Pizza Dough
Pizza is not only one of my favorite dishes to eat, but it's also one of my favorite things to make in the kitchen. There's something about feeling the dough come together and change as you knead it that feels just a little miraculous. Of course you can use a stand mixer to do the mixing, but everyone should make dough just once by hand.
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Pizza Dough
- Prep Time: 20 m
- Proofing Time: 1 h
- Total Time: 20 m
- Servings: 6makes 6 (10-inch) pizzas or 2 (1-pound) dough balls
Ingredients
- 4 cups bread flour, pizza (“00”) flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1½ cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the olive oil to the flour mixture and start to mix using the dough hook attachment. As you’re mixing, add the 1¼ cup of the water, mixing until the dough comes together. Continue to knead the dough with the dough hook for another 10 minutes, adding enough water to a dough to get it to the right consistency.
- Transfer the dough to a floured counter and divide it into 6 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Lightly coat each dough ball with oil and transfer to the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap. You can place them all on a baking sheet, or place each dough ball into its own oiled zipper sealable plastic bag or container. (You can freeze the dough balls at this stage, removing as much air as possible from the oiled bag.) Keep in the refrigerator for at least one day, or as long as five days.
- When you’re ready to make your pizza, remove your pizza dough from the refrigerator at least 1 hour prior to baking and let it sit on the counter, covered gently with plastic wrap.
- Pre-heat the oven to 500ºF with a pizza stone or steel in the middle of the oven for at least 30 minutes prior to baking. Make one pizza at a time. Place a piece of parchment paper on your pizza peel. Press the dough into a flat disk and then pinch around the rim of the dough to create a crust. Use the back of your hands to pull the dough into a circle, rotating the dough as you do so. Place the dough on the parchment paper peel and top with your desired toppings. Cut the parchment around the pizza so that it just a little bigger than the pizza. Then slide the pizza onto the pizza stone or peel. Close the oven door and watch as the crust rises and the toppings brown and melt. The pizza should take 5 to 8 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
Pizza Dough
Amount Per Serving
Calories 333
Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Sodium 781mg33%
Potassium 102mg3%
Carbohydrates 62g21%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 10g20%
Calcium 14mg1%
Iron 0.8mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe was the best. Thank you for your ingredients
We no longer buy pizza dough. We now make our own thanks to your recipe. The dough is tasty and easy to shape.
Is this too much for ONE large pizza?
You could use it for one large thick crust pizza. I would split it in two for large thin crust pizzas. I generally divide it in four and each ball makes a thin crust pizza just right for two.
I love this recipe and video. I never buy pizza dough anymore. I use your recipe and it’s perfect every time. I often freeze it to use at a later time and it’s great. Easy to shape into a round pie. I love it! I wish though I could use this recipe for my outdoor pizza oven but I am afraid b/c of the added sugar. Any chance you can suggest a good dough recipe for a Neapolitan pizza. Thank you Meredith!
Hi Jodie. Don’t worry about the sugar content. I use the dough on my outdoor grill without any trouble. I’ll work on a thicker Neapolitan pizza dough! 🙂
How do you use the frozen dough.
Make sure you let the dough defrost on the countertop and come to room temperature before you try to stretch it. Then use it as you were planning to use it.
Can you freeze the dough and if so how long. Make for daycare kids for Age1-3 years
Hi Leann. Yes, you can freeze the dough. I make one batch of dough and portion it out into 3, 4 or 6 pieces (depending on how big a pizza I will want). Let the dough rise for one day in the refrigerator and then re-roll the little dough balls and freeze them in an oiled plastic bag, removing as much air as possible from the bag. You can keep the dough in your freezer for several weeks – the better you package them, the longer they will keep. When you think you’ll want to use the pizza dough, remember to remove it from the freezer and defrost it in the refrigerator or on the counter. It needs to be fully defrosted before you can stretch and use it and you can keep it in your refrigerator for 3 more days once it has defrosted before using it.
Do you let the dough rise before you freeze it or does it rise when you take it out of the freezer
This dough is best after a couple of days of rising slowly in your refrigerator. I you want to freeze it, you can freeze it at any stage of the rise. I like to let my dough balls rise in the refrigerator for one day and then freeze the balls individually in an oiled plastic bag, removing as much air as possible from the bag. When you think you’d like to use the pizza dough, remove it from the freezer several hours ahead of time. You can even let it thaw and continue to rise in the refrigerator for a couple more days. The freezer makes the yeast inactive. Once it thaws, the yeast will be active again and the dough will rise again.
How does this work in the air fryer? I made some pizza in the AF with another homemade recipe but this looks much easier.
This pizza dough works great in the air fryer. When I make pizza in the air fryer, I always par-bake the dough along. Pop it into the air fryer and bake for about 5 minutes. Then, flip it over and air-fry for another 4 or so. Then, top it with whatever toppings you are using. You can see an example of this here: https://bluejeanchef.com/recipes/spinach-artichoke-white-pizza/
Always keep this in hand. Love the versatility of s thin crust on a grill. Individual deep dish snd even a hand tossed family sized pizza. The dough recipe let’s me create at anytime.
Excellent recipe! The pizza was fantastic! Followed your video. Very helpful.
Does the water need to be at a specific temperature to activate the yeast?
Hi Jane – usually when you’re making a dough the water does need to be warm (around 90 – 100ºF), but this pizza dough rests in the refrigerator over several days, so the temperature of the water doesn’t matter. If you are making the pizza dough the same day you plan to use it, however, I would suggest using warm water and letting the dough rise on the counter instead of in the refrigerator.
I got your recipe out of one of your cookbooks a couple of years ago and use it frequently since my family loves pizza. It stays nicely in fridge for up to 5 days and I also keep it in the freezer. It is delicious, economical, and very easy to make. Thank you for sharing all your delicious recipes with us!
Can I use this dough recipe in a bread maker ?
Hi Walter. It would depend on whether or not your bread maker can handle this amount of dough or not. You can use the dough mixing cycle, but then I would remove it and let it rise over several days in the refrigerator as the recipe instructs.
Can you bake it at a lower temperature than 500 say 400-425 and if you could what would the amount of time be for baking?
Hi Cathy. You could bake it at a lower temperature for longer, but it’s the intense heat of the oven and the baking stone or steel that gives the crust a good rise. If you’re going to drop the temperature, add another 10 minutes or so. Check the bottom crust for a nice brown color and the top for browned and melted cheese.
This is very similar to mine. 4 1/2 cups flour 2 Tbs. oil, 2 Tbs. sugar. Is the only difference. FYI makes excellent French bread to just use 2 1/4 tsp. . Works excellent in bread machine too. Thanks for the tip on freezing, now I can have pizza at the drop of a hat.
I don’t have a pizza stone, can I use a pizza pan?
Sure, but pre-heat the pan in the oven first. The burst of heat from the stone/steel/pan helps the crust rise. You can also invert a baking sheet in the oven, pre-heat and use that too.
Can I use this pizza dough recipe in a bread maker ?
You can use the dough cycle of your bread maker to knead the dough if your bread machine is big enough to handle this quantity of dough. After it has finished kneading, I would let the dough rise in the refrigerator as instructed in the recipe.
Would whole wheat bread flour work the same way?
Hi Angie. I’m afraid whole wheat bread flour won’t work the same way. Whole wheat flour has less gluten per volume than all-purpose flour because it includes all the parts of the grain. You could try substituting ⅓ of the total flour quantity with whole wheat flour if you like, but you may also have to play a little with the water added since whole wheat flour absorbs water differently to all-purpose flour.
Could you put this in a bread maker to knead it then take it out before it backs?
Hi Gary. If your bread machine is big enough to handle this quantity of dough, sure you can use the bread machine to knead it. Then, remove it, divide it into the portions you want and let it rise as instructed (in the fridge over several days, or on the counter for same day).
I made it with bread flour and I could not get it to stay stretched, it kept coming back even after letting it rest for almost an hour after the second rise. What did I do wrong? I’d have had 6 inch pizzas with a very thick crust, I wound up just throwing it out.
Hi Perry. I would guess that you didn’t let the dough rest long enough for the gluten to relax. When dough keeps shrinking, let it rest longer and try again. Depending on the temperature of your room, or if the dough has been in the refrigerator, the dough could need 2 hours to rest.
Made this tonight fir dinner. Made pepperoni, sausage and mushroom pizza. Best ever! Crust was thin and crispy. Very easy recipe. Thank you for giving it to us!
Can you use a combination of flours. I have about 2 cups OO flour with 2 cups regular all purpose
Hi Maryann,
When push comes to shove, definitely use whatever flour you have. The only adjustment you might need to make is how much water you add to the recipe. Flours with different gluten contents absorb liquid differently, so just be prepared to flex a little. If the dough is too wet, add a little more flour (whichever kind). If it is too dry, add a little more water.
Can you use a combination of flours if u do not have enough of 00 flour
In a pinch, use whatever you have! Just be ready to flex a little when you add water. Flours of different protein levels absorb water differently. The higher the protein, the more water it will absorb. This shouldn’t really be a problem for you. If the dough is too wet, add a little more flour. If the dough is too dry, add a little more water.
This “stay at home” is so much easier to handle with these recipes from you. We tried this dough recipe and split it. We made calzones today and will make pizza tomorrow. This was easy, delicious and most of all fun to make with my husband (who is never in the kitchen), Thanks so much Meredith. Now looking for something sweet to make.
LOVE this recipe! My family has been begging for homemade pizza weekly for the last few weeks. Now I make a double batch and keep some handy in the freezer. The parchment paper trick works great! Thanks!
I’ve got a question, or maybe more of a concern, about using parchment paper. It seems like a great trick and I’m all for anything that improves my chances for success. The parchment paper I have (Publix grocery store brand) states that it’s made for conventional ovens up to 400 F. degrees. You recommend baking at 500 F. degrees. Do I need new paper or are all parchment papers rated that way? Any suggestions? Or am I being over cautious?
Hi Karen. Paper combusts at 451ºF, so it’s definitely safe over 400ºF. I do put it under my pizza at 500ºF, but most of the parchment is covered (I cut it around the circle of the pizza). I’ve never had a problem. The paper will brown, but it remains intact and I just throw it away afterwards. Make sure you are using a natural parchment paper – not one that is coated or treated with anything.
Where did you purchase your your pizza steel?
I bought mine from Amazon. https://bluejeanchef.com/product/pizza-steel/
ML
I love this pizza dough!! It’s the only one I use. I do substitute beer for at least part of the water but either way it’s delicious!! I would like to measure the flour by weight. I am so confused by how much a cup of flour should weigh. What do you think?
Hi Amy. A cup of all-purpose or bread flour should weight 4.25 ounces or 120 grams. You could weigh your flour for the pizza dough, but be prepared to flex a little and judge the dough by how it feels and looks. If it feels stiff and inflexible, add a little water. If it feels too loose and soft, add a little more flour. Humidity in the air, brand of flour, etc… these are all things that can make a difference.
Thank you so much!
Just tried this pizza dough for the first time and love it! I left it to rise in frig for 4 days. It was so easy to work with… I’m notorious for pizza dough failure…so this was a very pleasant surprise!😉 Would this work in my Green Egg smoker? Thank you for your wonderful videos!
Hi Kim. So glad you loved it! 😊 If you are using a baking stone in the Green Egg, then yes, it would definitely work. If you’re trying to just bake directly on the grill grate, this dough is a little too thin for that.
I am notorious for pizza dough failure and this recipe gave me success! Love it! Thank you!
Is,everyone who gave reviews using bread flour or all purpose flour? I’ve never made pizza dough and want to know if I should buy bread flour for my first time.. Thankyou! Can’t wait to make it .
Hi Angie, you can use all-purpose flour, but I do recommend using bread flour which is higher in gluten. This makes the pizza dough crispy on the outside with a chewy texture on the inside. I personally think it is worth using the bread flour, but in a pinch either will do.
Meredith would like your opinion on rapid rise pizza yeast. Bought it when I could not find it any other kind but have been afraid to use it. Also when you knead above dough in your kitchen aid mixer what speed do u use. Thx. Maryann
Hi Maryann. It is no problem using fast acting yeast in this recipe. I usually use speed 2 when kneading.
Thanks so much. Just bought the bread flour today and will let you know next week how it comes out!
Awesome dough. Easy peasy. Delicious. Finally found a nirvana recipe.
Have a quick question. ..does parchment paper inhibit the browning of the bottom of a pizza. I took my dough out of refrig , let it set for an hour, heated my stone @ 500. But, it seems my bottom did get very brown. Any hints. Thx. Maryann
Hi Maryann. The parchment paper should not inhibit browning of the crust. How long did you pre-heat your stone? I usually pre-heat the stone (or steel) on a rack in the middle of my oven for at least 30 minutes when the oven has come to temperature. The parchment paper should turn a little brown itself in the oven, but it won’t slow down the browning of the crust. Maybe the pizza just needed a little longer in the oven?
This is another quarantine recipe I made for my son…..if you think eating one potato chip is hard..wait until you taste this crust- yeah, it’s that good. I now make this in triple batches as nobody wants pizza delivered anymore – fortunately, the dough freezes beautifully, so I can keep a supply on hand.
How would this work if I wanted to pre-shape the dough onto paper plates and freeze that way? Would it still be best to defrost first?
Hi Denise. You will want to let the dough rest for at least 3 days before shaping into disks. I would freeze the disks on parchment paper rather than paper plates. When ready to use, pull the dough from the freezer and rest it on the counter for at least an hour before using. Then top your pizza and bake it right on the parchment paper on a pre-heated pizza stone or sheet pan.
This is THE BEST pizza dough recipe! I can’t believe that I made pizza from scratch and it was easy and great. I used all purpose flour because I couldn’t get bread flour for a while and then I loved the taste and found it a touch easier to use. The best part was the confidence watching the video gave me. Thank you, Blue Jean Chef.
Question: how would you make this recipe into a deep dish pizza recipe? Any recipe suggestions?
To make this into a deep dish pizza you just need to double the amount of dough used for each 10” pizza. When you press the dough in your pan just be sure to form it up the sides of the pan. Then let it proof at room temperature for about 20 minutes before topping the pizza.
I was surprised at how good the dough was. It did not tear. I felt like a professional. I will continue to make this recipe as my go to
Thank you for this recipe and the video! I’ve been trying pizza dough ,we have eaten some failures! This recipe was so easy, the dough turned out so nice. I made calzones today they were really good, we want them again tomorrow!
I just Love this pizza crust recipe. Its simple to make and DELICIOUS! I never was able to make pizza crust, it always was a disaster. This recipe has changed that.
Hi Meredith, made the dough over the weekend and saved it for Valentines Day. After sitting on the counter for an hour we shaped them into hearts so they were a little smaller than 10 inches. Topped each one with a variety of fresh ingredients and popped them into a 475 degree oven for the 8-10 minutes and then a couple more minutes and they were a HUGE success! The Grandkids loved topping their own pizzas and my adult children loved the fact that they knew what was in the crust! So good and oh so easy to make. I have never made homemade crust before but will from now on! Thanks so much for making this Grandma a rock star!
Wish you detailed metric or imperial weights. Recipes just fail every time I try to work with cups (*_*)
Meredith has an article in her online BJC Cooking School on “How to Measure Properly” that could assist you. There are also charts that convert cups to ounces or grams that you can use to convert your recipes. Here is the link for your reference: https://bluejeanchef.com/cooking-school/how-to-measure-ingredients/
I have made this pizza dough over and over and over, it’s absolutely delicious! I’m wondering if I could double the recipe?
Yes, you can double the recipe if you can handle kneading a large amount of dough at once.
Hi, what type of salt do you recommend for this recipe?
Hi Aimee,
I use kosher salt for all my recipes.
ML
My dough didn’t rise could my yeast have been old. What if anything can I do with it?
Hi Kim. The yeast is dead and there’s nothing you can do with that but throw it away. As for the dough, you could still cook it – griddle it or bake it. It will be unleavened, so won’t be airy and fluffy, but will still be edible.
I’ve made this dough several times now. It’s perfect every time. Thank you for another wonderful recipe, Meredith