This Easy Pizza Dough is perfect for busy weeknights or whenever a craving for pizza strikes. Sometimes, all we want is a hot and fresh homemade pizza on the table fast and this recipe delivers, plus it’s perfect for beginners.
We’re definitely pizza lovers, and there’s nothing better than a pizza (or Calzone or Stromboli) made with homemade pizza dough. Watch the video tutorial below to learn how to make fast and easy pizza dough – the perfect base for all your favorite pizza toppings.
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EASY Homemade Pizza Dough
You asked for a family-friendly, quick pizza dough recipe, so we delivered (no pun intended). This quick pizza dough recipe comes together easily and bakes up hot and fresh with chewy, pillowy crusts in a fraction of the time.
Our original Overnight Pizza Dough calls for slow, cold fermentation. Which is great when you have the time! Meanwhile, this recipe comes together fast, so you can have homemade pizza on the table in two hours or less.
Quick Pizza Dough Video
Watch Natasha make this quick and easy homemade pizza dough. Learn how to make a perfectly bubbly, golden crust that’s ready to smother with pizza sauce, plus your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
This recipe makes 1 lb of pizza dough or enough dough for one large 14-inch diameter pizza crust. Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need, with the full recipe amounts available in the recipe card.
- Warm Water – We recommend using filtered water, warmed to 110-115ºF. Be careful that your water isn’t too hot as it may kill the yeast.
- Honey – Sugar is key when making dough. You can substitute honey with the same amount of granulated sugar.
- Olive Oil – Extra virgin olive oil adds richness to the dough and helps it bake up nice and crispy. Coating the bowl in oil also coats the crust which keeps it from getting soggy under the sauce.
- Yeast – We use active dry yeast. You can also use the same quantity of rapid-rise or instant yeast and follow the recipe as directed, keeping in mind that rapid-rise yeast will rise and proof slightly faster. If your yeast is refrigerated, bring it to room temperature before you start.
- Flour – Bread flour has a higher protein content and creates a better pizza crust texture.
- Salt – Don’t skip the salt – it’s key to a tasty pizza crust.
Sugar: The Secret Ingredient in Pizza Dough
Sugar (or honey) is important in quick-rise pizza doughs, as it helps to activate the yeast, and also breaks down gluten so that the dough is loose and pliable. This makes it easier for the pizza dough to expand in the oven to create those crisp, bubbly edges we know and love.
As the pizza crust bakes, it also undergoes what’s called a Maillard reaction: the sugars react with the proteins in the dough to create a flavorful, beautifully browned crust.
How to Make Easy Pizza Dough
- Activate the yeast – In a large mixing bowl, stir together warm water and honey. Sprinkle with yeast and stir to combine. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes or until it begins to foam at the top.
- Add oil, flour, and salt to the bowl with the yeast mixture, using a wooden spoon to bring the dough together.
- Knead – Turn the dough out and knead for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with flour if it’s too sticky but keep in mind, It will start out a bit tacky but will become less so as you knead. Continue until the dough is smooth and bounces back when you gently press it with your finger.
- Rest – Drizzle a new bowl with olive oil, then place the dough ball into the bottom of the bowl and turn to coat. Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rise on the counter for 1 ½ hours, until it’s doubled in size. It’s time to turn your homemade dough into the pizza of your dreams!
Pro Tip: If your yeast isn’t foaming after 10 minutes, this could mean that your water was too hot or that the yeast you’re using is expired. You’ll need to discard the mixture and try again with fresh yeast.
Common Questions
Placing the dough in a warm spot, like a 100ºF oven, can help it rise faster. However, the crust texture turns out slightly better with a slower rise. Make sure it’s not too hot or you will kill the yeast.
Bread flour is our first choice for this quick pizza dough recipe since the higher protein content in bread flour produces a chewier crust with a better hole structure. You can substitute with all-purpose flour if that is what you have on hand.
Yes. To make two smaller pizza crusts, divide the dough into two portions and proof them in separate bowls.
Make sure your yeast forms a foamy layer when proofing which indicates your yeast is active and not expired. Also, ensure your water is warm, between 110˚F to 115˚F on an instant-read thermometer. If the water is too hot, it can ruin the yeast.
How to Make Pizza at Home
About 30 minutes before you’re ready to bake your pizza, get your oven and pizza stone preheated to 500ºF (an oven-thermometer is handy here). We recommend using a pizza stone, but you can also place an inverted baking sheet into the center of the oven instead.
- Shape the Dough – Gently roll the dough over your knuckles to start shaping it. Then, pop the dough onto a parchment-lined pizza peel and finish stretching and shaping the dough into a 14” circle. Leave a thicker crust around the edges.
- Add Toppings – Finish your pizza with your choice of sauce and toppings (see below for some of our favorite variations).
- Bake – Finally, use the pizza peel to transfer the pizza to your hot pizza stone. Bake at 500ºF for 10-13 minutes or until the crust is puffed and golden brown.
Pizza Toppings and Variations
As a rule of thumb, for a 12 to 14-inch pizza, we use one 1/2 recipe of red Pizza Sauce or White Pizza Sauce and about 12 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Margherita – use crushed whole tomatoes for sauce and top with fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil.
- Pepperoni – add 10-14 thin slices of pepperoni on top of shredded mozzarella.
- Hawaiian – with Canadian bacon and pineapple chunks.
- Chicken Pizza – with chunks of sautéed chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, basil
Pro Tip: Be careful not to overload your pizza with toppings or it will take longer to bake through.
Make-Ahead
This pizza dough keeps well. Here’s how to store your homemade pizza dough:
- To refrigerate: Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover it refrigerate for up to 3 days. Take the dough out and let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes before you make your pizzas.
- To freeze: Once the dough rises, you can freeze it and keep this homemade pizza dough frozen for up to 3 months, and defrost it in the fridge overnight. Check out our tutorial on How to Freeze Pizza Dough.
- Reheating leftover pizza: You can reheat a slice of pizza in the oven, or toaster oven at 375˚F for 5-8 minutes or until the cheese is melted. An air fryer is even faster at 350˚F for 3-4 minutes. You can also microwave for 30 seconds but the crust is more likely to get soggy.
This quick and easy pizza dough is sure to become a go-to for easy pizza nights. What are YOUR favorite pizza toppings? Let me know in the comments!
Pizza Pairings: Delicious Sides and Appetizers
Now that you’ll be enjoying homemade pizza on the regular, here are some easy sides to serve on pizza night.
- Dipping Sauces – Who doesn’t love a side of dipping sauce with their slice of pizza? Try Homemade Ranch, our easy Marinara Sauce, or Pesto.
- Salad – Serve with a classic Caesar Salad, or Caprese Salad.
- Appetizers – Garlic Bread or Bruschetta are great appetizers for a pizza party.
- Drinks – Keep it refreshing with sparkling water or Iced Tea.
- Sides – Meatballs pair well with pizza and add protein to the meal.
Quick and Easy Pizza Dough Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup warm filtered water, 110-115°F
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp active dry yeast, at room temperature
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 cups bread flour, plus 2-3 Tbsp more to dust or as needed
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
How to Make Pizza Dough:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water (110˚-115˚F), honey, and yeast. Stir together and set aside for 10 minutes to activate the yeast. You should see it form a layer of foam at the top. This indicates your yeast is active.
- Add 1 Tbsp olive oil, flour, and salt and stir together with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Transfer to a clean work surface and knead for 5 minutes or until the surface of the dough is smooth and springy. The dough should be slightly tacky and will get less sticky as you knead. If it is too sticky to knead, sprinkle on a little bit of flour at a time until you have a workable dough, but don't add too much flour.
- Add the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil to a large clean bowl and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the dough ball and turn to coat it in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature (72°F) for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in volume.
How to Make Pizza With the Dough:
- About 30 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 500°F with a pizza stone in the center of your oven, or use an inverted baking sheet.
- To easily transfer the pizza dough, Line your work surface with a large sheet of parchment paper (about 15”x 15”). Roll the dough over your knuckles to start shaping it into a pizza crust then place it on a parchment-lined pizza peel and gently stretch it to a 14-inch diameter circle, keeping a thicker crust around the edges.*
- Add your favorite sauce and toppings. Use a pizza peel or baking sheet to transfer your pizza with parchment paper to your hot pizza stone and bake for 10-13 minutes or until the crust is golden brown (timing can depend on oven temperature and thickness of your crust so keep an eye on it).
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hi Natasha, I made this recipe and while I made the dough work, it was not flawless or looking great like yours!! the dough rose, but it wasn’t a nice ball, when I was trying to stretch it using my knuckles, I had holes on my dough, I was stretching it trying to make it better, in the end I made it work. But what do you think went wrong? My dough didn’t look like a smooth ball in the end and I followed your recipe. Thanks. by the way while I am here, can you do a homemade ice cream recipe? 🙂
Hi Yolanda, Thanks for trying the pizza dough recipe. The issues you encountered could be related to the hydration level, not enough kneading, or the dough being too cold. Make sure the dough is hydrated correctly, well-kneaded for elasticity, and let it rest enough to be stretchable without tearing.
Can I use this pizza dough recipe to make a Chicago style pizza crust? If so, how would I modify this recipe?
Hi Holly, I haven’t tried making this with Chicago style pizza to advise but it may work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I felt like making my own pizza, but didn’t want it to take too long.. Chose this recipe. I actually used a kitchen aid mixer, doubled the recipe. And it still turned out great. The second pizza rose a little more before it went into the oven, and so it turned out bubblier than the first one, but both were tasty, and soft. Thank you for the recipe.
You’re so welcome, Julia. Thank you for choosing my recipe, good to know that you liked it.
Made this dough on Saturday and it tasted amazing! I used all purpose flour and a pizza pan. Wondering if you can bake the dough first before adding sauce and toppings? As well as how to make the cheese melty. When I made it the cheese wasn’t stretchy and melty.
Glad you loved it! You can do that but you have to bake it again when you add the sauce and toppings. I use shredded mozzarella cheese so it melts.
I find that buying a block of cheese and shredding it myself results in a better melting gooey cheese than the packaged pre shredded cheese.
I love this recipe can you make this pizza in a pizza pan instead of a stone?
Hi Jacquelyn. That should be fine. Several of my viewers have reported using a regular pan for this as well. Just keep an eye on it in the oven since heat is conducted differently in metal.
Hi there, just a question about the parchment paper and using a pizza stone. Is the parchment paper going on the stone as well? Or should I be sliding the pizza off of it and placing it directly on the stone?
Hi Sandro, if the pizza is easy to slide (not stuck to the parchment) you can slide it off onto the baking stone and a pizza peel will help with this process. I also have trimmed the paper around slightly and baked over the paper on the stone.
Thank you… does doing it directly on the stone change the cook time at all?
No, it does not affect the baking time.
Hi Natasha,
Everything works well with me, it turn out very nice, family love it, however the problem that the parchment paper stick to the cooked pizza at some area. What I’ve done wrong here?
Thanks
Hi Kamaru, I’m so glad your family loved it. It seems it may have needed a little more flour to keep it from sticking.
Hi Natasha,
Thanks for that, I will keep in mind on that. My sister in-law mention I could open a cafe hehehe.
Easy, straightforward method that has worked for me every time. Thx.
Glad to hear that, Chris!
Hi Natasha,
Can I knead this with the stand mixer using the hook attachment? if so, for how long?
thanks!
Hi Rosaria! I think that would be fine. I don’t have the exact time. I would follow the instructions listed above, continue to mix until the dough is smooth and bounces back when you gently press it with your finger.
Soo smart about the parchment paper! I love your recipes, thank you!
You’re so welcome! Glad that was helpful.
Using bread flour for pizza makes a dough that is more like bread than the crispy crust I prefer. I always use regular all purpose flour.
This was a complete fail for me. I used KA bread flour, which I weighed. It was so crumbly, like a dry cookie dough. I added more water but it still didn’t work. It continued to crumble and break, and it was gritty as if the flour wasn’t absorbing the moisture. I’ve never had a dough completely fail to “dough” before. Any guesses why?
Hi Lisa, I haven’t had that happen before. Was your flour expired? Are you certain you didn’t add an extra cup of flour?
Can you roll the dough out with a rolling pin? I like my pizza crust thin.
Thanks
Hi Michelle. You can if you’d like. But it can affect the texture and become more dense because the dough is likely to become overworked.
This recipe looks great. All I have in hand is instant yeast. Can I substitute that for the active dry yeast? And do I need to make any modifications to the recipe.
Hi MaryAnn, yes, that will work. Please see the notes on “yeast” in the “Ingredients” section above.
I use a pizza steel to bake my pizza. Can I still use the parchment paper or will it burn?
Hi Debra! I would look at the parchment paper type and see if it’s safe to use at such a high temperature.
Easy and quick to make and SO much better than store bought crust!
So glad you loved it, Sarah!
My family couldnt get enough of this pizza tonight and it will absolutely be a regular go-to for dinner. So delicious! Another winner in our books!
Hi Megs! That’s awesome! I’m so glad you found this recipe. Thank you for the feedback.
Can this be frozen to be used at a later time? If so, at what point in the preparation of the crust do you freeze it? Also what do you need to do once you thaw it out on the day you want to make a pizza? Do you thaw it and let it rise again?
Hi Kris, it sure can be, this is a freezer-friendly recipe. Under the Make-Ahead section of the recipe, please see my “To Freeze”note. I hope this helps
Ok – I tried the overnight dough and messed up the timing, had to toss it.
Today, I tried this quick dough and messed up somewhere… can you please clarify the make-ahead instructions/rise/refrigeration timing?
In Step 3, I put the dough into the clean, oiled, covered bowl and straight into the refrigerator because I was not going to bake the dough immediately after the rise time… I thought the video instructed to do this… I needed it 6 hours later and it had not rised for me.
I used 111 degree water, yeast foamed, mixed in ingredients as instructed, kneaded… not sure where I’m messing it up 🙈
Thank you for any guidance! My (your) carrot cakes are incredibly beautiful and on spot every time! I dough not know what I’m doing wrong with the pizza recipes 😆🙉
Hi Amber, with the make-ahead instructions, that works best overnight to give it a chance to slowly rise in the fridge then you would want to “Take the dough out and let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes before you make your pizzas.” If you are only refrigerating for 6 hours, you might need an extra 15-30 minutes on the counter to help it rise more. There’s no need to toss the dough – it just needs a little more time to rise.
Thank you for this recipe and so many others. 😊😊 I made your red pizza sauce too it was awesome. So easy with your instructions and video
It’s my pleasure and happy to hear that! I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try.