Easy Pizza Dough Recipe with Yeast

4.93 from 733 votes

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Homemade pizza has never been easier with this easy homemade Pizza Dough Recipe! Easy to follow, minimal ingredients required and always delicious. Turn your pizza dough into Stromboli, calzones or just whip up a plain old pie. You will love this recipe!

risen pizza dough in bowl

This is the BEST Pizza Dough Recipe with Yeast

The hardest part of pizza making at home is the crust. I’ve been making my own pizza dough for years but I could never get it just right. It was never chewy and/or crispy enough. But after lots of testing and switching over to bread flour, I recently perfected my crust, getting it up to par with the pizza restaurants. I did lots of research and lots of testing and I’m so happy to share this recipe with you today. It really is the BEST Pizza Dough Recipe!

If you’re looking for a whole wheat option try my Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe!

Pizza Dough Recipe Easy ingredients

Ok, friends, here’s the list of ingredients you’ll need to make the best homemade pizza dough ever. Nothing crazy or out of the ordinary:

  • Warm Water – warm water helps the yeast bloom faster. But if the water is too hot it can kill the yeast. So be careful!
  • Yeast – fast acting or regular old active dry yeast is fine! This makes the pizza dough rise. This is my favorite brand.
  • Honey – to help activate the yeast. You can use granulated sugar in a pinch.
  • Salt – to season the dough.
  • Olive Oil – or canola oil. The difference is the taste.
  • Bread Flour – the best flour for pizza dough due to higher gluten content, yielding a chewier crust.

What kind of flour is best for Homemade Pizza Dough

For homemade breads, I always suggest using Bread Flour. Bread Flour has higher gluten content (12-14%) which gives you that chewy texture you want for a Ciabatta, French Bread or Pizza Dough. Kneading the dough develops gluten as you go, but starting with a flour that has a higher gluten to begin with is the trick for pizza dough that is just like the kinds you’d buy from the store or get at a restaurant. King Arthur Flour is my favorite bread flour.

In a pinch, you can absolutely use all-purpose flour which has a lower gluten content (8-11%), so the results won’t be quite as chewy but (pro tip!) if you knead the dough a little longer, you can develop more gluten and make it work. If you don’t have bread flour, don’t let that stop you from making this recipe. It will absolutely work with all purpose.

How to make Easy Pizza Dough

Step 1: Proof the Yeast

In a large mixing bowl, preferably the bowl of a stand mixer, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Let yeast mixture sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam. This tells you that the yeast is alive and kicking.

Step 2: Stir in Flour, Salt & Olive Oil

With the mixer on low, add in salt, oil and half the flour.

Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it, it doesn’t stick to your hands. The dough should also be cleaning the sides of the bowl but still sticking to the bottom. This is normal!

mixing pizza dough in stand mixer

Step 3: Knead

Once you reach this stage, turn the mixer on a low to medium speed to knead for 6 minutes. Turn a timer on and walk away! Resist the temptation to stop earlier than 6 minutes! That seems to be the magical number. The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be clean!

Step 4: Rise

Lightly grease the bowl & the ball of dough with olive oil so it doesn’t dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature 1-2 hours or until it’s doubled in size. That’s it! If your house is on the cooler side, place it in your oven with the light on.

Now you can turn this dough into anything your little heart desires (maybe try grilling your pizza). Divide into 2 separate dough balls if you want two 12″ pizzas, which is what this recipe makes. Feel free to divide them again for personal pan pizzas so everyone can choose their favorite toppings! To spread the dough you can use a rolling pin but I always just use my hands!

pizza dough ball in large greased bowl
My Pizza Dough Won’t Stretch. What Do I Do?

Forming, rolling and stretching your pizza dough into round pizzas shouldn’t be hard! I have found two main reasons why it can sometimes be difficult:

– You’ve kneaded too much flour into the dough, thus creating a dry dough making it difficult to rise and form into pizza crusts
– If you haven’t let your pizza dough rest long enough after kneading, the gluten won’t have relaxed, thus making it hard to roll out or stretch into a thin pizza crust.

Solutions? There isn’t much you can do about dry dough. It’s so difficult to knead liquid into already dry dough, so be sure to be careful when kneading flour into it initially. Better to err on the side of sticky dough than too dry if you’re worried. You can always knead more flour into your pizza dough. If it keeps shrinking as you’re trying to roll it out, try letting your dough sit and rest a little longer to let that gluten relax.

How to make pizzas with this Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe

Your pizza dough should be easy to work with and be easily pressed out and formed into round pizzas. You can either use a rolling pin, use your fingers to stretch and press out the dough into a round shape or you can try tossing the pizza dough up in the air (like they do at those old school pizzerias) and use the back of your hands (think loose fists) to stretch the dough into shape. Boom. Hand tossed pizza!

pizza dough in bowl covered with plastic wrap

Making this Pizza Dough Recipe with Yeast ahead of time

If you aren’t interested in freezing your dough but still want to prepare it ahead of time, you can! Follow the directions all the way through and then cover and refrigerate for up to three days. Letting your pizza dough sit in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 18-24 hours really develops that delicious yeasty flavor. Not a necessary step but a delicious one. Next time you make pizza dough, give this a try! It’s tasty 🙂

How to make cheesy garlic bread sticks from the Best Pizza Dough

I turned my pizza dough recipe into delicious Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks. Buttery, salty, cheesy, garlic-y goodness. 9 minutes in a hot oven and these bubbly bites come out ready to be eaten. And made our kitchen smell divine. Give them a whirl this weekend! (Recipe is found in the pizza dough recipe card down below in the notes section.)

  1. Preheat oven to 500° F with pizza stone inside. (If you don’t have a pizza stone, use an upside-down baking sheet.)
  2. Mix butter and garlic in a small bowl and set aside.
  3. Spread pizza dough out into a 12-inch circle on parchment paper. (This makes it easier to transfer to the pizza stone.)
  4. Spread the butter and garlic mixture over dough and top with parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Top with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper, if desired. (That step is totally optional!)
  5. Bake 9-10 minutes or until bubbly and golden. Remove from oven and cool 1-2 minutes before cutting. Serve hot, with marinara.
Cheesy Breadsticks

Pizza Dough Recipe Easy tips and tricks

Here are the details of my pizza dough recipe that you are going to want to know:

  • Use Warm Water – not hot, not cold. Pleasantly warm. Yeast likes warmth. Don’t overthink this step. If it feels nice and warm like baby bathwater, then you’re good. If the water is too hot, you will kill your yeast. Aim for 107-110° F.
  • Use Honey – I seem to get better results with honey, but you can use sugar if you prefer.
  • Bread Flour – you must must must use bread flour. Bread flour means more gluten. More gluten means chewy crust. Chewy crust = good. The end.
  • Knead, Knead, Knead – Kneading means gluten! And we all know what gluten means. Knead your dough for 6 minutes pretty please.
  • Use a Pizza Stone – This is a great pizza stone. Put it in your cold oven, and then crank that baby up to the hottest temperature it will go to. For me, it was 500° F. Let the stone preheat in that extremely hot oven for at least 30 minutes before using. That will really give you a crispy crust like you get at the restaurants. If you don’t have a pizza stone use an upside-down baking sheet.
risen pizza dough in bowl

Can I freeze Homemade Pizza Dough?

Yes(!!!) you can freeze this pizza dough recipe to save it for later. And it’s the perfect recipe to do this because it makes two 12″ medium pizzas! Use half now and the rest later.

To Freeze: Simply follow the directions all the way stopping after you knead the dough for 6 minutes. This is the point when you could freeze your dough!! Divide into portions, place into freezer bags, seal, removing all air, and freeze for up to three months.

To Use: Remove from the freezer and place the frozen dough in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it defrost, then rise until it has doubled in size; 6 hours or so, depending how warm or cold your kitchen is. Then use it as you’d like.

Cheesy Breadsticks

Best Pizza Dough FAQ

How long should pizza dough rest before using?

30 minutes is the bare minimum you’ll want your dough to rest. Letting your pizza dough sit in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 18-24 hours really develops that delicious yeasty flavor.

How to make homemade pizza dough more flavorful?

For a more yeasty dough, cold fermentation works wonders. Add olive oil to the crust. Mix in dried herbs like rosemary or oregano into the raw dough. Add honey or sugar to the raw dough. Brush cooked dough with garlic butter. If you have sourdough starter, consider adding it to your pizza dough.

Need More Pizza Recipe Ideas?

I’ve got you covered, check out all of my pizza recipes here! Or just click on some of my favorites below:

More Favorites from Lauren’s Latest

Be sure to save/print/bookmark this pizza crust recipe for your next pizza night, it’s a good one! The printable recipe card is below, enjoy. 🙂

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.

risen pizza dough in bowl
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4.93 from 733 votes

Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe

Homemade pizza has never been easier with this simple Pizza Dough Recipe! Easy to follow, minimal ingredients required and always delicious.
servings 2 medium 12″ pizzas
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 9 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 9 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup warm water
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cups bread flour give or take 1/2 cup, depending on the heat & humidity

Instructions

Pizza dough instructions-

  • In a large mixing bowl, preferably that of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam. This tells you that the yeast is alive and kicking.
    proofing yeast in mixing bowl
  • Pour in salt, olive oil and half the flour and mix. Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it, it doesn't stick to your hands.
    mixing pizza dough in stand mixer
  • Once you reach this stage, knead on low for 6 minutes. The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be mostly clean! (*This is the point when you could freeze your dough!! Divide into portions, place into freezer bags, seal removing all air, and freeze. To use, remove from freezer and let sit out to get to room temperature and double in size; 6-8 hours. Then use as you'd like.)
    pizza dough on dough hook
  • Lightly grease the bowl & the dough so it doesn't dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
    pizza dough in bowl covered with plastic wrap
  • Once pizza dough has risen, you can use as desired.
    risen pizza dough in bowl

Video

Notes

For Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks
  1. Preheat oven to 500° F with pizza stone inside. (If you don’t have a pizza stone, use an upside-down cookie sheet.)
  2. Mix 2 tbsp salted butter and 2 cloves of minced garlic in a small bowl and set aside.
  3. Spread pizza dough out into a 12-inch circle on parchment paper. This makes it easier to transfer to the pizza stone.
  4. Spread the butter and garlic mixture over dough and top with 1/4 cup parmesan and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Top with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper, if desired. (That step is totally optional!)
  5. Bake 9-10 minutes or until bubbly and golden. Remove from oven and cool 1-2 minutes before cutting. Serve hot, with marinara.

Nutrition

Calories: 876kcal | Carbohydrates: 150g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1180mg | Potassium: 316mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: homemade pizza dough, how to make pizza dough, pizza dough, pizza dough recipe

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Recipe Rating




1,126 Responses
  1. Lara

    5 stars
    Best pizza dough we’ve tried yet…and I’ve been on a search trying many to find the perfect homemade pizza dough. Thanks so much for the great recipe. It’s a keeper!

    1. Debbie

      5 stars
      I stumbled onto this recipe and it looked great, so I gave it a try. I have now used it no less than 25 times. It is the best pizza crust and garlic bread I have ever had. Thank you for sharing this with everyone!

  2. Naomi

    5 stars
    I really wanted to make these but I didn’t have any mozz cheese and I only had the fake parm cheese :-/ But I went ahead and tried it anyway…..I used olive oil instead of butter and sprinkled the fake parm cheese on after they came out….I also used AP flour so i basically completely changed the recipe BUT they were amazing! This was my first time using the dough blade on my food processor and I’m so impressed! They were so good that I had to go ahead and make the other half of the dough….I can’t wait to try this again but as cinnamon sticks!

  3. Sunny @http://pantrychef.wordpress.com

    OMG! This dough recipe looks delicious… and super easy! Pizza is my favorite. In fact, I have an entire page devoted solely to pizza recipes on my blog! Check it out sometime: http://pantrychef.wordpress.com/recipes/pizza-recipes/

  4. Heather

    5 stars
    This recipe is FABULOUS!! My very picky daughter said “mom, this taste just like what we get at the restaurant!” It was delicious and this will be my new pizza dough recipe. Thanks for sharing!!

  5. Laura

    My dough is rising as I type this. So excited. I have had this page bookmarked for a loong time because I didn’t have a standing mixer but yesterday I realized that my hand mixer has a bread kneader attachment 🙂 so excited to try this.

  6. Charlotte Ferreux

    Love the recipe and posted it on my community foodie blog. Hope you can come check it out at www.facebook.com/thefrenchiefoodie

    C

  7. Georgina

    5 stars
    I’m sitting at the computer eating this right now!
    The dough turned out perfect, absolutely beautiful (I had to use AP flour, since that’s all we had, and it took an extra cup or so, but that doesn’t seem to have affected the result for me).
    Made it into the cheesy-garlic sticks, so tasty.
    Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe!

  8. Tatiana

    Does the bread dough freeze well? If not, do you make pizzas/cheesy bread “ready to bake” and freeze them that way? We’re a small family so one pizza is good for dinner, but I don’t want to waste the extra dough!

    1. Georgina

      I froze half of mine and it came out just as good.
      Divided it after the rise, formed it into a disc shape, then covered it in plastic wrap, making sure that the wrap is directly touching the dough all over – no air bubbles. I pulled it out of the freezer and put it in the fridge the night before I wanted to use it, it was all thawed out and pliable by dinner time the next evening. After that, it’s all the same as the first time around =)

  9. Heather

    I have these in the oven right now! Your pictures totally won me over. I have been making all sorts of pizza crust recipes without finding THE ONE, so I was extra excited to try your recipe 🙂

  10. Misty

    This looks great. I make allot of doughs but am never 100% satisfied so I’m trying this one in hopes that it’s the one, but I do alot of my prep on Sunday’s and am wondering if this one will freeze well. Have you tried it and if so did
    you think it did well?

    1. Lauren

      I haven’t frozen this dough before, but I have frozen other pizza dough recipes and they have turned out fine after you defrost them. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work!

    2. Jennifer

      I have probably 20 pizzas in the freezer right now! Make your dough, shape it and cook it at 400 for 5 minutes. Otherwise when you cook it the toppings may be done but the dough will still be doughy. Let it cool and top with pizza sauce and favorite toppings. Put it in the freezer unwrapped for about an hour until everything including the sauce is nice and firm. Then wrap it up, put it in the freezer, and next time you want a delicious pizza it’s only 15 minutes away!

      1. Suni

        BRILLIANT! I’ve frozen dough before letting it rise with good results (or so I’m told – it’s usually for my husband because I’m out of town). But I’ve never even thought to assemble the whole pizza! I’ll have to try this next time I’m leaving town for a while!

  11. Kara

    5 stars
    Just made the garlic cheesy bread with one half the dough and a pizza with the other. I couldn’t let the cheesy bread cool for 2 minutes-it just called me too loudly. WONDERFUL. I can’t wait to try the pizza…only 6 more minutes! Thanks for the recipe, it’s a new fave.

  12. Cindy Adams

    I want to make this RIGHT NOW! It’s just me around here so do you know how the second half of the dough does in the refrigerator for a few days or in the freezer for GOT TO HAVE IT RIGHT NOW occasions? Thanks for your diligent dough testing and sharing your results with the world. I have had the same problems with make at home pizza.

  13. Emily

    5 stars
    Wonderful recipe! I have tried SO many homemade crusts, and never liked any of them. After basically giving up hope, I tried this and loved it!!! The only thing I had difficulty with is the shaping of the dough. Do any tips to keep it even (instead of super thin in the middle and thick around the edges)? Thanks so much!

    1. Lauren

      I usually just punch out the dough to get it flat, as even and as round as I can. Then after that, I use my fingers to press it out to a 12 inch circle. I usually have to go back over the same areas once or twice until it stays put. Hope that helps!

      1. Rob

        When rolling, begin with the rolling pin in the middle, then roll whatever way is needed, and return to the middle again. By rolling from the inside out, you will end up with a more consistent crust

  14. Cassie S.

    Made this tonite. Do you have any tricks for keeping it round? Whenever I roll/stretch it out it shrinks back in before I can top it.

      1. Sheryl

        We dd at least one TB of herbes de provence. basil, or whatever dry herbs/spices you may want to add BEFORE mixing. We love herbed bread dough!

  15. Theresa

    Hi Lauren – I saw this recipe floating around on Pinterest and had to try it. It was LOVE at first bite. I actually put the recipe on my blog and did a shout out to yours. Thank you!! http://threeyellowlemons.blogspot.com/2011/09/garlic-cheesy-bread.html

    1. David

      5 stars
      I just made this dough and it looks amazing. Plan on making Calzones tonight with it. Any suggestions on cooking temp and time for calzone/stromboli?

  16. Renee

    5 stars
    Made this last night, soooo fantastic!! Made both batches cheesy bread and the first one was devoured lightening quick…..will definately be making this again. I mixed mine up in my bread machine so even less work. thanks for sharing!

  17. Suzannes

    5 stars
    Just made this recipe tonight. I made one pizza and one batch of cheesy breadsticks. Wow, this recipe rocks! I’ve tried homemade pizza many times and it has never been this good. I’m so glad I tried it. And it was really easy! My dough also didn’t look like yours and was really sticky so I added quite a bit more flour. Not sure what I did differently. Either way it was awesome! Thanks for the great recipe!

    1. Lauren

      Sometimes the weather depends on how much flour you need to add in. It will vary from day to day. As long as you get it to the right consistency, then you should be good to go!

  18. Afton

    5 stars
    I have never been able to make good Home-made Pizza- Until now!! This recipe was awesome!! Even my picky husband liked it 😉 Thanks!

  19. Ellen B

    Ok – I mixed the dough but it doesn’t look like yours. I think maybe I put too much flour? But the bowl wasn’t getting clean so I kept adding more. I have it rising now and I hope that this is finally the recipe that I keep. I’ve tried quite a few. Only the second time using my stand mixer – lol

      1. Ellen B

        5 stars
        The first time was ok and my husband really like the dough for pizza. The second time I made this dough for pizza came out better. This recipe is a keeper. Now I need a better pizza sauce than the Ragu pizza jar sauce – lol

  20. Arudhi@Aboxofkitchen

    Lauren, thank you so much for this post!! I`ve never made pizza at home, but your step-by-step sure encouraged me to do so. I love, super love anything with garlic, and the cheesy garlic bread is on my top to-make list now. Thanks!! And wish me luck 😀

  21. Linda

    my boys love cheesy breadsticks!! this just does the trick! thanks will try it tomorrow! will not pay for them at pizza restaurant again! homemade does rocks!!!

  22. Briana

    Grandmas secret for making yeast doughs….make sure everything is warm….. Flour, water, bowl. You can’t let the yeast get lower than body temp. Also, let the dough rise in a warmed, not hot oven. I preheat mine to 170. Then turn it off. Try cooking on an outdoor grill too. You have to cook both sided of the dough. It’s fantastic!

  23. toni

    this looks so good! i’m drooling!! question – after rolling the dough out on parchment paper, do you leave it on the paper while cooking it?
    thanks

  24. Robbin

    This looks absolutely delicious and I’ll give it a whirl!! We love homemade pizza, but I too can never seem to get the crust just right. I have a question though. I am pretty sure my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer instructions say to knead only on speed 3 or 4, but not on high? Which speed should I knead the dough on for 6 minutes? Thanks so much!!!

    1. Lauren

      I kneaded mine on high. If you are going to only knead it at level 3 or 4, I would add another minute or two! I didn’t know that! Never read the kitchenaid manual….oops!

      1. Robbin

        Thanks so much for the info. I will live on the edge . . and knead on HIGH :)! HA!!! Love your blog, and your recipes :0! Please keep ’em comin!!

      2. Andyman

        Yeah I have a kitchenaid mixer and I’ve heard that the belt inside is nylon and it isn’t uncommon for it to need to be replaced if you make a lot of dough or mix it on too high a speed. ymmv. I am going to have to try the honey instead of sugar trick. I’ve been using the pizza hut knock off pan pizza dough recipe for a while now but I’d like to start experimenting with the flavor of the crust rather than just consistency and crunchiness.

      3. Jason in P.E.I

        5 stars
        Thank you so much for this recipe. It is used at least once a week in my household. Tonight was pizza and garlic fingers. I like to make donair sauce to go along with the fingers. That’s how they are served around here. I use my kitchenaid mixer on high for 6 minutes and it turns out great.
        if anyone is interested in the donair sauce recipe here it is.
        1 can of milk (evaporated)
        175 ml sugar
        2 teaspoons garlic powder
        4 -6 teaspoons white vinegar
        Open the can of milk pour it into a steel or glass bowl (not plastic–it won’t set up properly in plastic). Pour the sugar & garlic powder in; mix this together well.
        8
        Slowly add the vinegar and mix this together slowly. (If you mix the vinegar in too fast it won’t thicken up properly).
        9
        Once this is done cover and refrigerate.

  25. Katrina

    I’m in love! These look just like a batch of garlic sticks that I’m obsessed with from my hometown. Now I can make them for myself!

  26. Andrea L

    This looks amazing! We make homemade pizza every weekend (my little guys LOVE topping their own individual pizzas).
    I learned some great tips though for making my dough even better – can’t wait to try it with your recipe. And those cheesy bread sticks look so amazing, I am def. making those next time instead of a pizza.
    Yours look like they came from a restaurant, great job. Thanks for sharing the recipe and all your tips.

  27. Erin

    Looks delicious! I’ve never been a big fan of tomato sauce, and so when I was little I would often just order cheese/bread sticks for my meal!

  28. Julia

    These kinda remind me of Souplantation’s garlic bread/pizza thing. Which is a total compliment b/c I’m not ashamed to admit it, I love the things! Great pictures!

  29. Lindsay @ Pinch of Yum

    Thanks for doing all the work, because I’ve been looking for a great pizza crust recipe! Yay! And btw, I LOVE cheesy breadsticks even more than pizza. Perfect!

    1. Lauren

      You’re welcome! It was really bothering me that I couldn’t get it right, so we just kept eating pizza until I got it right! Lol!

  30. Rachel @ The Avid Appetite

    Um…whaaa? This looks unbelievable friend! I cannot wait to try making it!! My husband will be over the moon.

    1. Kathy

      Thank you, your hard work of getting this dough perfect has paid off! The best dough ever! This is the second pizza I’ve made with it, both have turned out perfect !!

      1. Sara

        4 stars
        I LOVE THIS PIZZA DOUGH! Only problem is that there was a bit too much oil so we measured less than supposed to. This is still the BEST PIZZA DOUGH I’ve ever seen and it’s so easy. TYSM!

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