Forget about pizza take out! Make your own fluffy homemade pizza dough with just 6 simple ingredients. This is a foolproof recipe for a deliciously crispy crust that’s soft and chewy inside.
If you’ve never made pizza at home, you should definitely give it a try! There is nothing wrong with calling for take out, but it will never taste the same as a homemade meal.
It will be a great recipe for a cozy lazy night or fun summer cookouts! Serve it together with Potato Salad with Bacon, BLT Pasta Salad, or any other party meal!
Let me show you how to make the best homemade pizza dough with just 6 basic ingredients: water, yeast, salt, sugar, olive oil, and flour.
Why this recipe works
Pizza is all about the crust! You want it to be soft and chewy with a delicious crispiness.
The main trick here is water. If you don’t put enough of it, your dough will be tough. Put too much and it will spread and won’t keep the shape. So, we need to put just enough water to keep it moist, resulting in crispy crust that is soft and chewy inside. It’s very similar to how you make Homemade Sandwich Bread.
How to make Homemade Pizza Dough
1. Make the Dough
In a stand mixer bowl add warm water (about 110°F), yeast, and granulated sugar. Give it a stir and let it sit for 5 minutes. The mixture will start to bubble (Photos 1-4).
In 5 minutes, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and all-purpose flour (Photos 5-8).
In a stand mixer, using a dough attachment, mix the ingredients on low speed until combined. After it’s mixed, let it knead for 5 minutes. The dough will be a little bit sticky.
NOTE: Because different brands have different flour texture and moisture, you might need to use less or more flour. If your dough is too sticky, simply add a little bit more flour. Though, make sure you don’t add to much. It should be soft and a little bit sticky. That will help you to have a chewy and soft texture.
If you don’t have a stand mixer, first, mix all ingredients with spatula, then knead with your hands.
When done, add another 2 tablespoons olive oil to coat dough from all sides.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a clean towel. Let it rise for 2 hours, it will double in size.
2. Shape and Bake
Preheat the oven to 475°F.
When ready, take off the towel and plastic wrap from the bowl and gently press dough to deflate. Divide it in half.
Place one half on a round baking pan. Using your hands, flatten and stretch dough into a 12-inch disk, leaving the edges lifted (Photo 9).
Top with pizza sauce (or Homemade Marinara Sauce), cheese, and pepperoni, and bake at 475°F for 15-18 minutes on a middle rack (Photos 10-12).
Tips for Best Results
- Because different brands have different flour texture and moisture, you might need to use less or more flour. If your dough is too sticky, simply add a little bit more flour. Though, make sure you don’t add to much. It should be soft and a little bit sticky. That will help you to have a chewy and soft texture.
- When proofing the dough, I like to keep it in the oven (which is turned off). The reason being, that this is a perfectly contained place without any wind.
Toppings Ideas
- Classic. Pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni (optional).
- Margherita. Pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, basil.
- BBQ Chicken. Pizza sauce, BBQ sauce, chicken, mozzarella cheese.
- Hawaiian. Tomato Sauce, cheese, ham, pineapple.
- Fig and Prosciutto. Tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, arugula, prosciutto, figs.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can refrigerate it for up to 2 days. Grease it with a little bit of oil, place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge. When ready to bake, let it sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes to warm up.
Yes! Divide the dough in half (if you freeze both) and lightly cover them with oil. You can wrap them individually in a plastic wrap, then in foil, or just put in individual zip lock bags. Freeze up to 3 months. When ready to use, put it in the fridge overnight. Take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking.
Did you make this recipe?!? I’d love to know how it turned out! leave a comment and a rating below👇 thank you!
Soft and Fluffy Homemade Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups warm water (about110°F)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In a stand mixer bowl add 1 ¾ cups warm water (about 110°F), 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast, and 1 tbsp granulated sugar. Give it a stir and let it sit for 5 minutes. The mixture will start to bubble.
- In 5 minutes, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 ½ tsp salt, and 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour.
- In a stand mixer, using a dough attachment, mix the ingredients on low speed until combined. After it’s mixed, let it knead for 5 minutes on low speed. The dough will be a little bit sticky. (If you don't have a stand mixer, first, mix all ingredients with spatula, then knead with your hands.)
- NOTE: Because different brands have different flour texture and moisture, you might need to use less or more flour. If your dough is too sticky, simply add a little bit more flour. Though, make sure you don't add to much. It should be soft and a little bit sticky. That will help you to have a chewy and soft texture.
- When done, add another 2 tablespoons olive oil to coat the dough from all sides.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a clean towel. Let it rise for 2 hours, it will double in size.
- When ready, preheat the oven to 475°F.
- Then take off the towel and plastic wrap from the bowl and gently press the dough to deflate. Divide it in half.
- Place one half of the dough on a round baking pan. Using your hands, flatten and stretch the dough into a 12-inch disk, leaving the edges lifted.
- Top with pizza sauce (or Homemade Marinara Sauce), cheese, pepperoni, and bake at 475°F for 15-18 minutes on a middle rack.
- When done, let it rest for 5 minutes, cut into 8 slices with pizza cutter and serve.
Notes
Can I freeze it? Yes! Divide the dough in half (if you freeze both) and lightly cover them with oil. You can wrap them individually in a plastic wrap, then in foil, or just put in individual zip lock bags. Freeze up to 3 months. When ready to use, put the frozen dough in the fridge overnight. Take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking. Toppings Ideas
- Classic. Pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni (optional).
- Margherita. Pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, basil.
- BBQ Chicken. Pizza sauce, BBQ sauce, chicken, mozzarella cheese.
- Hawaiian. Tomato Sauce, cheese, ham, pineapple.
- Fig and Prosciutto. Tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, arugula, prosciutto, figs.
Nishu says
This is the best pizza dough recipe EVER!!! It’s perfectly fluffy and crispy, and it tastes so good!
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe!!
Fiona says
Hi Veronika, thank you so much for this dough recipe. It is exactly what I have been looking for and I can’t wait to try it. However, I’m in Ireland and it’s difficult to know which conversion rates to use especially for the cups to get an accurate recipe. Could you tell me the recipe amounts in grams and millilitres please? Thank you, Fiona
Cathy W says
I made this last month for the first time and will be making it again tomorrow. This is the best, easiest recipe and it is now the only crust recipe I will ever use! I love a fluffy crust. After I top it i bake it on a pizza stone and it comes out of the oven crispy, fluffy perfection! Thank you!
Rasha Rostom says
Hi! Can you tell how much water in ml I need?
Richard D Tattersall says
@veronikaskitchen your pizza dough recipe “ROCKS”. Turned out better than expected. Put all the ingredients into my old bread maker tin, set it to start and that was it. After prepping and baking, I had my most successful pizza ever!
Veronika's Kitchen says
Thank you so much, Richard! I’m so glad you loved this pizza recipe!
Kathy Moraes says
I was looking for a recipe last night for homemade soft pizza dough and I found yours and I just might say that it turned out wonderful I even refrigerated the dough from last night overnight with beautiful results this afternoon when I made it for lunch thank you for sharing a very good recipe., I even have enough though to make another one this size
thank you
Kathy Moraes
Vacaville,. Ca
Veronika's Kitchen says
Thank you so much, Kathy! Glad you liked it!
Mimi says
Hi. Would this recipe work for mini pizza bases too ?
Veronika's Kitchen says
Hi Mimi! Yes, you can just make a few mini pizzas 😉
Sophia says
amazing! I made this for my family and they absolutely love it! definitely going to make this again!
Veronika's Kitchen says
Thank you so much, Sofia!
Paula says
Absolutely amazing ! Same as or possibly better then Pizza Hut!
So easy to make
Veronika's Kitchen says
Thank you so much, Paula!
Tisha says
Best pizza dough recipe ever! I usually use a Jamie Oliver one which is delicious but my son wanted to make the pizzas himself and he asked for a softer fluffier dough so I googled it up and we made your recipe and the pizza bases were next level delicious and absolutely soft and fluffy! Extremely easy to make too!
Veronika's Kitchen says
Thank you so much, Tisha! I’m so happy your son liked this recipe 😉
Natalie says
I LOVED this pizza dough. The best I have ever made. I definitely had to add more flour I would say about 1/2 cup more. It was sooo good. I surprised myself.
Veronika's Kitchen says
Than you so much, Natalie! Yes, the amount of flour will vary every time when you make dough.
Al says
I have to say this is the best pizza dough I have made. I tried pizza yeast but wasn’t happy with the bloom so I went with traditional. I use distilled water as the chlorine in city water can kill the yeast. I also did a second proof when formed. I also use the oven as a proofing box with the light on. Works great then I preheat the oven to 475 and bake on an air pizza pan on parchment and this is on a pizza stone. I wanted a soft pizza stone and this delivered.
Veronika's Kitchen says
Thank you so much, Al! I’m so glad you liked this recipe 😉
Katie says
A revelation! I’ve been obsessing over pizza doughs lately and trying all sorts of combinations of different recipes, but this one resulted in a pizza that was legitimate perfection. It rivaled my favorite pizzeria and my family was in awe! The pizza was soft and fluffy with a golden crust on the bottom and plenty of those delicious, puffy air bubbles.
I made a couple of minor adjustments and additions to this recipe:
1) I decided to try a 3:1 ratio of all-purpose flour to bread flour. For the recipe’s proportions as written, that ended up being 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose with just over 1 cup of bread flour because I ended up needing more than 3 1/2 cups total flour as the dough was far too sticky.
2) I whisked in some granulated garlic, dried oregano, and dried basil into my flour mixture before adding it to my yeast mixture. The crust tasted almost like garlic knots and my whole kitchen smelled divine!
3) I started by mixing everything in my stand mixer and kneaded on low for about a minute or two before deciding to knead by hand. After my dough passed the window pane test, I let it rest and the result was far better than similar recipes I tried with just stand mixer kneading.
4) I baked my pizzas at 450F; 475 was just way too hot to bake the crust and the toppings at the same time.
5) I coated my (nonstick) baking sheets with olive oil which created a great golden brown crust on the bottom.
Thank you for this recipe. I’m so glad I found it!!
Veronika's Kitchen says
Hi Katie! I’m so happy that you loved the recipe! Also, it such a great idea to add garlic and seasoning to the dough for more flavor, I need to try it as well 😉
Kelly Lynn says
This recipe is perfect for making my homemade pizzas! I have to add a little more flour or the dough is quite soupy.
Using a pizza stone makes all the difference in the world it comes out crispy on the outside and tender and chewy on the inside!
I’ve tried baking this at 475 but it was way too hot! It got crispy before the ingredients cooked. Then I tried 450 still not the result I was looking for. Finally for my oven, 425 was best. I put the pizza stone in the very bottom of the oven, then preheat it to 425, put the pizza on parchment paper, cook it on the stone for 6 minutes, remove the parchment paper, cook it for another 6 minutes and it cooks perfectly!
Veronika's Kitchen says
Hi Kelly Lynn, I’m glad you found the right temperature that works for you! I think the timing and temperature was different because you used a pizza stone, which heats up the bottom of the dough much faster.
Tony says
I’ve tried all recipes and this is by far the best. Thank you for this easy soft and fluffy pizza. Being Italian and raised on homemade pizza this is the way.
Veronika's Kitchen says
Thank you so much, Tony! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe 😉
Ross smith says
I normally don’t comment but this recipe is the bomb. I get complimented everytime I make it. Thank you
Veronika's Kitchen says
Yaay! Thank you so much, Ross! I’m glad you and your family loved this recipe 😉
Deborah says
Would the other half of the dough be work for bread sticks?
Veronika's Kitchen says
Hi Deborah, I never tested this recipe for bread sticks. So, unfortunately, I’m not sure if that will work.
Dakota says
The best pizza I ever had. Even my mom who grew up in Chicago said this was amazing. The only recipe you need.
Veronika's Kitchen says
Thank you so much, Dakota! I’m so happy you and your mom enjoyed this recipe!
judith judge says
does bread flour make the crust better or does it matter
Veronika's Kitchen says
Hi, bread flour is always great to make bread and pizza, it usually gives a better crust. I used all-purpose flour in this recipe as it’s more available to people. Whatever flour you decide to use, you still will have soft texture inside and crispy crust 😉
maren says
I’ve made this recipe twice and its amazing! perfectly fluffy and crispy, my partner calls it “doughnut pizza”. The only thing is I use organic King Arthur all purpose flour, and I find that I need to add wayyy more flour to get it the right consistency, at least a half a cup if not a full cup. This will definitely be my go to pizza crust from now on though!
Veronika's Kitchen says
Yaay! Thank you, Maren! Yes, the flour amount may vary, depending on the flour brand you use. Also, I prefer to keep the dough a bit sticky, it makes the crust even a crispier with perfectly soft texture inside!
Barbara says
Great recipe
I added broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, spicy sausage, olives, jalapeños, green peppers and red peppers, pepperoni soaked them in olive oil before I put it on the dough. Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes topped it off
Veronika's Kitchen says
That sounds like a great topping combo! Glad you enjoyed it, Barbara!
Katrina says
To freeze, do you do it before or after proofing? Thank you.
Veronika's Kitchen says
Hi Katrina! You need to proof the dough before freezing.
Katrina says
Thank you. I made the recipe but think I should have added more flour. I added about 1/4 cup more but was afraid to add too much because I didn’t want a super dense end product. As it was the dough was very sticky even after extended kneading. It tastes really good though, so I’m hoping I can master the dough consistency so it’s easier to work with. I’d love to make this my go-to recipe because it really does have great flavor and texture.
I divided this dough into fours and have 3 in the freezer. I’m wondering if once I though I can knead more flour into it and let it rest before baking. I’ll give it a try and see how it goes.
Laura says
Hello Veronika!
I tried your recipe yesterday but I had a big problem. My dough was too sticky and it was impossible to knead. I added a lot of flour (approx. 1 cup more) so I could actually work with it. I don’t know what happened to the dough being so sticky but the final result was delicious.
Thank you for sharing your recipes with us. I’ll try as many of them as I can.
Veronika's Kitchen says
Hi Laura! I’m glad you liked the recipe! we make it at least twice a month in our house. The difference in flour amount might be caused by air humidity or even humidity in the flour. The dough should be a little bit sticky before proofing but not too much. Glad it worked out for you!
Jazzy says
I have tried several pizza dough recipes over the years. This is absolutely the one I’ve been looking for. I did not use my mixer because I enjoy kneading the dough. I did need almost a cup more of flour. I used King Arthurs bread flour. I pressed 3/4 of dough into a jelly roll pan. Let it rest for 30 minutes or so. I also sprinkled pepper over the dough before putting on the pizza sauce. I will lower the oven 425 degrees next time and bake a little longer.
Aleta says
Pizza is our favourite around here! We have been missing the ease of takeout, it was one we did regularly, I love that now I can make it at home! My girls love plain cheese and I am going to try your suggested margherita!
Kacey Perez says
This crust looks amazing! Looks like the perfect consistency for my preference in pizza crusts. And I am loving the step by step photos I can follow along with as I make this recipe!
Charity says
Friday night date night for us is usually pizza out at a restaurant. Excited to try making it at home from scratch. Thanks for the recipe!
Leslie says
I totally agree with you! The best part about pizza is the crust! The crust makes or breaks the pizza for me! Yours looks like perfection!
Paula Montenegro says
I love to have all I need to know about making pizza dough in one post! It went straight into my Pinterest and is happening this weekend! Great step-by-step images.
Elaine says
After reading through your post, I’ve realized what I have been missing – a true homemade pizza like this. That crusp looks so crispy and just the way I like it! Yum.
Nicoletta and Loreto Nardelli says
Pizza, the magic word. We’ve been making pizza every week for many many years, you just can’t beat homemade pizza 🙂 ! Love the look of yours, with that thick edge and a nice crust!
Anna says
Made this pizza dough over the weekend and it was wonderful! We are never ordering takeout pizza again! My partner said this was literally the best pizza dough he ever had! Thank you!
HEATHER PERINE says
Oh we love making homemade pizza around here! Can’t wait to try your version 🙂 and I am going to have to try the fig and proscuitto version!
Karen says
We’ve been making pizza almost every day during our social distancing…must add yours to our routine.