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Pizza Dough

Homemade Pizza Dough isn’t difficult to make and it makes for a fabulous, fun interactive cooking event. Make it in advance and you can have your own pizza feast at home any night of the week.

Best Pizza Dough


Easy Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe

How do you make pizza dough? It’s much the same as making any bread. In this recipe, I use rapid rise yeast which makes the rise time move along more quickly. You can use classic yeast in the same amount, it will just take longer for it to rise. After making this delicious dough in advance, set-up a pizza toppings bar with a variety of different sauces, chopped vegetables, meats and shredded cheese and let everyone get in on the pizza making fun. How to make Homemade Pizza Dough: (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)

  • Dry Ingredients – In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix together bread flour, dry yeast, salt and sugar.
  • Warm Water – While the mixer is running drizzle in 2 cups of warm water mixed with 2 Tbsp olive oil. If needed add additional water 1 Tbsp at a time until the dough is fully moistened. Knead until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
  • Knead – Turn onto a non stick surface and by hand knead 8-10 times or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
  • Let Rise – Return to the bowl and drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Turn to coat all sides. Cover and allow to rise for 1 hour or until doubled.
  • Divide Dough – Divide the dough in half. Press each half onto a 16 inch pizza pan and top with your favorite pizza toppings or refrigerate dough for up to 3 days.
  • Bake assembled pizzas in a preheated 450°F oven for 12-15 minutes or until the crust is golden.
Best Pizza Dough

How to Make the Best Homemade Pizza Dough

  • Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Pizza Dough: Bread flour, two packets rapid rise yeast (1/4 oz each), salt, olive oil, granulated sugar and warm water.
  • Kitchen tools you’ll need: A stand mixer or a hand mixer fitted with a dough hook, (you can also knead by hand), measuring cups and spoons, large bowl.
  • I use bread flour for this pizza dough recipe because of the crunch it gives to the crust. If you prefer a more chewy texture you can substitute all purpose flour in the same amount.
  • Should you choose to knead the dough by hand, it may take more time than when using a mixer. Knead it until the dough is smooth and elastic, regardless of the time in the recipe.
  • To make this pizza dough, you’ll need two 0.25 ounce packets of rapid rise yeast. The equivalent of 2 1/4 teaspoons for each packet.
  • When I’m planning a friends and family movie night I like to make several batches in advance then cover and chill in the refrigerator. Even when the dough is chilling in the refrigerator it will continue to slowly rise.
  • Make sure that you grease the bowl to prevent it from sticking to the sides.
  • To separate, punch the dough down to release the air pockets then divide using a pastry cutter or a sharp knife.
  • Set up a toppings bar and get everyone in on the pizza make fun! Give each person a piece of pizza dough and let everyone top their own pizza the way they want. It’s a lot of fun and it gets the kids involved, too.
  • You can make your own Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce, too.
  • You can store homemade Pizza Dough chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can freeze it in one pound portions for up to 3 months.
Pizza Dough on a board

More Pizza Recipes to Make 

Pizza is always a winner no matter when you serve it, It’s the kind of tummy filling food that the kiddos always flock to. More pizza inspired recipes you may also like to try:

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Pizza Dough

Prep Time15 minutes
Rise Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Bread, Main Course, Pizza
Cuisine: Italian, Southern
Keyword: homemade-pizza-dough-recipe, pizza-dough
Servings: 2 (16-inch crusts)
Calories: 1337kcal
Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

  • 5 cup bread flour
  • 2 (1/4 oz each) envelopes rapid rise yeast (i.e. Two 1/4 oz packets)
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil divided
  • 2 cup warm water 110-115°F

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix together bread flour, dry yeast, salt and sugar.
  • While the mixer is running, drizzle in 2 cups of warm water mixed with 2 Tbsp olive oil. If needed add additional water 1 Tbsp at a time until the dough is fully moistened. Knead until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
  • Turn onto a non stick surface and by hand knead 8-10 times or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
  • Return to the bowl and drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Turn to coat all sides. Cover and allow to rise for 1 hour or until doubled.
  • Divide the dough in half. Press each half onto a 16 inch pizza pan and top with your favorite pizza toppings. (May refrigerate dough for up to 3 days)
  • Bake assembled pizzas in a preheated 450°F oven for 12-15 minutes or until the crust is golden.

Notes

  • To make this pizza dough, you’ll need two 1/4 ounce packets of rapid rise yeast. The equivalent of 2 1/4 tsp for each packet called for in the recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1crust | Calories: 1337kcal | Carbohydrates: 233g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Sodium: 3495mg | Potassium: 314mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 6IU | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

58 Comments

  1. Hello, so I am still confused about the yeast… do you need 4 1/2 tsp in total of rapid rise yeast? Our yeast is sold in jars so I need to know howmany teaspoons, thanks!

    1. Yes, from the Cook’s note: “To make this pizza dough, you’ll need two 1/4 ounce packets of rapid rise yeast. The equivalent of 2 1/4 tsp for each packet called for in the recipe.”

  2. This is the best pizza dough I’ve ever used. Made stuffed crust for hubby and he asked if I made this or bought it ( big compliment) Thanks for sharing it!

      1. You don’t have to if you’ve followed the steps through to preparing a pizza or calzone.

  3. 5 stars
    This is a very easy dough and to make it even easier I used my bread machine to prepare it using the dough setting since I don’t have a heavy duty mixer. Worked great!

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