Easy Homemade Pizza Dough

This is the best homemade pizza dough recipe. With just 6 ingredients that sets the foundation for beautiful, foolproof, and flavorful pizzas! It comes together in minutes, and rises quickly, which means you can have a fresh hot homemade pizza on the table in 30 minutes, I promise you that!

This easy-to-follow recipe is perfect for beginners, even if you’ve never made pizza dough before. It’s a crowd-pleaser, offering a delightful combination of a soft and chewy center with a satisfyingly crisp crust. Plus, the flavor is fantastic! The best part? It’s versatile! Use this same dough for calzones, and bread sticks, or even experiment with other creative creations. This recipe is sure to become your go-to for all your future pizza nights.

Why you should make Homemade Pizza dough

• No special equipment is needed! You don’t need a special mixer or dough hook to make this homemade pizza dough – just a couple of bowls and a wooden spoon.
• It’s so incredibly easy to make – it only rises once and there’s barely any kneading.
• You can make this pizza dough ahead of time. Keep it in the fridge for a couple of days or pop it in the freezer for a couple of months.
• It’s a straightforward simple recipe that you can customize however you like.
• Budget-saving When I think about all the money I could have saved, but now, don’t worry! all you need is a handful of ingredients and a craving for some delicious crust! It really incredibly easy to make.
• Flexibility, you can make this pizza dough and divide it to make calzone ( I will write the recipe), breadstick, and mini pizza for a single serving too!

Don’t worry, you don’t need to be a skilled baker to make pizza dough, all you need are a handful of ingredients!

I kept this pizza dough recipe as simple and approachable as possible. It’s made with all-purpose flour, no stand mixer is needed, and only the most minimal amount of kneading is required. Let’s get to it.

Ingredients of Homemade Pizza Dough

All pizza dough starts with the same basic ingredients: flour, yeast, water, salt, and olive oil. Here’s the breakdown of what I use in my homemade pizza crust recipe.

• Warm Water; This acts as the activator for the yeast. It’s important to use warm water, not hot or cold. Hot water can kill the yeast, while cold water won’t activate it effectively. The ideal temperature range allows the yeast to “bloom” and become active, which is crucial for the dough to rise.
• Instant Yeast; Instant yeast is a convenient option as it doesn’t require pre-activation in water. Once combined with the warm water and sugar, the yeast will start multiplying and producing carbon dioxide gas. This gas gets trapped in the gluten strands of the dough, causing it to rise and become light and airy.
• Sugar; The amount used in this recipe is a small amount to simply kickstart the yeast activity.
• Salt; Salt plays a few important roles in the dough. It enhances the flavor of the crust, strengthens the gluten structure (leading to a chewier texture), and also controls the activity of the yeast.
• Olive Oil more for bowl; The olive oil adds a touch of richness and flavor to the dough. It also helps to prevent the dough from sticking to the bowl and your hands during kneading. For richness, moisture, and flavor.

Flour

• Bread Flour or all-purpose flour; I suggest you use either All-purpose flour or bread flour, here I use all-purpose flour. However, Bread flour is the ideal choice for pizza dough as it has a higher gluten content compared to all-purpose flour. Gluten is a protein that forms elastic strands when the dough is kneaded. If bread flour isn’t available, all-purpose flour can be used as a substitute. The pizza dough will still rise, but the texture might be slightly less chewy compared to using bread flour. This recipe works well with 100% all-purpose flour or half all-purpose flour, just make sure not to use blanched flour.
  • For the topping, you can use anything you love. my kids really love the pepperoni pizza kind of thing

How to Make Homemade Pizza Dough

First things first, to make homemade pizza dough, let’s activate that yeast! In a large bowl, sprinkle the warm water over the instant yeast, sugar, and salt. Give it a good stir with a spoon or whisk to combine everything.

The second step is for the flour! Add it to the bowl with the yeast mixture. Drizzle in the olive oil as well. Knead the dough on medium speed for 5 minutes. Keep going until it transforms into a smooth and elastic ball.

Then, We want our dough to get nice and puffy, so give it a cozy place to rest and rise. Brush another large bowl with olive oil to prevent sticking. Gently place your kneaded dough ball in the oiled bowl. Turn the dough ball over a few times to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Find a warm spot for your dough friend to relax for about 30 minutes or until double in size. You’re aiming for it to double in size – like a magic trick!

While the dough does its rising thing, preheat your oven to 428°F (220°C) so it’s nice and hot for baking pizza perfection.

Punch and Shape

Here comes the fun part it’s called punch and shape!

Once your dough has risen like a champ, it’s time to deflate it. Gently press down on the dough to release the air bubbles. Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 2 or 3 equal portions, depending on how thick you want your pizzas. Give each portion a quick knead to form them into round shapes.

On a lightly floured surface, gently stretch each dough around using your fingertips. Aim for a slightly thicker crust around the edges and a thinner center. Spread your favorite pizza sauce and all your delicious toppings.

Next, carefully transfer your pizzas to a baking sheet or pizza stone (preheated if using a stone). Bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Slice and Savor!

Once the pizzas are baked to perfection, take them out of the oven and let them cool for a couple of minutes before slicing. Now comes the best part – digging into your homemade pizza masterpiece! Enjoy!

Recipe Notes;

• Use Warm Water: You want your water to be 105-115 degrees Fahrenheit when you add it to the yeast for optimum proofing. Make sure your water is warm enough before starting the recipe. Test it with your finger and it would be too hot for a baby bottle, then it is too hot for the yeast!
• Salt can kill yeast if added at the same time. Don’t add the salt until after resting time is over. Salt is needed for flavor and structure.
• Do not add too much flour. Add the flour gradually until a soft dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
• Flour your hands before handling the dough when it’s done. It makes your life so much easier, no sticking
• Double: This pizza dough recipe is simple to double. You can even make breadsticks with it!
• Check the expiration date of your Active Dry Yeast. Usually, the shelf life is about 1 year. You don’t want to use an expired yeast as it won’t work as well.

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