The easiest recipe for pizza dough you will ever make! You would never guess that with just five ingredients, you could make something this good. It is thin, crisp, and a little chewy!
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Want a thin, crisp, and chewy pizza crust? Make this recipe for pizza dough. It is quick to make in a stand mixer and uses only five ingredients.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This slightly sticky dough is not suitable for kneading in a bread machine because it is too soft.
- If you are experienced and know how to handle a wet dough and wish to go the messy way, this can be hand-kneaded.
- For a beginner, we recommend using a stand mixer for kneading the dough.
- It is a very quick dough to make and takes about 8 -10 minutes to knead in a stand mixer.
- This recipe is enough to make two 30 cm (12 inch) thin pizza crusts or four 15 cm (6 inch) pizza crusts.
- The pizza dough can be made ahead of time and left to rise in the fridge overnight.
Ingredients
Dry instant yeast - I like to use dry instant yeast because you can use it without proofing it. Read more about How to use Dry Instant Yeast Here.
Water - use cold or warm water. Avoid using hot water because you will kill the yeast.
Salt - adds flavor to the pizza dough. Without salt, the dough will be bland.
Flours - we used both bread flour and all-purpose flour (plain flour) for this recipe. This combination makes the pizza dough slightly soft, chewy, and crisp.
Extra virgin olive oil - a small amount is used for coating the dough to stop it from sticking to the bowl during proofing.
Step By Step Instructions
If this is your first time using a stand mixer to make bread dough. You must read our Tips for Kneading Dough In a Mixer for helpful hints and tips.
Step 1 – Place the water, flour, salt, and yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer.
Step 2 – Attach the dough hook and start the stand mixer on low speed for about 30 seconds, then turn to medium speed and knead for about 8 - 10 minutes. The dough is ready when it looks smooth and does not stick to the sides of the bowl - refer to the image above.
Step 3 – Divide the dough into two even pieces and shape it into balls. Place the dough balls into bowls with some olive oil. Roll the dough in olive oil to coat the surface.
Step 4 – Cover the bowls tightly with plastic wrap. Place the bowls in a warm area and allow the dough to rise and double in size – this can take anywhere between one to three hours.
Step 5 – After the dough has risen, it can be stretched, placed on baking trays or pizza pans, topped with your choice of toppings, and baked.
How Do You Stretch Out Pizza Dough?
This recipe for pizza dough is very soft and can easily be stretched out into shape using your fingertips. You can also use a rolling pin.
We like to lightly dust the dough flour before stretching to make it less sticky and easier to handle.
Because it is soft, stretching the dough out on a piece of parchment paper (baking paper) makes it easier and will stop the dough from sticking to the bench.
After shaping, transfer the dough and baking paper to a baking tray, then add the toppings and bake.
Expert Tips
Bake on a solid-based pizza pan and not one with holes in it. If you are using a pizza pan with holes, you must use parchment paper underneath.
Baking the pizza on parchment paper will stop the dough from being baked into holes, making it easier to remove from the pan after baking.
Recipe Notes
This recipe makes about 660 grams (23.30 ounces) of pizza dough. You can make two 30 cm (11.8 inch) or four small 15 cm (6 inch) pizzas with this recipe.
What is the best flour for making homemade pizza dough?
The type of flour to use comes down to personal taste. For years we have been making pizza dough with plain flour. We were happy with it because it made a soft pizza base.
However, after making it with bread flour, our preference has changed. Bread flour makes a crisp and chewy pizza crust, especially if it is a thin crust.
More often than not, we will use a combination of bread flour and all-purpose flour for a slightly soft, chewy, and crisp dough, like with this recipe for pizza dough.
So, experiment with bread flour and all-purpose to see what you like best.
Pizza Topping Ideas
Just about anything and be used to top your homemade pizza crust.
Most pizzas will start with a thin layer of pizza sauce, a light sprinkling of grated cheese, then a thin layer of toppings and more cheese.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Margherita pizza - pizza sauce, torn pieces of mozzarella cheese, and top with torn basil leaves after baking.
- Sausage and pepper pizza – pizza sauce, cooked Italian sausage slices, grated mozzarella, and thin slices of capsicum (bell peppers).
- Vegetarian pizza – pizza sauce, grated mozzarella, thinly sliced mushrooms, onions, green capsicum (bell peppers), pitted green and black olives.
- Caramelized onion pizza – pizza sauce, thin-sliced onions caramelized in a little butter, dried rosemary, black pepper, anchovies, olives, cheese.
- Pepperoni and cheese pizza – pizza sauce, pepperoni slices, cheese.
Tips for Topping a Pizza
- Spread on a thin layer of pizza sauce (or bottled pasta sauce), and don't make it too thick because you could end up with a soggy pizza.
- Use a cheese that melts well. Some will add a thin cheese layer on the top of the tomato sauce, followed by the other toppings. Others will say to add the cheese last. There is no right or wrong way.
- Precook raw ingredients like meats, seafood, and hard vegetables like broccoli and you can be confident that everything is cooked correctly.
- Avoid topping with too many wet ingredients like tomatoes, artichokes, and zucchini because these can make the pizza go soggy.
- Give the pizza a thin layer of toppings - less is best because a pizza with too many toppings does not cook well.
- If using fresh herbs, cover these with other toppings. Doing this will stop them from burning during cooking.
- Cook the pizza soon after adding the toppings, and don’t let it sit for too long because you could end up with a soggy pizza.
FAQ
The reason for this could be one of three things.
The first is adding a very thick layer of sauce to the dough. If you have added a very thick layer to the dough, the liquid from the sauce can add extra moisture to the dough, making it wetter and can cause the dough to go soggy.
We like to use about 2-2 ½ tablespoons of bottled pasta sauce for a 30 cm pizza base because it is quite a wet sauce.
If you are using a thick tomato paste with very little moisture, you could get away with using a little more.
The second is having the topping sit on the pizza dough for too long before baking. You may have added the toppings and had them on the dough for too long before baking. The best way to avoid this is to bake the pizza soon after adding the topping.
The third is overloading the pizza with toppings. If you have put too many ingredients on the top, it will sit heavy on the dough and won't cook through.
The best oven temperature for baking a pizza is about 250 C (450 F). If your oven can't get that hot, it is okay to bake the pizza at the highest temperature your oven will go to.
I do hope that you give this recipe for pizza dough a try. If you do, please come back and leave a comment below because I would love to know how you went.
Recipe
Stand Mixer Recipe For Pizza Dough
Equipment
- Kitchen scales
- Stand mixer
- Bowl scraper or spatula
- Two mixing bowls
- Two 30cm (12 inch) pizza trays or baking trays
Ingredients
- 300 grams/ml (1 ¼ cups) warm water
- 250 grams (8.8 ounce / 1½ cups + 1 tablespoon) bread flour
- 115 grams (4 ounce / ½ cup) plain flour / all-purpose flour
- 1 level teaspoon instant dry yeast
- 1 level teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place the water, flour, salt, and yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Attach the dough hook and start the stand mixer on low speed for about 30 seconds, then turn to medium speed and knead for about 8 - 10 minutes. The dough is ready when it looks smooth and does not stick to the sides of the bowl.
- Divide the dough into two even pieces and shape it into balls. Place the dough balls into bowls with some olive oil. Roll the dough in olive oil to coat the surface.
- Cover the bowls tightly with plastic wrap. Place the bowls in a warm area and allow the dough to rise and double in size – this can take anywhere between one to three hours.
- Roll the dough After the dough has risen, it can be stretched, placed on baking trays or pizza pans, topped with your choice of toppings.
- Bake in a 220-250°C (430-480°F) hot oven for 10-15 minutes or until cooked.
Notes
- Use a solid-based pizza pan and not one with holes in it. If you are using a pizza pan with holes, you must use parchment paper underneath. Baking the pizza on parchment paper will stop the dough from being baked into holes, making it easier to remove from the pan after baking.
- This recipe makes about 660 grams (23.30 ounces) of pizza dough. You can make two 30 cm (11.8 inch) or four small 15 cm (6 inch) pizzas with this recipe.
- Margherita pizza - pizza sauce, torn pieces of mozzarella cheese, and top with torn basil leaves after baking.
- Sausage and pepper pizza – pizza sauce, cooked Italian sausage slices, grated mozzarella, and thin slices of capsicum (bell peppers).
- Vegetarian pizza – pizza sauce, grated mozzarella, thinly sliced mushrooms, onions, green capsicum (bell peppers), pitted green and black olives.
- Caramelized onion pizza – pizza sauce, thin-sliced onions caramelized in a little butter, dried rosemary, black pepper, anchovies, olives, cheese.
- Pepperoni and cheese pizza – pizza sauce, pepperoni slices, cheese.
- Spread on a thin layer of pizza sauce (or bottled pasta sauce), and don't make it too thick because you could end up with a soggy pizza.
- Use a cheese that melts well. Some will add a thin cheese layer on the top of the tomato sauce, followed by the other toppings. Others will say to add the cheese last. There is no right or wrong way.
- Precook raw ingredients like meats, seafood, and hard vegetables like broccoli and you can be confident that everything is cooked correctly.
- Â Avoid topping with too many wet ingredients like tomatoes, artichokes, and zucchini because these can make the pizza go soggy.
- Â Give the pizza a thin layer of toppings - less is best because a pizza with too many toppings does not cook well.
- If using fresh herbs, cover these with other toppings. Doing this will stop them from burning during cooking.
- Cook the pizza soon after adding the toppings, and don’t let it sit for too long because you could end up with a soggy pizza.
Nutrition
This recipe for pizza dough was first published on 12 October 2020. Republished in October 2021 with updated content and images.
Michelle says
Hi Harriet, can this be frozen and at what stage please?
Harriet says
Yes, this dough can be frozen, I suggest that you par-bake the crust before freezing.
This can be done by shaping the dough and baking for 4-5 minutes without any toppings.
Let the crust cool to room temperature, then you can either freeze the dough like this without toppings, or without toppings, then cover in plastic wrap and freeze for up to two months.
Marc says
Why is there no sugar to make yeast work?
Harriet says
No sugar is required in the pizza dough recipe because yeast can feed on the natural sugars present in the flour, allowing it to ferment and the dough to rise. The dough will still yield a delicious and well-risen pizza crust without added sugar.
Tony M says
I went my own way with the pizza, but used your recipe for the crust. I probably used too much olive oil in the bowl to proof it in the fridge. But, anyway. The results were amazing. Like a Pizza Hut crust from 1980s. It almost had a texture of English Pikelets. I will use this to try to make those little sour dough delights.
Harriet says
Test
Robyn says
My family love making pizza on a Friday, and this base looks the perfect homemade base!
Rachi says
So easy and simple to make this. Love it
Gavin Sutherland says
Epic recipe - and thanks for the tips. I am forever adding too many toppings and having a somewhat soggy base. Everything worked out perfectly after trying this
Harriet Britto says
I'm glad it worked out for you.
Sarah says
I've never made pizza dough with yeast before but you make it look so easy with all the tips and tricks. Will have to give this a go next family pizza night 🙂
Sylvie says
Pizza dough is always so fun to make at home to have a pizza party! I haven't made pizza in so long but I'm dying to try this recipe now 🙂