Perfect Homemade Pizza Dough
- PREP 1hrs 30min
- COOK 10min
- TOTAL 1hrs 40min
We are in love with this foolproof pizza dough recipe! It uses just 5 ingredients and simple steps, guaranteeing a delicious homemade pizza every time. It is perfect for home or outdoor pizza ovens. When it comes to baking pizza, the hotter your oven is, the better!
If you do not have a pizza steel or pizza stone, lightweight pizza pans with holes in them work particularly well for this recipe.
You Will Need
2 ¼ teaspoons (7g) instant yeast, (one 1/4-ounce packet)
1/2 teaspoon sugar or honey
3/4 cup (177ml) lukewarm water, about 110°F to 115°F
1 ¾ cups (228g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (6g) fine sea salt
Semolina flour, for dusting pan or pizza peel
Directions
How to Make Pizza Dough
Combine yeast, sugar, and water in a mixing bowl and whisk a few times to help wake up the yeast. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 to 10 minutes — it will become frothy and foamy.
Add the flour and salt, then mix until a sticky, shaggy dough forms. Cover with a clean dishcloth and let rise, in the mixing bowl, at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Uncover the dough, lightly dust a work surface with flour, and knead 5 to 10 times or until smooth.
Clean the mixing bowl, add a few drops of olive oil, and then place the dough into the bowl, rotating it around so it’s lightly coated in oil. Now decide to proof at room temperature (45 minutes) or overnight in the fridge.
To proof at room temperature: Allow to rise, at room temperature, covered with the dish towel, for another 45 minutes. At this point, you can move on to making your pizza or cover it and keep in the fridge for a few hours until your are ready to make pizza. Thirty minutes before you are ready to assemble your pizza, remove it from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature again.
To proof overnight in the fridge: Alternatively, for a slower rise, place into a resealable freezer bag or bowl covered with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to make pizza, allow the chilled dough to come to room temperature before forming into a pizza.
How to Bake Homemade Pizza
Preheat to the highest temperature you’re comfortable with for at least 40 minutes (I use my convection setting at 550°F). If you are worried about smoke, 425°F to 550°F will still give excellent results. If using one, place a pizza stone or steel in the oven to heat up. I use this pizza dough recipe with pizza steel and a blazing hot oven (550°F convection). After a 40-minute preheat, I get an incredible crust in just 7 minutes. My crust is golden, crispy, and just like my favorite pizzerias. Such high oven temperatures can sometimes trigger fire alarms. If this is a concern, lower your oven temperature slightly (425°F to 450°F) and increase baking time for delicious, somewhat less bubbly results.
Dust your pan or pizza peel with semolina flour. Ditch the rolling pin and gently press your fingers into the dough, starting in the center and making dimples. Carefully stretch it out, keeping a light touch to keep those lovely air bubbles intact. If the dough bounces back on you, let it rest for a few minutes and try again. If the dough sticks to the pan or peels, lift it and dust over more semolina.
When ready to bake the pizza, add sauce, cheese, and all your favorite toppings. Immediately slide it into the oven and bake until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly. This takes around 6 to 15 minutes, depending on oven temperature.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing the dough: Store homemade pizza dough in the fridge for up to 3 days. After proofing, lightly coat the dough with olive oil and place it in a resealable freezer bag before putting it into the refrigerator.
- To freeze pizza dough: Lightly coat the dough with olive oil and place it in a resealable freezer bag after proofing. Be sure to squeeze out all the air before sealing the bag tightly. Freeze pizza dough for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. The next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for about an hour before making pizza.
- Convection ovens: It’s often recommended to reduce the temperature in recipes down by 25 degrees Fahrenheit since convection baking is quicker. In fact, most ovens automatically do this for you. Ours does, but we turn off this setting when making pizza so that we can get our oven as hot as possible. Instructions for doing so should be in your oven manual.
- Active dry yeast: Can be used in the recipe without any changes. Instant yeast has a bit more pep, but active dry yeast will work just fine.
- Pizza steel or stone (recommended): These heat up intensely, giving you that crispy crust and bubbly edges you crave. I have a pizza steel and love it! With this option, you will need a pizza peel to easily and safely slide your pizza into the hot oven.
- Pizza pan (also a great option): A classic choice! Opt for a lightweight pan with holes for better heat circulation and a crispier crust.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. These are for the pizza dough, not a full pizza.