This pizza dough is simple to make from scratch and takes less than an hour to prepare and rise. Top it with your favorite ingredients for a delicious homemade pizza night.
The crust determines most of a pizza’s success. Great toppings help, but a poor crust undermines the whole pie. This post focuses on making reliable pizza dough—thin and crisp, which is my preference. Baking on a crisper pan (a pan with holes in the bottom) helps get that extra crispiness; if you prefer a softer, airier crust, use a pizza stone instead. Making pizza dough at home is easy, fun, and much more affordable than store-bought. Here’s how I do it.
Begin by preparing the dough and allowing it to rest and rise. When ready, it should feel elastic and stretchy.
Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape each into a smooth ball.
To form a round crust, work from the center outward—either roll it on a lightly floured surface or support the dough with your knuckles and gently stretch it into a circle.
Set the shaped dough onto a crisper pan and prick the surface all over with a fork to prevent large bubbles during baking.
My pizza toppings:
After a short prebake I brush the crust with about 1 tablespoon olive oil mixed with roughly six cloves of minced garlic. You can use tomato sauce instead if you prefer. I top with 8 oz mozzarella, then grate Parmigiano and Pecorino Romano over it. I add thinly sliced red onion, thin slices of soppressata, and halved grape tomatoes. When the pizza comes out of the oven, toss a handful of arugula over the top so it wilts slightly. Slice and enjoy.
Pizza Dough
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Ingredients
- 12.5 oz bread flour* by weight (2 1/2 cups, if measuring)
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2.25 tsp quick rise yeast
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
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Stir the sugar into the warm water until it dissolves. Add the yeast, stir, and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes until foamy.
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Pour the yeast mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the bread flour, salt, and olive oil. Knead with the dough hook on medium-low for about 10 minutes (or knead by hand) until the dough is smooth and elastic. If small pieces tear when pulled, continue kneading until the dough stretches without tearing.
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Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 20 minutes to relax the gluten and allow a bit of rise.
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Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
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Split the dough in half and shape each portion into a ball. Flatten and stretch each ball into a round—either with a rolling pin on a floured surface or by stretching with your knuckles.
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Transfer the dough to a crisper pan and dock it with a fork to prevent bubbling. I prebake the crust for 10 minutes, then add toppings and bake another 12–15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the edges are golden. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is intended as a guideline for informational purposes only.