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.
Ingredients to Make Pizza Dough Recipe
The price of pizza in the US has continued to sky rocket. It’s such a simple meal to make at home using pantry staples for the crust. Plus, it’s contactless delivery when made at home. 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 active dry 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, pepperoni, sausage or bacon and shredded mozzarella cheese and let everyone get in on the pizza making fun. Ingredients to make the best Homemade Pizza Dough: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)
- Flour: Five cups bread flour or all purpose flour.
- Yeast: Two (1/4 oz each) envelopes rapid rise yeast gives lift to the dough.
- Salt: Salt for flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: Helps the yeast to fully bloom.
- Oil: One tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil.
- Water: Two cups warm water 110-115°F.
How to Make the Best Homemade Pizza Dough
- 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 the Dough – Turn onto a nonstick surface and by hand knead 8-10 times or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Let Rise in a Warm Draft Free Place – 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.
- Oven – Bake assembled pizzas in a preheated 450°F oven for 12-15 minutes or until the crust is golden.
Tips for Making Homemade Pizza Dough
- 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.
- All Purpose Flour or Bread Flour: Can I use all purpose flour for pizza dough? 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.
- Use Fresh Ingredients: Check the flour and yeast to be certain it’s fresh prior to beginning.
- You Can Knead the Dough by Hand: 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.
- Rapid Rise Yeast: 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.
- Make the Dough in Advance: When I’m planning a pizza meal I like to make several batches of dough in advance, then cover and chill in the refrigerator. Even when the dough is chilling in the refrigerator it will continue to slowly rise.
- Grease the Bowl: This prevents sweet melissa pizza dough from sticking to the sides.
- Use a Sharp Knife to Divide the Dough: To separate the dough into portions, gently punch the dough down to release the air pockets then divide using a pastry cutter or a sharp knife.
- Make Your Own Tomato Sauce: You can make your own Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce recipe, too.
- Dessert Pizza: You can serve sweet melissa pizza as desserts, too! Checkout my Toffee Apple Pizza recipe here.
- What to Serve with Pizza: You can serve pizza with pasta, chopped salad, chicken wings or any of your favorite side dishes. You can also create your own calzones using this pizza dough recipe.
Recipe Variations
- How to Set-Up a Pizza Toppings Bar: Set up a toppings bar and get everyone in on the pizza make fun! You can make vegetarian pizzas with loads of fresh vegetables. Veggies you might consider are mushrooms, red peppers, green bell peppers, red onion, cherry tomatoes and olives or any other additional toppings you enjoy. Pizza is perfectly customizable, there’s lots of flexibility in toppings choices.
- Meat Toppings for Pizza: Italian sausage, pepperoni, chicken, hamburger, steak, crispy bacon, ham and more. The sky’s the limit! Give each person a piece of pizza dough and let everyone create their own pizza the way they want. It’s a great way to get the whole family involved.
- Fresh Herbs: Use fresh basil, parsley, oregano or cilantro for a Mexican pizza topped with taco meat.
- Active Dry Yeast: You can swap out rapid rise yeast for active dry yeast. The dough will take longer to rise.
Storage and Leftovers
- Leftovers: You can store homemade Pizza Dough in an airtight container chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
- Freezer Storage: You can freeze homemade pizza dough in one pound portions for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge prior to using.
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:
- Skip the bun and enjoy the same flavors in this Bacon Cheeseburger Pizzas.
- Shake-up you sandwich menu with this Pizza Grilled Cheese.
- Tasty Sausage and Egg Breakfast Pizza is the ideal way to kick off the day.
- Homemade Meatball Pizza is flavor packed.
- Sweet Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Pizza for those who think pineapple DOES belong on pizza.
- These Stuffed Pizza Rolls are perfect for casual meals and game day snacking.
- Super easy Easy Low Carb Pan Pizza from All Day I Dream About Food.
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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Pizza Dough
Servings: 2 (16-inch crusts)
Calories: 1337kcal
Ingredients
- 5 cups 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 cups 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
- Rapid Rise Yeast: 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
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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!
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.”
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!
I consider that high praise, thank you!
I love homemade pizza dough! How fun to make it with the kids every week too!
Can you use this dough for calzones.
Sure!
Do you have to let the dough rise again. After you fill the calzone. Thank you.
You don’t have to if you’ve followed the steps through to preparing a pizza or calzone.
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!
Wonderful, thanks!
So do we need two envelopes of yeast or one? Sorry, you confused me when you put (1/4) in there ..
You need two 1/4 oz packages of yeast.
A hello do you have a good easy recipe for pizza sauce?
Yes, you can find it in the Recipe Index here.