Homemade pizza dough is way easier than you think. Combine the flour with dry yeast and olive oil and see the dough rise! Any night can be pizza night!

Having a batch of homemade pizza dough on hand is one of my superpowers as a mom. My sons love making their own customized pizza and I love skipping any arguments we might have over what to have for dinner and toppings!

How To Make Pizza Dough
First, pre-measure and prep your ingredients for easy access. Use a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment to make the dough — this makes life so much easier! Then, use the dough right away or store it for future use.
Make the Dough
This quick pizza dough recipe only takes a couple of hours to rise. Plus, there is enough dough to make four pizzas — perfect for a pizza-making party!
- Combine the ingredients: In a large bowl or stand up mixer, mix the yeast, salt, sugar, extra virgin olive oil, and warm water.
- Add in the flour: Add the flour to the yeast mixture. There’s no need to knead the dough — simply mix all the flour in.
- Cover the bowl: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature for about two hours.




Store the Dough
Once the dough has risen, cut it into four pieces. Use as much dough as needed now, and freeze the rest. Wrap each extra piece tightly in plastic. Place the dough inside a ziploc bag, remove as much air as possible, seal the bag, then freeze.
Pizza Flavor Options
Once the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl, place it on a lightly floured surface, and roll it out to your desired thickness. Add toppings to make your favorite pizza and bake in the oven at 450°F for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. We love marinara or alfredo sauce as the pizza sauce base. Bonus: Both of these sauces only take five minutes to make!
- Chicken-alfredo: Whip up a pizza with chicken, alfredo sauce, mozzarella cheese, and bacon bits.
- Classic pepperoni: We love a classic pepperoni pizza with red marinara sauce and mushrooms.
- Breakfast pizza: Use breakfast sausage pieces and crack an egg on top for a breakfast style pizza (YUM!).
- Cheese-stuffed: For an even tastier pizza crust, stuff the outer rim of the dough with mozzarella cheese. Add a sprinkle of garlic powder on top for a hint of savory garlic flavor.
- Meaty: Make a “meat-lovers” pizza with all your favorite protein options like chicken, bacon, pepperoni, ham, Italian sausage, and/or ground beef.
- BBQ Hawaiian: Top the pizza crust with BBQ sauce, canadian bacon, and pineapple chunks for a unique Hawaiian taste!
Hot tip: If you don’t have a pizza stone or special pizza pan, don’t fret! Bake the pizza on a baking sheet pan lined with parchment paper instead.
More Ways To Use/Serve Pizza Dough
Pizza dough is great to use in so many different ways! Don’t limit yourself to only pizzas — use it these ways, too!
- Costco Chicken Bake: If you’ve had the Costco chicken bake, you know how delicious it is. This version of the Costco bake is packed with mozzarella, ranch dressing, bacon bits and chicken — YUM!
- Easy Garlic Knots: These garlicky bread twists are the perfect companion to a caesar salad or a big bowl of Russian borscht!
- Pizza Rolls: Kids love frozen Totino’s Pizza Rolls — and they are delicious. But, homemade are even better!
- Flatbread Pizza: These individual pizzas are perfect to satisfy everyone’s pizza preference!

Tips From The Kitchen
On our mission to make the best pizza dough recipe, we came up with a few tips that consistently ensure the tastiest and best-textured dough. With these tricks, we’re confident this is the best homemade pizza dough you’ll ever make!
- Use bread flour: Most pizza chefs tend to use bread flour for pizzas. Why? Bread flour has a higher gluten content, meaning it is more springy and easier to work with. It also gives the pizza a nice, crispy crust. If you’re out of bread flour, all purpose flour will also work well! Or, mix the two types together!
- Adjust the rising time: Heat and humidity really affect the rising of the dough! If it’s a hot and humid environment, the dough rises faster. For a slower rise, refrigerate the dough.
- Use active dry yeast: For a great rise, we’ve had the best success with active dry yeast. In a pinch, rapid rise yeast is suitable, though it will change the rise time.
- Ensure water is lukewarm: Make sure the water is lukewarm when mixing it with the yeast. Very warm/hot water kills the yeast, which affects the rising of the dough. Lukewarm temperatures is at about 105°F-115°F. If you were to run the water on the inner part of the wrist, it should be comfortable.
- Allow the dough return to room temperature: If the dough has been in the fridge or freezer, let it warm to room temperature before rolling out and baking. This results in a lighter and tastier crust.
Storing the Pizza Dough
This easy pizza dough recipe is an amazing alternative to frozen and packaged pizza. It’s healthier and you’ll know each ingredient in the dough. Depending on your meal prepping plans, refrigerate the raw dough or freeze it for later use. When ready to use the dough, let it come to room temperature for about an hour before baking.
- Refrigerate: To store for up to a week, wrap your dough tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge.
- Freeze: To store for up to two months, allow the dough to rise completely, then wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze. When ready to use, let it completely thaw in the fridge. Cook as directed.
FAQ
Can pizza dough be used right from the fridge?
Instead of using pizza dough straight from the fridge, it is best to allow it to come to room temperature before rolling out and baking it. This will help it roll out easier without breaking, and results in a lighter and tastier crust.
What’s the difference between pizza flour and regular flour?
Pizza flour is a type of flour made from durum wheat used in many speciality pizza restaurants, whereas regular flour is most often made from hard spring wheat. The two flours make a difference in the taste and texture of the pizza dough.
Can different types of flours be mixed to make pizza dough?
Yes, it is okay to mix different types of flours (bread flour, all purpose flour, etc.) to make pizza dough. Each dough creates a slightly different texture, so a mixture of different types of dough will also yield variable dough textures.
More Dough-y Recipes
- No Knead Dinner Rolls — Soft, pillowy dinner rolls perfect for dipping into sauce
- Easy Brioche Bread — Classic French bread made with yeast, eggs, and butter
- 5 Minute Flax Wheat Bread — A great way to get the health benefits of flaxseed in your diet
- No-Knead Cinnamon Rolls — Fluffy, warm, and packed with sweet flavor
- Danish Pastry Recipe — The base dough for wonderful jam or cheese filled danishes
Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 1/2 cups Flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp Active Dry Yeast
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- 2 3/4 cups Lukewarm Water
Instructions
Dough
- Combine yeast, salt, sugar, olive oil and water in a large 6 quart bowl, you can use a wooden spoon or stand mixer.
- Add the flour. There is no need to knead the dough, just be sure that all the flour is mixed in well.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for about two hours.
Do you know how to make a croissant pizza dough crust? I'd like to make them instead of buying the frozen store bought type.
Hi Joseph, I've never had pizza with a croissant crust. Sounds delicious though!
i have been buying oo flour lately to make pizzas but havnt done it yet is it really better than regular flour
Hi Judith, I personally use Bob's Red Mill flour. I would love to know your thoughts about oo flour once you try it though.
Hi! I like to bake using metric weight, so I used your metric formula as calculated above. The dough came out very wet, as happened to a previous poster. So I googled, “2.75 cups water to grams” and the result consistently came up as 650 grams, not the 687 grams your conversion states. I ended up adding more flour and the dough is currently rising. I just wanted to let you know about this discrepancy. Thanks for the recipe. I am looking forward to making flatbread and garlic knots with my dough!
Hi Dayzee, I am looking into it a little more, we use the conversion provided for us but it can be wrong at times. I am checking it over with the conversion calculator team. I did google for the measurement as well.
The brand of flour can also affect the dough texture. Can you tell me what you used?
Thank you so much for your time.
Hi so if I am making this the night before I would mix, let rise for 2 hrs then put in a bowl, cover and refrigerate? Or do I skip the 2 hour rise and put straight into the fridge? Also next day do I just roll out and bake or is there any waiting?
Hi There, the dough needs the two hour rise period. You can keep it in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to a week. When you are ready to use it, you would go ahead and roll it out and bake. I hope this makes sense. Thank you for reaching out!
I'm so happy to have found your recipe site! It is really great since I was looking for flatbread and your pizza crust recipe is fantastic. I do have a question - are the calorie and carb amounts per serving or total? I ask because they seem quite high for 1 piece of pizza crust, so I might have to indulge only once a year.☹️
I look forward to your response and trying more recipes.
Thank you, Nancy
Hi Nancy, welcome to Momsdish family! This recipe makes smaller/medium size 4 pizzas. The calories are for one of the four pizza crusts.
I always refrigerate overnight (24hrs) or (48hrs) for best flavor....as do all non-chain pizza restaurants.
Do you refrigerate before or after it's risen?
Hi Rick, That's a great tip! Thanks so much! Have a great day!
I couldn't get my pizza dough to quit rising. What went wrong?
Hi, Mary! Is it a really warm and humid day where you live today? Heat and humidity really affects the dough! For a slower rise, I would refrigerate the dough. If you keep it out of the fridge, the rising time may be faster than 2 hours. Hope this helps!
Yes, very hot and humid...thanks!
This one I know is very good. Simple ingredients, yet so tasty!
Glad you loved it, thanks for the feedback! 🙂
I was trying to keep the second batch of pizza dough either in fridge or freezer. But no matter, the dough absorbs the moisture, and the second batch never comes out as good as the first one
Hey, you are probably right. Fresh food is always the best but freezer pizza dough worked well for us before. Thanks for your feedback.
so I did every step but the pizza turned yellow have a clue?
Hi Kristina- I'm not sure, I haven't had my dough turn out yellow before. Is it the dough itself that's yellow or after you bake it? When baking the pizza it's normal for it to turn a nice golden color. Hope this helps!
I used the metric measurements and the dough was sloppy. I assume these measurements are incorrect?
Hey Billy, we use an automated program to convert measuments. If you think they are incorrect, I would suggest googling for conversions.
Is the nutritional facts her pizza? Since it makes 4 pizzas?
Jeannette, the nutrition facts are only for the dough because it would depend on the topping you plan to use.
Hi there,
Your description says to pop it in the fridge for 2 hours whereas your recipe directions says to just “let the dough rise for about 2 hours”. Which is it? With or without fridge? Thanks!
Leave it to rise at room temperature. If you decide to make it the night before, you can refrigerate the dough.
Hi, I stumbled upon your site and absolutely love it. I saw the mushroom and spinach flatbread and just had to make it!! Made it and the family loved it! Thanks! Also, I’ve been searching for an easy pizza dough recipe - easy to follow and yours truly wins the trophy for that. Love the way you explain every step of the process. Thanks so much .
Regards
Harsha
OH wow Harsha, you definitely made my day with that review! Thank you and I am so happy that you loved the recipe!
How come no one really adds eggs to pizza dough?
Hey Rose, I guess it comes out great without eggs! 🙂
I love the pizza dough!! The best one I ever made! For sure will make it again! Thank you for the recipe
Oh Vicky, I am so happy you loved this recipe. We like this recipe a lot as well 🙂
How many pizzas can you make from this dough?
About 4 pizzas.
I made it and froze the other half and it was soo good!!
Thank you Vika! We freeze the dough also. It comes in handy when I am busy.
will the dough be kinda runny? and if ill add more flour to help roll the dough will it affect on the outcome? thanks
If it is runny, you should add more flour and outcome should turn out great! Sometimes the flour you use can make a difference.
If ill heat up my oven to 150° will dough rise faster then sitting in room temp? And how long should it stand in oven? Thanks
It should be until its doubles in volume, about 30 minutes.
Hi Nataliya, do you use the RapidRise yeast of active dry yeast for the recipe?
-Thanks.
I use Active dry yeast from Costco.
Natal ya
What temp do you bake the pizza at and how long? You didn't put the time and temp into the recipe
I bake at 450F preheated oven, hot oven makes the best pizza. Depending on the size, for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
spell check changed dough to sought, sorry!!
Lol, happens to me all the time 🙂
I made the sought twice, love it! I froze three doughs for a later time, how long does it take to defrost at room temperature? This time we cooked the pizza crust for 4 minutes on a hot pizza stone before adding the toppings, nice crispy crust!!!!!!
I never timed defrosting time, just left the dough the night before.
Made pizza and breadsticks today. I used a 5qt bowl and it worked great.
Thank you for a very easy and tasty pizza dough. My husband said "it was very good"
Will try your poppy seed recipies next.
Hey Estera, pizza night sounds really nice! If husband is happy that's is all that matters, right?!
Keep me posted on how you like other recipes 😉
Hi, Natasha. I know it might be silly question, but how should I know if the water is warm enough for the yeast? I had bad experience with lukewarm water lol wanted to make pirozhki and I think the water was too hot, so my yeast just died I guess . We want to make pizza tomorrow but I'm afraid to make same mistake that my dough would be not soft. Ohh and I don't have kitchen thermometer.
Thank you.
If you were to run the water on the inner part of the wrist it should be comfortable. Very warm/hot water will kill the yeast 🙁 I hope this weird explanation would help. lol..
Comfortable for a baby’s bath!
Thank you so much for the unique tip!
can you use a bread machine for this?
Yes you can use a bread machine. But for this dough its not necessary to knead it, only if the bread machine would make it easier for you.
Hi, is there anything I can do to not have to let the dough rise for 2hrs?
The best results are after a few hours but last weekend we just waited an hour and pizza turned out great.
awesome!! Thanks. I'm trying this tonight after work. It's my daughters 2nd birthday and instead of going to Chuck-E-Cheese or something like that, we are baking cupcakes and making homemade pizza together. I know she's still little but will have a blast helping. Her party is Saturday and she loves pizza.
That sounds way more fun than Chuck-E-Cheese 🙂 they say that you got to train them young, lol. But my boys were more interested in cooking at two than five.
Happy Birthday to your little princess 🙂
So pizza night was a success! Love love love the crust and will use this recipe from now on. Thanks again. Oh, I was able to let it rise for just about 2hrs. We made cupcakes before pizza 🙂
Oh, so glad it worked out perfect for you 🙂
What temperature do I bake it on?
Pizza taste the best at the highest temperature possible. But it depends on how thick the trust is. 450F is the temperature I usually use. Bake until the crust is golden brown.
How many inches in diameter are your pizzas? Also, how did you measure your flour? Did you spoon it into the measuring cup and then level it with a knife of did you just scoop the flour up with the measuring cup?
My pizzas are about 10 inches. I scooped flour.
i love this dough recipe. made it today and it turned out great.
Thank you for sharing feedback 🙂 I am glad you liked it. Its our go to recipe for pizza dough.