This simple pizza dough recipe is perfect for homemade pizza nights and makes a crust that's crisp and golden around the edges, and sturdy enough to hold all your favorite toppings.
I developed this recipe using instant yeast for a quick, reliable rise that requires about 3 hours from start to finish.
With minimal hands-on time, you can easily mix this pizza dough in the morning or afternoon and have it ready to bake fresh before dinner.
I've included step-by-step instructions for mixing, shaping, and baking pizzas two ways. I am sharing everything I have learned in my very own journey to master perfect pizza at home!
You can top this homemade pizza dough with anything you like: tomato sauce and mozzarella, meats, roasted vegetables, etc.
In this post, I am sharing two baking methods. The Full Bake Method and The Par Bake Method.
The photos above show a pizza baked using the Full Bake Method I describe below. In the full bake method, the cheese melts as the sauce bubbles all around, creating a delicious, glossy top that is full of flavor and that holds toppings in place well. All of that with a tender, well-baked crust.
But if you prefer the cheese to remain more defined, I've got you too!
The photos below show a pizza baked using the Par Bake Method, which delivers pizzas close to a true pizzeria, where they use blazing ovens at about 750-900°F (400-485°C) that bake pizzas in under 90 seconds-so you get a perfectly baked crust, with creamy, not scorched, cheese.
The recipe is the same, but the pizza is baked a little differently. Both equally perfect and delicious!
If you prefer the deep flavor and gentle tang of sourdough, I also have a sourdough pizza dough recipe. It takes a little more time but rewards you with incredible taste and better digestion.
Jump to:
- Ingredients For Homemade Pizza Dough
- Equipment Needed To Make Homemade Pizza Dough
- Secrets For Perfect Homemade Pizza
- Key Steps To Make Homemade Pizza Dough
- Shaping Your Homemade Pizza Dough
- Full Bake Method For Homemade Pizza
- Par Bake Method For Homemade Pizza
- Storage After Baking Your Homemade Pizza
- Reheating Your Homemade Pizza
- Make Ahead Instructions
- Substitutions
- Make This Recipe In Bulk For Pizza Night or For Sale
- Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
- Related Recipes
- subscribe to get my recipes
Ingredients For Homemade Pizza Dough
This pizza dough recipe is simple and uses ingredients you probably already have at home, but each one plays an important part in creating a result that will have you think twice about ordering take-out pizza ever again.
- Instant Yeast: Use instant yeast straight into the flour as instructed in the recipe. If using active dry, dissolve it in warm water first, along with the oil and honey, and wait for about 10 minutes for it to foam before adding the rest of ingredients.
- Warm Water: Aim for 100-110°F (38-43°C). That range wakes yeast without shocking it.
- Olive Oil: Adds tenderness, a little richness, and helps the crust brown in a home oven.
- Honey: A small amount feeds the yeast and boosts browning for a deeper, pizzeria-style color. You can swap in sugar, but honey adds subtle flavor.
- Salt: Essential for flavor and structure.
- All-Purpose Flour or 00 (not bread flour): AP or Italian 00 gives the sweet spot of stretch and tenderness for home ovens. 00 is finely milled for silky, extensible dough and a crisp-yet-tender bite; AP delivers a similar result with a touch more chew.
Skip bread flour here because its higher protein can bake up tough and bready at home-oven temps, with more snapback during shaping and a denser chew.
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment Needed To Make Homemade Pizza Dough
You can mix this pizza dough recipe with just a bowl and your hands. I always, always recommend using a kitchen scale for accuracy, but a using a set of cups and spoons works perfectly fine if that's what you have.
- Large mixing bowl for combining and resting the dough.
- Kitchen scale (recommended) or measuring cups/spoons
- Bench scraper to divide the dough without tearing.
- Individual containers with lids for tidy proofing.
- Baking steel (preferred) or pizza stone for stronger bottom heat for better oven spring. No steel/stone? Use an inverted baking sheet.
- Pizza peel to load and remove the pizza.
- Pizza scissors or wheel cutter for clean slices without smooshing the crust and dragging the toppings.
Optional but handy: an oven or infrared thermometer to verify the perfect temperature, and parchment paper for stress-free launches.
Secrets For Perfect Homemade Pizza
- Proof just right. Follow the timeline in the recipe, but if your kitchen tends to be cold or warm, keep an eye on the dough. Overproofed dough collapses, loses oven spring, and bakes up flat, and no ma'am, we don't want that.
- Max out the heat. Preheat your oven to 550°F (290°C) or the hottest it goes for 45-60 minutes with your steel, stone, or inverted baking sheet inside.
- I strongly recommend using a baking steel. Steel transfers heat faster than stone, so you get better oven spring and deeper browning. If you do not have a steel, a stone works well with a slightly longer bake.
No steel or stone? Use a perforated pizza tray or a baking sheet that has been inverted, meaning you put it in the oven with the edges touching the oven rack, and the flat bottom of the baking sheet facing the broiler element of your oven.
Preheat these with the oven so the bottom sets quickly.
- Rack position matters. The baking steel goes on the very top rack, close to the broiler. Then position the next rack right underneath the baking steel and place a baking sheet on it (as shown in the images below).
- Shape for a great rim. Press from the center out and leave a 1 in (2.5 cm) border. Do not degas the edge if you want a puffy cornicione-the puffy, raised edge of the pizza crust.
- Use semolina when shaping and on the pizza peel. Semolina acts like tiny ball bearings, resists absorbing moisture, and burns less than all-purpose flour. It keeps launches smooth and bottoms crisp.
- Go light on sauce. A thin, even layer prevents soggy crust. Keep sauce off the rim so it can rise and blister.
- Dry your mozzarella. Use low-moisture mozzarella or pat fresh mozzarella dry with paper towels before shaping. Tear into small pieces for even melt.
- Shred your own cheese. If you prefer to use shredded cheese, skip the anti-caking agents in pre-shredded bags, which can make the cheese brown too fast in the oven. Instead buy a whole piece of cheese to shred yourself.
- Freeze the shredded cheese. To slow melting and prevent early browning, freeze your shredded cheese for at least 30 minutes in an airtight container or bag before topping the pizza. This helps it melt more evenly without getting too dark.
Key Steps To Make Homemade Pizza Dough
Here's how to make pizza at home that rivals your favorite pizzeria:
Combine the dry ingredients and set aside.
Combine the wet ingredients and incorporate with the dry ingredients.
Mix using a dough whisk until no dry spots remain.
Use your hands to ensure everything is mixed completely.
The pizza dough should look almost smooth.
Cover with a damp kitchen towel or a bowl cover and let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Perform a set of stretch and folds. With a wet hand, grab one edge of the dough, stretch it upward, and fold it back over the center.
Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat on all four sides.
The pizza dough should feel less and less stretchy as you go around.
This helps create layers of gluten network to trap the gas released by the yeast during the rise.
Cover with the damp towel or bowl cover and keep the dough at room temperature for 15 more minutes. Then repeat this process one more time.
Shaping Your Homemade Pizza Dough
After letting the dough rest for 15 more minutes, gently turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 4 pieces of about 258 grams each.
Shape each piece into a ball by bringing the edges toward the center, pinching them together, and then gently rounding the dough with your hands. Be careful not to degas.
Lightly oil four 2-cup containers with olive oil. Place one dough ball in each container.
Allow the pizza dough balls to rest on the counter for 1-2 hours.
When it has nearly doubled in size, gently dump one dough ball from its container onto a plate with semolina and coat both sides with the semolina.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured countertop. Using your fingertips, press gently from the center toward the edge, about half an inch from the rim.
Flatten the center into a small disc and create a defined crust.
Pick up the flattened disc by the edge with both hands and let the rest of the dough hang down, allowing gravity to begin stretching it naturally. As it hangs, work the perimeter by passing the edge from one hand to the other, rotating the dough in a slow, continuous circle. This motion, similar to turning a steering wheel, helps the dough stretch evenly.
Hold the dough up to the light occasionally. For a thin-crust pizza, it should appear slightly translucent.
Once the dough reaches the desired size, lay it on a floured pizza peel or on parchment paper.
Full Bake Method For Homemade Pizza
Spread ⅓ cup tomato sauce over the dough, leaving a small border around the edge.
Top with roughly chopped low-moisture mozzarella.
Switch oven to broil mode. Slide the pizza onto the hot baking steel and bake for 2 minutes.
Remove pizza from baking steel and slide onto the baking sheet below.
Switch the oven back to bake mode at 550°F (290°C) or as hot as your oven allows. Bake for 2 minutes.
Par Bake Method For Homemade Pizza
Spread ⅓ cup tomato sauce over the dough, leaving a small border around the edge.
Switch oven to broil mode. Slide the pizza onto the hot baking steel and bake for 2 minutes.
After 2 minutes, take the pizza out and top with roughly chopped low-moisture mozzarella.
Slide the pizza onto the baking sheet below the baking steel.
Switch the oven back to bake mode at 550°F (290°C) or as hot as your oven allows. Bake for 2 minutes.
Storage After Baking Your Homemade Pizza
If you can't finish your pizza, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Store slices in an airtight container for 3-4 days, ideally separated with parchment to keep the crust from getting soggy.
For longer storage, place slices on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze until firm and then transfer them to a freezer safe bag or container for up to 2 months.
Reheating Your Homemade Pizza
If the pizza slices come from the fridge, preheat the oven with a steel, stone, or inverted baking sheet to 425°F (220°C). Reheat the slices for 2-3 minutes. Then finish them under the broiler for 30-60 seconds for extra blistering. Rest for 1 minute on a rack.
If the pizza slices come from the freezer, preheat the oven with a steel, stone, or inverted baking sheet to 425°F (220°C). Reheat the slices for 4-5 minutes. Then finish them under the broiler for 30-60 seconds if needed. Rest for 1 minute on a rack.
Make Ahead Instructions
If you want to prep ahead, you absolutely can. This dough is meant to be flexible, and a few small timing adjustments will help it fit smoothly into your day.
Same-day, mixed in the morning:
After shaping the dough into balls, place each ball in a lightly oiled container as usual. Instead of letting them proof on the counter, put them in the fridge. They'll rise slowly through the day without overproofing.
When you're ready to bake, pull the containers from the fridge while the oven and baking steel preheat. The dough needs about 60-90 minutes to warm up and relax before shaping, so the timing works out naturally with that long preheat.
Mixed the night before (12 hours ahead):
If you want to prep the dough the night before, you absolutely can, but it needs a little extra attention. Once you finish putting the pizza dough balls in the oiled containers, place them straight into the fridge. A cold fridge is key here, ideally 34-36°F (1-2°C), so the yeast slows down enough to prevent overproofing.
Keep the dough chilled for 12 hours max. When you take it out, it should look puffy but not doubled in size. If it has ballooned, it has gone too far.
Let the dough warm up while the oven preheats, then shape and bake as usual.
Freeze the Dough Balls (up to 3 months)
If you like having pizza nights on standby, yeasted dough freezes beautifully. Once you divide and shape the dough into balls, lightly coat each one with olive oil and tuck them into freezer-safe containers or zip-top bags. Freeze them right away while the yeast is still fresh and active.
When you're ready to use them, move the dough balls to the fridge the night before so they can thaw slowly. The next day, give them 1-2 hours at room temperature. Yeasted dough wakes up faster than sourdough, so it won't need as long-just enough time to soften, relax, and get stretchy before you shape your pizzas.
Par-bake now, top and bake later:
Another easy make-ahead option is par-baking your bases without sauce or toppings.
Once you stretch a dough ball, slide it onto the hot steel and bake for 3-4 minutes at 500-550°F (260-290°C), just until the surface is set and pale. Let the crust cool completely, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 48 hours, or freeze for up to 3 months.
When you're ready to finish, let it come back to room temperature, add sauce and toppings, and bake at 500-550°F (260-290°C) until the cheese is melted and the edges take on color.
Freeze fully topped, fully baked pizzas:
If you want freezer-ready pizzas like the store-bought kind, bake the pizzas all the way, let them cool completely, then freeze them uncovered on a baking sheet until solid. Once they're firm, wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. They'll keep well for up to 3 months.
When you're ready to eat, bake straight from frozen at 425°F (220°C) for about 10-15 minutes until the crust is crisp again and the cheese is warm and melty. If you like extra browning, a quick broil at the end does the trick.
Substitutions
Gluten-free flour
I have not tried making this recipe using gluten-free flours, when I do I will report back.
Other yeast types
I use instant yeast in this recipe, but you can swap:
- Active dry yeast: Use about 25% more by weight. For example: 4 g instant → 5 g active dry. Bloom in warm water (100-110°F / 38-43°C), plus the honey and oil, for about 10 minutes or until creamy before adding the flour and salt.
- Sourdough starter: Use my sourdough pizza dough recipe for timing and ratios.
Different oils, or no oil
Olive oil adds tenderness, flavor, and browning. You can swap in avocado or a neutral oil 1:1. If you skip oil, the crust will be crisper and a little drier, but totally ok; add 1-2% more water to keep handling easy and expect slightly less browning.
Other sweeteners, or no sweetener
Honey feeds yeast and helps color but you can swap it 1:1 by weight with sugar, maple, or agave syrups. You can also omit it, although if you skip the sweetener, the flavor will still be great but browning may lag; give the bake a touch more time or finish briefly under the broiler.
Other sauces
Go beyond red sauce and try pesto, white garlic cream, vodka sauce, barbecue, buffalo, or a light brush of olive oil and garlic.
Other cheeses
You can try provolone, fontina, mild cheddar, Gruyère, or Monterey jack. You can also try vegan cheeses. Finish with grated parmesan or pecorino after baking.
Make This Recipe In Bulk For Pizza Night or For Sale
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Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients For The Pizza Dough
- 600 grams (5 cups) flour, all-purpose or 00 spooned in the cup and leveled with a knife
- 14 grams (2 ½ teaspoons) fine sea salt
- 7 grams (2 ¼ teaspoons) instant yeast
- 390 milliliters (1½ cups + 2 tablespoons water) warm water 100-110°F (38-43°C)
- 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) olive oil extra virgin + more for oiling the containers
- 7 grams (1 teaspoon) honey
- semolina flour for dusting the counter and pizza peel
Ingredients for Topping
- 240-320 grams (1-1⅓ cups) tomato sauce or any other sauce you would like
- 340-460 grams (12-16 ounces) low-moisture mozzarella or any other cheese you would like if using fresh mozzarella, pat dry 30 minutes before assembling
- any other toppings you might like
Instructions
Mixing and First Rise
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, salt, and instant yeast. In a second bowl, stir warm water, olive oil, and honey. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix with a dough whisk, and then your hand, until no dry spots remain. The dough should look almost smooth, not shaggy.Cover with a damp towel or bowl cover and rest for 15 minutes at room temperature.
- After 15 minutes perform a set of stretch and folds: With a damp hand, pull one edge of the dough up and fold it down and over the rest of the dough. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn, and repeat on all four sides. Cover with a damp towel or bowl cover and rest for 15 minutes at room temperature.
- After 15 minutes have passed, perform a second set of stretch and folds.Cover with a damp towel or bowl cover and rest for 15 minutes at room temperature.
- After 15 minutes, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 4 pieces, about 258 grams each. Gently shape each piece into tight balls by tucking edges underneath without degassing.
Second Rise
- Lightly oil four 2-cup containers. Place one dough ball in each, cover, and rest at room temperature for about 1.5-2 hours, until puffy and nearly doubled.If your kitchen is cooler than 72°F (22°C), plan on closer to 2 hours. If it is warmer than 72°F (22°C), aim for about 1 to 1.5 hours.
One hour before baking, prepare the oven:
- Move an oven rack to the highest position and place a baking steel (or stone) on it. Then set the next rack just below and place a baking sheet on that rack.Preheat the oven to 550°F (290°C) or as hot as your oven allows for the full hour before baking. Switch to broil for the last 10 minutes of preheat.
Have your toppings ready:
- If you are using fresh mozzarella, slice or tear it, then lay it on a plate lined with paper towels so it can drain while the oven heats. Have your sauce and any other toppings prepped and within reach. Prepare a plate with a layer of fine semolina so you can coat each dough ball before shaping, and can lightly flour the counter and pizza peel.
Shape The Pizza
- Tip one dough ball onto the plate with semolina and coat both sides. Move to a lightly floured counter. Using fingertips, press from the center out, stopping about ½ inch from the rim to keep the edge airy. Lift by the rim and let gravity stretch as you rotate, passing the edge from hand to hand. If you hold it to the light, the center should look slightly translucent. Be careful not to cause a tear.Set on a semolina-dusted peel or parchment paper.
To Bake Using The Full Bake Method
- Spread about ⅓ cup tomato sauce in a thin, even layer, leaving the rim bare. Top with roughly chopped low-moisture mozzarella and any other toppings you like.
- Launch the pizza onto the hot steel. Bake for 2 minutes, until the rim is spotty brown.
- Remove the pizza from the baking steel and place it on the baking sheet underneath. Switch oven mode back to regular bake at 550°F (290°C) or as hot as your oven allows.Bake 2-3 minutes more.
- Remove from oven and cool on a rack 1 to 2 minutes so steam escapes. Slice with pizza scissors or a wheel.
- Repeat with remaining dough balls.Switch oven back to the broil setting for at least 10 minutes before launching a new pizza.
To Bake Using The Par Bake Method
- Spread about ⅓ cup tomato sauce in a thin, even layer, leaving the rim bare.
- Launch the pizza onto the hot steel. Bake for 2 minutes, until the rim is spotty brown.
- Remove from oven and top with roughly chopped low-moisture mozzarella and any other toppings you like.
- Place the pizza back in the oven, on the baking sheet underneath the baking steel. Switch oven mode back to regular bake at 550°F (290°C) or as hot as your oven allows.Bake 2-3 minutes more.
- Remove from oven and cool on a rack 1 to 2 minutes so steam escapes. Slice with pizza scissors or a wheel.
- Repeat with remaining dough balls.Switch oven back to the broil setting for at least 10 minutes before launching a new pizza.
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