This overnight pizza dough recipe is the answer to your thin-crust pizza prayers. So easy to prep, all you have to do is dream about what toppings to use!
For the past few years, I’ve relied heavily on my quick pizza dough recipe to make tasty pies with super fluffy crust. However, when my family took a trip to Italy recently we fell in love with thin pizza crust.
To get that signature thin, Northern Italian-style pizza crust, look no further. By letting the dough rest overnight in the fridge, you slow the fermentation process and create a perfectly delicate crust. The kicker? It only takes 25 minutes to prep and works for a host of other recipes besides homemade pizza.
How to Make Overnight Pizza Dough
Making overnight pizza dough is as simple as it gets. Below, find a quick hitter overview of the recipe before you dive in.
- Combine the Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and yeast.
- Mix in the Water & Olive Oil: In small portions, stir the water into the dry ingredients. Next, stir in the olive oil.
- Knead the Dough: Using your hands (or stand mixer with dough hook), knead the dough on a lightly floured work surface until it becomes elastic. Next, roll it into a dough ball.
- Pop Dough in the Fridge Overnight: Place the dough ball into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise overnight or up to 24 hours. Use it within 3 days for your favorite pizza recipes.
Tips & Tricks
Below, find a collection of pro tips & tricks to help you make the best pizza dough possible.
- Use very cold water. Using very cold water to make your pizza dough is key to slowing the fermentation process. This is crucial since you’ll be letting your dough rise overnight in the refrigerator.
- Use a stand mixer if you have one. Kneading the dough will be so much easier and take a fraction of the time if you use a stand mixer.
- Use high-quality olive oil. There are a lot of bogus olive oil blends sold at the grocery store. When it comes to pizza-making, opt for 100% pure extra virgin olive oil. It’s worth it for the full-bodied flavor!
- Use high-quality flour. Opt for a flour that has a higher protein content and you won’t be disappointed with the texture of your crust. Bob’s Red Mill makes a great all-purpose flour that works great!
Pizza Topping Ideas
Below, find a couple of suggestions for different pizza toppings to help you create your perfect pie. Keep in mind these are simply suggestions! Feel free to get creative as you want and use your favorite pizza toppings.
Pizza Sauce
- Five Minute Marinara Sauce
- Easy Alfredo Sauce (5-Minute)
- Pesto
- Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce (great for BBQ chicken pizza!)
Meats, Cheeses, & Veggies
- Meats: Salami, pepperoni, hot soppressata, prosciutto, ham, shredded chicken, meatballs, anchovies, Italian ground sausage
- Cheeses: Mozzarella, parmesan, herbed goat cheese, feta, romano, gorgonzola, blue cheese
- Veggies: Mushrooms, bell peppers, onion, marinated artichokes, pepperoncini, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, olives
Hot Tip: Make any pizza breakfast pizza by cracking an egg on top 5-7 minutes before you’re ready to take it out of the oven. Dipping a slice in the runny yolk is an absolute game-changer!
How to Bake Your Pizza
After you’ve selected your toppings and you’re ready to bake your dough into a perfect pizza, find a quick rundown of the process below:
- Prepare the Baking Sheet: Drizzle some olive oil or dust flour on a baking sheet. Next, dust it with some cornmeal and set it aside.
- Prepare the Dough: Using your hands, stretch the dough into your desired shape. (Never use a rolling pin to shape your pizza dough. It will remove all the air and prevent your pizza from bubbling up.)
- Add the Sauce & Cheese: Spread your desired sauce across the dough, leaving about an inch of space along the rim to account for the crust. Next, sprinkle on the cheese.
- Add Meat, Veggies, & More Cheese: Evenly distribute the meat and veggies across your pie and top with another layer of cheese. Sprinkle the crust with sesame seeds.
- Bake the Pizza: Bake the pizza in a preheated oven to 425°F for about 12 minutes or until it’s golden brown. Slice, serve immediately, and enjoy!
Hot Tip: If you want an even more authentic pizza texture, invest in a pizza stone and pizza peel.
Storing Pizza Dough
- Refrigerator: You can store raw pizza dough in the fridge by keeping it in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Use it within 3 days or freeze it.
- Freezer: To freeze raw pizza dough, roll it into a ball. Next, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, allow it to sit in the refrigerator overnight.
FAQ
Can I leave my pizza dough overnight at room temperature?
You should not leave your pizza dough out overnight at room temperature. If you do, it will over-ferment and have a strong, yeasty flavor.
Do I let the pizza dough rise before refrigerating it?
You do not need to let pizza dough rise before refrigerating it. Alternatively, it will rise in the fridge overnight.
What is 00 flour?
00 flour refers to ultra-finely ground Italian flour. It yields super silky dough and is commonly used in combination with bread flour to make pizza and pasta.
Why is my pizza crust so chewy?
Your pizza crust likely turned out too chewy if you used too much flour. To properly measure your flour, loosely pack the measuring cup with spoonfuls of flour until full. Despite popular belief, you should never measure flour by tightly packing it.
How do I fix overworked pizza dough?
If your pizza dough is overworked and too difficult to handle, allow it to rest on a floured surface for 10-15 minutes
Recipes that Call for Pizza Dough
- Costco Chicken Bake – Costco’s famous snack bar treat
- Parmesan Garlic Flatbread Recipe – Zesty flatbread
- Pizza Rolls Recipe – Handheld pizza snacks
- Easy Garlic Knots – Soft and dippable garlic bread
Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and yeast.
- In small parts, add water to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.
- Add olive oil to the mixture and stir to combine.
- Dust a flat working surface with whole wheat flour and knead the dough with your hands until it turns elastic. Alternatively, use a stand mixer with a dough hook to speed up the process.
- Place the dough in a bowl in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Leave the dough to rise overnight in the refrigerator and use it within three days. Enjoy!
Can this recipe be doubled?
Hi there Rach, You can absolutely double this recipe!
How long before using should you take it out of the fridge?
Hi Michael, you can use it right out of the fridge. Thank you for reaching out!
Hi what kind of yeast
Hi Billy, If you click on the word "yeast" in the ingredients list, it will take you to a link to the amazon link to the yeast I use. Thank you for reaching out!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe, I'm just seeing it but it help me so much 🙏
Hi Isaac, I am so thrilled! Thank you for your feedback! Enjoy!
Mine didn’t rise that much. Is that normal?
Hi Pamela, It should not rise as much as a bread would rise because its not in a warm environment. If it didn't rise at all, there could be other issues such as old yeast or too much flour. I hope this helps.
I turned out great!! So tasty and perfect texture !
Hi Pamela! Thank you very much for your feedback! Enjoy!
Can this dough be frozen and at what point-before refrigeration or after the overnight refrigeration?
Hi Cindy- I have not tried freezing it so I'm not sure. Wish I could be of more help!
I'm wondering how many pizzas this is for?
Hi Esther- this is enough for 2 medium pizzas. Enjoy!
Do you use instant yeast, or active dry yeast?
Hi Susan- either should work!
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing pizza dough recipe! Will surely have this again! It's really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
Thank you very much! It really is the best thing to have in the fridge for any day!
This dough is a dream to work with, which made our Friday pizza night so much more enjoyable for this mom!
Right?! So easy and delicious, I'm so glad your family loved the recipe!
So good! I have never done an overnight version before and this one is really delicious!
Hi Stephanie, I am so glad you enjoyed it, thank you for your feedback!
Do you need to let it get to room temp before you roll it out?
Hey Gabrielle, while it's not necessary, it's a good idea. It will make the crust more bubbly.
This will come in handy !!!!
Yes, I love having this dough on hand and using it overtime. Kids make their own pizza after school.
For how long and at what temperature do you cook it?
Search "pizza recipe" I have some tips on there.
I always use fresh yeast, how much yeast would you recommend?
Oh my! I have no idea 🙂 I have never used fresh yeast.
So this recipe makes enough for 4 thin crust pizzas? About how large is each pizza? Can't wait to try this!
They are smaller in size, about 10-12 inches in size. Making 4 pizzas.
Thanks for the recipe! I use a similar one, but was told to use unbleached flour, I must try it with regular flour, should be ok. It really works great for pizzas and flat breads.
Hi Mira, how do you make flat breads? I love easy it is to work with this dough. Keep me posted on how you like it.
This dough is really easy to work with, I should try making pita bread with it (I guess the secret is in baking the pita). I've made something like flat bread pizza- spread dough over a pizza stone (pan) and drizzle some olive oil ,bake it, once done I top it with prosciutto,sautéed or fresh vegetables, cheese and eat it as a flat bread.
Thanks for the ideas on flat bread, i want to try that 🙂
why would you use cold water when that kills yeast.
Hot water kills yeast but in cold water it simply sleeps. It starts slowly working as the ingredients get warmer. Enjoy the recipe.
hi thanks my family is very thanful