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This homemade pizza dough recipe really is the best! Here are our tricks for how to make pizza dough with the perfect fluffy, chewy texture and robust flavor—every time. This is one of our most popular recipes with loads of positive reviews!
Looking for next-level pizza dough? Here at A Couple Cooks, Alex and I have spent the past decade becoming homemade pizza experts. We’ve interviewed chefs, done endless research, and even made a few trips to Italy to taste the real thing.
So we are so happy you ended up at our best pizza dough recipe! This recipe has loads of positive reviews and people often send us emails or stop us on the street to tell us how much they love it (true story). You don’t even need special equipment: just your bare hands and a passion for pizza. Here are all our secrets on how to make pizza dough!
Featured reader comments
Don’t take it just from us! Here are a few happy readers who rated this pizza dough recipe with 5 stars:
- “I make this dough at least once a week. It’s fantastic!” -Emily
- “The kids I look after said it was the best pizza they ever had! 12/10. Highly recommend!” -Jessie
- “This recipe is an absolute hit in my family. Easy to follow and results in a lovely Neapolitan pizza.” -FC
Video: how to make pizza dough
Homemade pizza dough can be tricky the first few times. So we created a tutorial video to show you how to work with the dough! Here’s Alex making pizza dough in our kitchen.
Best flour for pizza dough
What makes best possible homemade pizza dough recipe? Using great flour. Our top choice is the flour that professional pizzerias use, called Tipo 00. But you can use other types of flour if you have them on hand or can’t find Tipo 00. Here’s what to know about types of flours for pizza dough:
- Tipo 00 flour, a finely ground flour used in Italian cuisine, is the best choice for pizza dough. Its strength and elasticity make a light and airy crust with a crispy exterior. The high gluten content lets the dough stretch easily without tearing, creating a fluffy, chewy texture. Tipo 00 is becoming more widely available at American grocery stores, or you can order it online.
- Bread flour, a type of flour that is high in gluten and protein, can also be used for pizza dough. The high protein content helps to create a nice chewiness in the dough. The main disadvantage of this type of flour is that it’s not as light and airy as Tipo 00. But if you have it on hand, it’s preferred over all-purpose flour.
- All-purpose flour also works for this homemade pizza dough recipe. The main advantage is that it’s widely available and inexpensive. However, the gluten content in all-purpose flour is not as high as Tipo 00 or bread flour flour, making the pizza crust slightly more dense and crumbly. However, all-purpose flour still makes for an excellent homemade pizza dough!
Tips for how to make pizza dough
Making homemade pizza dough is a fairly simple process. The only part that requires some skill is the stretching. There is also some proofing time involved, so make sure to factor that in to your pizza night! Here are some things to know about how to make pizza dough: or go right to the recipe.
Knead the dough by hand, or use a stand mixer.
Contrary to what you might think, you don’t need any special equipment for pizza dough. You can knead it by hand! We love the tactile nature of hand kneading and it comes out great. However, if you do have a KitchenAid or stand mixer, it does a fantastic job and is totally hands off. The kneading time in both cases is 8 minutes.
Allow the dough 45 minutes to rise.
Kneading takes only 8 minutes, so most of the time required for making pizza dough is letting it rise or “proof.” Set each dough ball on a floured surface, dab with olive oil, cover with a damp towel, and allow them to rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Plan to start making the recipe about 1 hour before you’d like to eat your pizza. You can also make the dough in advance and refrigerate.
Refrigerate the dough 1 to 3 days prior to baking (optional!).
Alex and I have interviewed some top rated pizzeria chefs in America and they all agree. For the best pizza dough, make it in advance and refrigerate it for 2 to 3 days before baking. This naturally ferments the dough, infusing a nutty, complex flavor. Of course, thinking ahead by 2 to 3 days is not always possible! You can skip this step and the dough still tastes incredible. (Promise.)
Method for stretching the dough
Do you have to throw homemade pizza dough into the air like in your favorite pizzeria? While it looks fancy, this type of stretching is not required for homemade dough! It’s easiest to learn by watching: watch our How to Stretch Pizza Dough video before you start. Here are a few tips for stretching pizza dough:
- Prep the dough: Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Dust the top of the dough with flour.
- Pat into a circle: Pat the dough into a circle, then drape it on your knuckles to stretch it. If the dough resists stretching, set it down and let it rest for 1 minute. Once you pick it up again, the gluten will have relaxed and it will be possible to stretch.
- Drape the dough over your knuckles: Once you have about an 8-inch circle, pick up the dough and gently drape it over the knuckles on both of your hands. Slowly rotate it around, allowing gravity to stretch it into a circle about 11 inches in diameter. If it resists stretching, put it down and allow it to rest for a few minutes, at which point it will stretch more easily.
Pizza dough variations
This homemade pizza dough recipe produces a deliciously fluffy pizza crust that’s crisped on the outside and chewy on the inside. It’s perfect for a standard, artisan-style pizza. But if you’re looking for something different, here are a few variations on this pizza crust recipe:
- Thin crust: This Thin Crust Pizza Dough is similar to this recipe, but with a thinner crust! It’s slightly easier to make because you can roll the dough out instead of stretching it.
- Pan pizza: Try Perfect Pan Pizza, with a thicker crust made in a cast iron pan.
- Focaccia pizza: This Focaccia Pizza is simple to make with an extremely thick, fluffy crust.
- Sheet pan pizza: Make a big Sheet Pan Pizza, the equivalent of 3 medium pizzas.
- Pizza oven dough: This Pizza Oven Dough is optimized for an outdoor pizza oven (though the recipe below works as well).
- Gluten free dough: This Gluten Free Pizza Dough is stretchy and satisfying, perfect for those with special diets.
Dietary notes
This pizza dough recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based and dairy-free.
Frequently asked questions
You can freeze any pizza dough balls you don’t plan to use the day of. After it rises, place it in a freezer proof bag and remove extra air with a straw. Freeze for up to 3 months. Go to How to Freeze Pizza Dough for more about how to defrost the dough when using it.
The dough should be slightly sticky but still workable. If it’s too sticky, try:
– Adding just enough flour to make it workable (don’t overdo it)
– Using slightly less water next time (about 30g less)
– Remember that a somewhat sticky dough often results in a lighter, airier crust
Yes! Always do the initial 45-60 minute rise at room temperature first, then divide into balls and refrigerate. This sets up the proper fermentation process.
Yes! You can knead by hand for 7-8 minutes. You may need to add a bit more flour while kneading to make the dough workable, but try to keep it minimal to maintain the right texture.
While a pizza stone creates the best crust, you can still make great pizza without one. Use a preheated baking sheet or an inverted cast iron pan. Bake at 450-500°F – the crust won’t be quite as crispy but will still be delicious.
Homemade Pizza Dough (Fan Favorite!)
This homemade pizza dough recipe really is the best! Here are our tricks for how to make pizza dough with the perfect fluffy, chewy texture and robust flavor—every time. This is one of our most popular recipes with loads of positive reviews!
For the best possible pizza dough, we recommend this pizza stone. Here’s why we love it.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 3 medium pizzas (about 11 inches in diameter) 1x
- Category: Essential Recipes
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 500 grams* Tipo 00 or all-purpose flour (3 ⅓ cups)
- 8 grams instant or active dry yeast (2 teaspoons)
- 7 grams kosher salt (1 teaspoon)
- 338 grams warm water (1 ¼ cups + 3 tablespoons)
- 13 grams olive oil (1 tablespoon)
Instructions
- Combine the flour, salt, and yeast in a bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Stir to combine. Add the water and olive oil and stir until a raggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
- Knead the dough by pushing with the base of your palm, then reforming it into a ball. Continue kneading for 8 minutes until the dough feels pillowy and has a smooth, stretchy exterior. If the dough is very sticky, add a small amount of flour while kneading. Alternatively: attach the dough hook to a stand mixer and start the mixer on medium-low speed, then allow the mixer to knead for 8 minutes.
- After the kneading is finished, divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Using floured hands, gently shape each half into a boule (ball shape) by folding the dough under itself. Set each boule on a floured surface and dab the dough with a bit of olive oil to keep it moist. Cover all boules with a damp towel and allow them to rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- The dough can be used immediately: go to Step 6. For next-level flavor, you can transfer the dough to separate sealed containers, large enough for the dough to double in size again, and store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. (We don’t always do this, but we try when possible because it makes for a noticeably nutty, unique flavor that truly is the best homemade pizza dough you’ve ever had.) You can also freeze pizza dough you don’t plan to use that day.
- **If you’re using the dough after refrigerating: The day of serving, remove the dough from the refrigerated containers, place it on a lightly floured surface covered with a towel, and allow it to come to room temperature before stretching, 30 to 45 minutes. (This is not required if you’re using the dough immediately after proofing.)
- To stretch the dough, place it on a lightly floured surface and gently press it into a circle, flipping several times and adding a pinch of flour if it is too sticky. Once you have about an 8-inch circle, pick up the dough and gently drape it over the knuckles on both of your hands. Slowly rotate it around, allowing gravity to stretch it into a circle about 11 inches in diameter. Do not overwork or fold the dough. If the dough starts to resist stretching, put it down and allow it to rest for a few minutes, at which point it will stretch more easily.
- We bake our pizzas at 500F and use a pizza peel to transfer it to a preheated pizza stone in the oven: the bake time is around 5 to 7 minutes. See our pizza recipe posts for baking instructions.
Notes
*Using a food scale will ensure you have consistent results every time! We use this one.
More pizza recipes & resources
Try our fan-favorite Homemade Pizza or Margherita Pizza topped with the best homemade pizza sauce. Go classic with Homemade Cheese Pizza, or more unique with Mushroom Pizza or Taco Pizza. Or start the day with Breakfast Pizza!
Hi Sonja and Alex,
You guys are my favorite recipe site- I love how minimalistic your approach is but, somehow, the taste is never sacrificed and the recipe always ends up being my favorite version.
About this pizza dough recipe- it was amazing despite not following it exactly. I made the dough without the stand mixer; the dough ended up very sticky and I think I probably added 2 additional cups of flour.
I was wondering if it would be possible to create a version of this recipe without using the stand mixer (just kneading by hand)? I presume it would be either reducing the water or adding more flour? I just don’t want to guess the ratios and want your professional guidance on the amount of each.
Thank you so much.
Hi!
A super sticky dough is actually ok, especially if you let it ferment in the fridge for 1 to 3 days. It allows the crust to be nice and light. We recommend adding just enough flour to make it workable.
You can definitely hand knead for 7 to 8 minutes, you probably will need to add a bit more flour in this case.
What if I put dough in freezer how to prep it. Thank you
Freeze after first rise and then thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours before using.
I am following a low sodium diet 1500-2000 mg / day. I noticed that sodium is not listed in your nutritional information on this recipe.
We know many people watch their sodium intake closely, so to be extra careful, we don’t include sodium in our recipe information. This is because ingredients like canned tomatoes and cheese can vary in their sodium content, and we wouldn’t want to give you inaccurate info!
If you want, you can still get an estimated sodium breakdown! Just pop the recipe into this handy website: https://whisk.com/recipe-nutrition-calculator/
This way you can check with your own ingredients. Thank you for reading!
Hello,
Please send the pizza dough recipe above to my e-mail.
I love it!
Joey
Hello I am a new cook, just stepped away from box dinners, but was still scared to make everything from scratch, so recently I have been buying the pillsbury pizza dough tube and then “making” pizza at home. Your page gave me all the detail I needed to feel confident trying my hand at pizza dough, amazing! I made pizza last night and it was amazing, It took me all day, but worth it! I was doing the happy pizza dance all night. My husband gave two thumbs up and said I nailed the crust! He is a picky eater, huge praise! Thanks for the attention to detail and a great website.
So glad to hear! Thank you for the comment :)
My goto pizza recipe. I sub in Spelt flour (freshly milled) and works out great!
Hi! I am planning to make your dough and then refrigerate it. I have a large dough proofing box, and I am wondering if you think I can put the boule’s in this same box as long as they have some space? Or is it best for them to be in separate containers? Thanks in advance!
They can be in the same box! Give a little space between, but it’s ok if they touch a bit while proofing.