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A same-day pizza dough recipe worth celebrating
You can never go wrong by learning how to make pizza dough at home. It’s chewy, soft, and surprisingly easy to make. All you need is a Basic Pizza Dough Recipe with easy instructions and simple ingredients!
This chewy pizza dough recipe is perfect for beginners and can be made ahead of time or used the same day you put it together. Once it’s ready to bake, the chewy and soft crust is a great canvas for all of your pizza favorites, like pizza sauce, pesto sauce, barbecue chicken, and pepperoni.
Unlike other homemade pizza dough recipes, this one makes 1 pound of dough. This is about the same amount as the premade crusts from Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.
Why is this so great? Because you can split up the dough and serve multiple mini pizzas in one night, easily multiply the recipe for multiple doors, or just make one pizza! It’s a must-have recipe when you’re craving an unforgettable pizza night.
Simple ingredients only
All you need are 7 simple ingredients! Most of which are probably in your pantry already:
Bread flour
Once you try making pizza dough with bread flour, you’ll never go back to all-purpose flour. Bread flour has a higher protein content which results in more gluten forming in the dough, thus giving you a chewier pizza crust. If you can’t find bread flour, feel free to use all-purpose flour instead.
My bread flour of choice is King Arthur bread flour but you can use any brand available to you.
Salt
For flavor. Both kosher and regular table salt are great options, but I recommend Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Sugar
Adding white sugar to the dough helps round out the flavors and also helps with browning.
Instant yeast
This is an easy option that will still give you great results! Instant yeast can be added right into the dry ingredients and still gives the dough plenty of rise without it needing to be activated by warm water and sugar ahead of time.
One of the secrets to making a soft, fluffy, and well-risen pizza dough is using yeast that hasn’t expired. Expired yeast = flat pizza dough. Make sure you check the expiration date before you get started!
Warm water
To help activate the yeast and for a soft dough. The water shouldn’t be too hot (about 110ºF) or else it will kill the yeast.
Olive oil
The fat in olive oil is an important factor in flavoring the dough. You can brush a little extra over the crust to help it become crispy and golden brown in the oven.
How to make a basic pizza dough recipe
Follow these simple step-by-step instructions to make the best pizza dough ever! Both beginners and advanced dough-handlers will have an easy time with this recipe:
Step 1: Whisk the dry ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Step 2: Add the warm water and olive oil.
Step 3: Mix with the dough hook until you're left with a smooth-ish ball of dough that springs back slightly when poked.
Step 4: Transfer the ball of dough to a lightly floured surface.
Begin to fold the sides over and onto the center of the dough.
Step 5: Continue folding the dough on the remaining sides for a total of four folds.
Step 6: Pinch the fold together.
Step 7: Use your hands to push and pull the dough until it's an even circle.
Step 8: Transfer the ball of dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel.
Step 9: Let the dough rise until it's doubled in size (about 1 hour).
Step 10: Punch it down.
Step 11: Transfer it to a lightly floured surface and stretch the dough out into a circle.
Step 12: Once you have a 10-inch circle, let the dough rest (covered) for 15 minutes.
Stretch and shape it once more until it is a 12-inch circle, then top with your favorite pizza toppings and bake!
Ways to use pizza dough
It’s no secret that homemade pizza dough is the best choice when you’re making Meat Lover’s Pizza, Burrata Pizza, Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza, or any kind of pizza at home. However, it can be used for so much more! Use it to make homemade focaccia, pigs in a blanket, pinwheels, or anywhere else lean dough called for.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make this without an electric mixer?
A standing mixer makes this recipe really easy but you don’t need one to get it done. If you don’t have an electric mixer, mix the dough together with a wooden spoon and knead it by hand.
How long can you leave it in the fridge?
Once the dough is put together, you can keep it in a covered bowl in the fridge for up to 72 hours. You can rely on this slow, cold fermentation method when you want to save time or don’t need a same-day dough.
A cold fermented pizza dough will result in a more flavorful dough and an airier, bubblier crust.
Can you freeze pizza dough?
Yes, you can freeze the entire ball of dough or cut it into two or three smaller balls. Wrap the dough in plastic or keep it in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
How do you defrost pizza dough?
Take the frozen dough out of the freezer, remove it from the plastic or bag, and transfer it to a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic and let the dough defrost in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight.
When it’s time to bake, rest the dough on a lightly floured surface covered with plastic wrap or a clean dishtowel for about 30 minutes.
🎉 It's time to cook! 🎉
Alright, friend! It's your turn to make this delish recipe for your next get-together.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ When you do, please leave a comment and star rating below so we can hear what you think! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recipe
Basic Pizza Dough Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon instant yeast
- ¾ cup warm water about 110 degrees F
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
- Whisk dry ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add warm water and olive oil.
- Beat on low speed using the dough hook (Kitchenaid Stand mixer setting number 2) until the dough is mostly smooth and springs back slightly when poked about 5 minutes, scraping down the attachment as needed.
- Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface.
- To shape the dough, grab the edge of the dough on the right side, gently pull it away from itself and fold it into the center of the dough. Repeat with the remaining sides folding the dough onto itself for a total of four folds.
- Pinch the fold together.
- Using both hands on a non-floured surface, push and pull the dough until it is formed into a round ball.
- Lightly oil a large bowl, and roll the ball in the oil to evenly coat. Place the dough seam side down in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and place in a warrm part of your kitchen.
- Allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch the dough down.
- (Note: If you plan to cold ferment the dough, reshape the dough into a ball, place in an airtight container and refrigerate.)
- Transfer to a lightly floured surface.
- Using your hands, stretch the dough out into a circle until it begins to spring back…this will be about a 10-inch circle. Lightly cover with or a clean dish towel or plastic wrap and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
- After the dough has rested, continue to stretch it to a 12-inch circle.
- Transfer to a pizza peel or parchment-lined baking sheet, top with your favorite toppings and bake!
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