ingredients: flour, yeast, water, salt and olive oil. Here’s a breakdown of what I use in my homemade pizza crust recipe. The full printable recipe is below.
You can also add 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder and Italian seasoning mix to the dough when you add the flour.
Reader Shane commented, “Great pizza dough. I added about 1 tablespoon of garlic powder and Italian herbs to give the dough more flavor, as well as 40 grams of cornmeal for a little crunch. It freezes well and makes a nice thin crust. ★★★★★“
Homemade Pan Baked Pizza Dough Recipe And Techniques
Pizza crust, like homemade pastries, artisan bread and focaccia, requires lean dough. Lean dough does not use eggs or butter. With no extra fat to make the dough soft, you’re promised a crispy pizza crust. (However, I recommend using a little olive oil for flavor and to keep the inside soft.) Recipes like rolls, homemade breadsticks, and overnight cinnamon rolls call for fat to create a “rich dough,” which creates a softer and more dessert-like bread.
Young bakers can lend a hand and have fun in the process. Let the children help you press the dough and shape it into a circle. They can add their own cheeses and make pepperoni on top of the pie. Who doesn’t love smiley face pizza? 🙂
Let me share my top picks for pizza pans in case you’re shopping for a new one. I use and love (affiliate links) this one and this one. If you like to bake your homemade pizzas on pizza stones, I’ve used this one before and it’s wonderful.
If you don’t have a pizza pan, use a regular baking sheet. Brush it with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal as described below, then press the dough into any shape you like. Make sure the dough is about 1/2 inch thick. For a thinner pizza, stretch the dough more.
The Best Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe (perfect For Beginners)
Prepare the dough through step 3 below, but let the dough rise for 8-12 hours in the refrigerator. (If it needs to sit longer in the fridge, use colder water in the dough, which will slow down the dough’s rise and allow more time.) As a bonus, the slow rise gives the pizza dough a wonderful flavor! When you’re ready, continue with step 5 in the recipe below (shaping step). If the dough has not doubled in size when it has risen, let it sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before shaping.
This recipe yields two 12-inch pizzas. After the pizza dough has risen and you divide the dough in half (step 5), you can freeze one of the dough balls to make a pizza later. Or you can simply freeze both balls of dough separately. Lightly coat all sides of dough ball(s) with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil. Place the dough ball(s) in individual ziplock bags and seal tightly, squeezing out all the air. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Place the frozen pizza dough in the refrigerator for about 8 hours or overnight. When you are ready to make the pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it rest on the counter for 30 minutes. Continue with step 5 in the recipe below.
Follow these basic instructions for a thick, crispy and chewy pizza crust at home. The recipe makes enough pizza dough for two 12-inch pizzas, and you can freeze half the dough for later. Close to 2 pounds of total dough.
Homemade Pizza Dough (from Scratch Like Grandma Made!)
Sally McKenney is a professional food photographer, cookbook author and baker. Her kitchen-tested recipes and detailed step-by-step guides give readers the knowledge and confidence to bake from scratch. Sally is featured on For the ultimate pizza experience at home, make pizza dough from scratch. It’s simple and allows you to make your own pizza just the way you want it. The perfect cooking project for kids too!
Pizza night is a favorite in almost every household, so this pizza dough recipe comes in handy! You only need 6 simple ingredients and you probably already have most of them in your pantry. Whip the dough, then add the sauce and toppings you like before baking until it’s warm and the cheese is melted.
If you haven’t worked with yeast before, pizza dough is actually a great place to start – so don’t feel intimate! The key to working with yeast is that the water is not too cold and not too hot. You’re going into that “goldilocks” zone where the liquid is warm enough to activate the yeast, but not so hot as to kill it (which will then prevent your dough from rising.)
If your family loves pizza as much as mine, here are some other great pizza recipes to make at home: Pepperoni Pizza Wontons | Easy Air Frier Pizzas | Pizzas with garlic | Hawaiian Roll Pizza Sliders | Pepperoni Pizza Pockets
Homemade Pizza & Pizza Dough Recipe
Here’s what you’ll need to make homemade pizza dough (exact measurements and complete recipe instructions are below on the easy-to-print recipe card):
I usually use all-purpose flour for pizza dough. I know many recipes will recommend
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