Easy Pizza Dough Recipe | Make Your Own Pizza Crust | Moms Need To Know ™ (2024)

by Mindi Cherry

Easy Pizza Dough Recipe | Make Your Own Pizza Crust | Moms Need To Know ™ (1)

Who doesn't love pizza? We have pizza for dinner at least once a week and with a family of 5, we usually will need to order 2 large pizzas when we get takeout (my oldest son is 13 and eats everything in sight!). That can get quite expensive and it is just SO easy to make your own pizza crust with my easy pizza dough recipe! (save even more money by making your own sauce with my homemade pizza sauce recipe!)

The easiest way to make it is with a Kitchen Aid stand mixer using the dough hook attachment, but if you don't have one, you can make it the old fashioned way...with your hands. I have included directions for making it both ways.

This recipe makes enough pizza dough for 4 10-12" pizzas and can easily be frozen. To freeze this pizza dough recipe, simply divide the dough in to 4 dough balls after it is done rising, wrap well in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. When you want to make pizza, simply remove the dough ball from the bag (keep the plastic wrap around it) and place on your kitchen counter and allow it to thaw/rise again (about 3 hours)

To make it, you will need:

Pizza dough recipe ingredients:

  • 3 cups Flour
  • 1 tablespoon Yeast
  • 1 tablespoon Sugar
  • 2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 9 fl oz Warm Water

Directions:

To make it in a KitchenAid or stand mixer:

  1. Place flour in the bowl for your mixer and make a well in the flour

    Easy Pizza Dough Recipe | Make Your Own Pizza Crust | Moms Need To Know ™ (2)

  2. Fill well with the yeast, sugar, salt, olive oil and water
  3. Attach the dough hook to your mixer and turn mixer on low until all ingredients are combined (about 3 minutes)

    Easy Pizza Dough Recipe | Make Your Own Pizza Crust | Moms Need To Know ™ (3)

  4. Turn mixer to medium speed and knead for 5–10 minutes or until a smooth ball forms.

To make it by hand:

  1. Place flour into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center.
  2. Add yeast, sugar, salt, olive oil and water and stir until combined (you may need to use your hands and not a spoon to get everything mixed together)
  3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5–10 minutes or until a smooth ball forms.

Once you have the dough ball made:

  1. Place dough ball into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean dry cloth.
  2. Place bowl in a warm place away from any drafts until the dough has doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
  3. Turn dough out on a floured surface and punch down the dough to remove excess air.
  4. Divide dough in to 4 pieces.
  5. Roll out each piece (or freeze some for later) and top with pizza sauce and your favorite toppings!
  6. Bake at 400 for about 12 - 15 minutes or until edges are browned and bottom is fully cooked.

Enjoy!

And there you have it! An easy pizza dough recipe that you can make for very little money! Have you ever made your own pizza crust?

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brianna

    How big are the pizzas that it makes?

  2. Katie Hamilton

    You. Are. My. Hero. My Dad so often wants us to make homemade pizza, but we never have a decently fast, yet efficient recipe to use… I FOUND IT! You are awesome! Thank you so much and I cannot WAIT to try it out! J If we freeze some of the dough (after we’ve allowed it to sit) when we pull it out of the freezer to use, do we simply let it thaw and then have at it? Or do we need to let it rest some more? Thanks so much!

    • Mindi Cherry

      Yep! Just pull it out of the freezer and allow it to thaw and come to room temperature. Once it is no longer frozen, it will start to rise again as it comes to room temp!

  3. Candace stauffer

    What flour did you use? AP or bread?
    Looks awesomes and I can't wait to try!

    • Mindi Cherry

      I usually use either King Arthur White-Whole-Wheat Flour or Wegmans brand (white-whole-wheat)

  4. Yael

    What kind of yeast do you use? Active or dry?

    • Mindi Cherry

      I just use the regular Fleischman's Active Dry Yeast packets

  5. Andrea

    I actually tossed this into my bread machine on the pizza dough cycle (I just used KA bread flour- cause for some reason that's all I had) lol I don't have a mixer and didn't feel in the mood to do it by hand. lol Anyhow- this was absolutely marvelous. It smelled divine. It turned out perfect!

  6. Jaclyn Bradley

    This looks great and finally a recipe that I think I can do without the kitchen-aid mixer. Is it possible to make a lot of pizzas and then refrigerate them overnight for a birthday aprty the next day? Thanks!

  7. Pat

    You can also make it out of suet and flour. 4 of flour and 2 of suet and a little water to mix.

Easy Pizza Dough Recipe | Make Your Own Pizza Crust | Moms Need To Know ™ (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making good pizza dough? ›

There are many tricks to achieving a tasty, homemade pizza dough that rises into a beautiful pizza crust, such as making sure your ingredients are at right temperature, using half bread flour for a stronger dough and half all-purpose flour for a nice rise, substituting honey for sugar to help caramelize the crust and ...

Is pizza dough and pizza crust the same thing? ›

They aren't exactly the same, but very similar. Pizza base is made from the same sort of dough as bread, but with slightly different ratios of flour, yeast and water to ensure it doesn't rise quite so much plus olive oil.

Should I Prebake my homemade pizza crust? ›

Of course you do. Parbaking, or partially baking the dough to its halfway point in advance can save you a ton of time on pizza party day. You just have to top it and toss it back in the oven before you want to sit down and eat. This is also a great way to get everyone involved in the pizza-making experience.

What is best for pizza crust? ›

Bread Flour: With a higher percentage of protein compared to all-purpose flour, this is the flour I'd recommend starting with for a great crust. Bread flour is widely available, and you'll get fantastic results. “00” Pizza Flour - A lot of people swear by a pizza dough made with a percentage of “00” flour.

What not to do when making pizza dough? ›

The Most Common Mistakes When Making Pizza
  1. Not Letting the Dough Rest. ...
  2. Not Kneading the Dough for Long Enough. ...
  3. Using a Rolling Pin to Form the Dough. ...
  4. Overloading Pizza Toppings. ...
  5. Not Letting the Pizza Cook for Long Enough.

What is the most important ingredient in pizza dough? ›

Flour is the main ingredient in pizza dough, and the type you use can have a big effect on the end result. All-purpose flour will work fine, but if you want a chewier crumb and a better hole structure, you should consider buying yourself some high protein bread flour.

How long to prebake pizza dough? ›

Oven Method:

Pick the top of the dough a few times with a fork and pre-bake the dough in the pizza pan, or slide onto a hot pizza stone to pre-bake for 3-4 minutes. Remove from oven and add pizza sauce and toppings. Return to oven and bake for 8-15 more minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly.

Do I have to Prebake Pillsbury pizza crust? ›

Unlike frozen pizza crust, Pillsbury refrigerated pizza crust dough is ready to bake. Just unroll pizza dough on a sheet pan, prebake for 6 minutes, then add your favorite toppings and finish baking according to package directions for delicious oven-fresh pizza with a thin and crispy golden brown crust.

What are three types of pizza crust? ›

A Bite Out of the 9 Types of Pizza Crust
  • Neapolitan Pizza: A Classic Combo of Crispiness and Charness. ...
  • New York-Style Pizza: Chewy and Crispy Delights. ...
  • Chicago-Style Pizza: Thick, Buttery, and Crispy Crust. ...
  • Deep-Dish Pizza: A Puffy and Toasty Crust. ...
  • Detroit-Style Pizza: Go-to Thick Cuts. ...
  • Flatbread: Crack-Like Slices.

Should you oil pizza dough before baking? ›

It helps the dough stretch and maintain its hydration. It also gives it an added flavor. So, while oil is an essential ingredient for a delicious pizza, it does not affect the finished product's taste. Instead, it makes it easier to cook.

Why is my homemade pizza crust not crispy? ›

The steam from the base can't escape, so it condenses on your crispy surface and turns it wet and soggy. Use a pizza stone or a pan with holes to get a crispy pizza crust. A pizza stone will keep your pizza hot and its porousness will absorb some condensation.

How long to bake pizza at 450? ›

Set oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 450°F. Place pizza on middle rack. Do not use a pan or cookie sheet to bake pizza. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until pizza is golden brown.

What makes pizza crust taste better? ›

Any pizza dough with a complex flavor has been slow-fermented. All this means is that the yeast it contains has had ample time to eat the simple sugars in the flour. The longer the yeast has had to feast – ideally 24 to 48 hours – the lighter and more flavorful the pizza dough will be.

What is the best cheese to use for homemade pizza? ›

Best cheese for pizza
  • Mozzarella. Perhaps the most well-known and popular pizza topping of all-time, Mozzarella is cherished for its near perfect consistency and straightforward flavour. ...
  • Cheddar/Matured Cheddar. ...
  • Aged Havarti. ...
  • Gorgonzola. ...
  • Provolone. ...
  • Goat cheese. ...
  • Pecorino-Romano. ...
  • The ultimate cheese pizza.

Do you put butter or olive oil on pizza crust? ›

SEASON PIZZA DOUGH

Lightly brush the top of the pizza dough with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt (don't forget the edges!) This will add flavor and prevent the dough from getting soggy with the toppings.

How do you make pizza dough rise better? ›

Pizza dough loves warmth, so if you can find a way to add some extra heat, your dough will rise faster. One way to do this is to preheat your oven to the lowest setting (usually around 200 degrees Fahrenheit) and then turn it off. Place your pizza dough in the warm oven for 10-15 minutes until it begins to rise.

How do you get the most flavor out of pizza dough? ›

Baste crust with oil, then butter

Pizza crust is no exception and a bit of basting oil and/or butter will make your homemade pizza way more flavorful. Just after you've finished stretching the dough into its final shape, brush the entire surface with olive oil before adding your sauce, cheese, and any toppings.

What makes pizza dough more fluffy? ›

  1. AP flour - pizza requires a high protein (gluten) content to allow for a good stretch and oven spring. ...
  2. No oil, no sugar - both oil and sugar encourage browning and should be used, just sparingly, especially in a home oven.
Jan 21, 2020

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