Homemade Pizza Dough - Lauren's Latest (2024)

This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Homemade pizza has never been easier with this easy homemade Pizza Dough Recipe! Easy to follow, minimal ingredients required and always delicious. Turn your pizza dough into Stromboli, calzones or just whip up a plain old pie. You will love this recipe!

This is the BEST Pizza Dough Recipe with Yeast

The hardest part of pizza making at home is the crust. I’ve been making my own pizza dough for years but I could never get it just right. It was never chewy and/or crispy enough. But after lots of testing and switching over to bread flour, I recently perfected my crust, getting it up to par with the pizza restaurants. I did lots of research and lots of testing and I’m so happy to share this recipe with you today. It really is the BEST Pizza Dough Recipe!

If you’re looking for a whole wheat option try my Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe!

Pizza Dough Recipe Easy ingredients

Ok, friends, here’s the list of ingredients you’ll need to make the best homemade pizza dough ever. Nothing crazy or out of the ordinary:

• Warm Water –warm water helps the yeast bloom faster. But if the water is too hot it can kill the yeast. So be careful!
• Yeast – fast acting or regular old active dry yeast is fine! This makes the pizza dough rise. This is my favorite brand.
• Honey – to help activate the yeast. You can use granulated sugar in a pinch.
• Salt –to season the dough.
• Olive Oil –or canola oil. The difference is the taste.
• Bread Flour – the best flour for pizza dough due to higher gluten content, yielding a chewier crust.

What kind of flour is best for Homemade Pizza Dough

For homemade breads, I always suggest using Bread Flour. Bread Flour has higher gluten content (12-14%) which gives you that chewy texture you want for a Ciabatta, French Bread or Pizza Dough. Kneading the dough develops gluten as you go, but starting with a flour that has a higher gluten to begin with is the trick for pizza dough that is just like the kinds you’d buy from the store or get at a restaurant. King Arthur Flour is my favorite bread flour.

In a pinch, you can absolutely use all-purpose flour which has a lower gluten content (8-11%), so the results won’t be quite as chewy but (pro tip!) if you knead the dough a little longer, you can develop more gluten and make it work. If you don’t have bread flour, don’t let that stop you from making this recipe. It will absolutely work with all purpose.

How to make Easy Pizza Dough

Step 1: Proof the Yeast

In a large mixing bowl, preferably the bowl of a stand mixer, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Let yeast mixture sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam. This tells you that the yeast is alive and kicking.

Step 2: Stir in Flour, Salt & Olive Oil

With the mixer on low, add in salt, oil and half the flour.

Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it, it doesn’t stick to your hands. The dough should also be cleaning the sides of the bowl but still sticking to the bottom. This is normal!

Step 3: Knead

Once you reach this stage, turn the mixer on a low to medium speed to knead for 6 minutes. Turn a timer on and walk away! Resist the temptation to stop earlier than 6 minutes! That seems to be the magical number. The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be clean!

Step 4: Rise

Lightly grease the bowl & the ball of dough with olive oil so it doesn’t dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature 1-2 hours or until it’s doubled in size. That’s it! If your house is on the cooler side, place it in your oven with the light on.

Now you can turn this dough into anything your little heart desires (maybe try grilling your pizza). Divide into 2 separate dough balls if you want two 12″ pizzas, which is what this recipe makes. Feel free to divide them again for personal pan pizzas so everyone can choose their favorite toppings! To spread the dough you can use a rolling pin but I always just use my hands!

How to make pizzas with this Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe

Your pizza dough should be easy to work with and be easily pressed out and formed into round pizzas. You can either use a rolling pin, use your fingers to stretch and press out the dough into a round shape or you can try tossing the pizza dough up in the air (like they do at those old school pizzerias) and use the back of your hands (think loose fists) to stretch the dough into shape. Boom. Hand tossed pizza!

Making this Pizza Dough Recipe with Yeast ahead of time

If you aren’t interested in freezing your dough but still want to prepare it ahead of time, you can! Follow the directions all the way through and then cover and refrigerate for up to three days. Letting your pizza dough sit in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 18-24 hours really develops that delicious yeasty flavor. Not a necessary step but a delicious one. Next time you make pizza dough, give this a try! It’s tasty 🙂

How to make cheesy garlic bread sticks from the Best Pizza Dough

I turned my pizza dough recipe into delicious Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks. Buttery, salty, cheesy, garlic-y goodness. 9 minutes in a hot oven and these bubbly bites come out ready to be eaten. And made our kitchen smell divine. Give them a whirl this weekend! (Recipe is found in the pizza dough recipe card down below in the notes section.)

1. Preheat oven to 500° F with pizza stone inside. (If you don’t have a pizza stone, use an upside-down baking sheet.)
2. Mix butter and garlic in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Spread pizza dough out into a 12-inch circle on parchment paper. (This makes it easier to transfer to the pizza stone.)
4. Spread the butter and garlic mixture over dough and top with parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Top with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper, if desired. (That step is totally optional!)
5. Bake 9-10 minutes or until bubbly and golden. Remove from oven and cool 1-2 minutes before cutting. Serve hot, with marinara.

Pizza Dough Recipe Easy tips and tricks

Here are the details of my pizza dough recipe that you are going to want to know:

• Use Warm Water – not hot, not cold. Pleasantly warm. Yeast likes warmth. Don’t overthink this step. If it feels nice and warm like baby bathwater, then you’re good. If the water is too hot, you will kill your yeast. Aim for 107-110° F.
• Use Honey – I seem to get better results with honey, but you can use sugar if you prefer.
• Bread Flour – you must must must use bread flour. Bread flour means more gluten. More gluten means chewy crust. Chewy crust = good. The end.
• Knead, Knead, Knead – Kneading means gluten! And we all know what gluten means. Knead your dough for 6 minutes pretty please.
• Use a Pizza Stone – This is a great pizza stone. Put it in your cold oven, and then crank that baby up to the hottest temperature it will go to. For me, it was 500° F. Let the stone preheat in that extremely hot oven for at least 30 minutes before using. That will really give you a crispy crust like you get at the restaurants. If you don’t have a pizza stone use an upside-down baking sheet.

Can I freeze Homemade Pizza Dough?

Yes(!!!) you can freeze this pizza dough recipe to save it for later. And it’s the perfect recipe to do this because it makes two 12″ medium pizzas! Use half now and the rest later.

To Freeze: Simply follow the directions all the way stopping after you knead the dough for 6 minutes. This is the point when you could freeze your dough!! Divide into portions, place into freezer bags, seal, removing all air, and freeze for up to three months.

To Use: Remove from the freezer and place the frozen dough in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it defrost, then rise until it has doubled in size; 6 hours or so, depending how warm or cold your kitchen is. Then use it as you’d like.

Best Pizza Dough FAQ

Need More Pizza Recipe Ideas?

I’ve got you covered, check out all of my pizza recipes here! Or just click on some of my favorites below:

• Margherita Pizza
• Chicken Alfredo Pizza
• Country BBQ Chicken Pizza
• Pesto Pizza
• Mediterranean Pizza
• Bruschetta Pizza

More Favorites from Lauren’s Latest

Be sure to save/print/bookmark this pizza crust recipe for your next pizza night, it’s a good one! The printable recipe card is below, enjoy. 🙂

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you wouldgive it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.