Pizza Dough – The Best Pizza Crust (VIDEO)
This is hands down the best pizza dough! It makes a New York-style pizza crust that is a thin crust pizza in the center with beautifully puffed edges. You will love this crust – it’s crisp, chewy and so satisfying. Make this and you will never want a store-bought crust again. And, you’ll be known for your pizza!
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Why We Love This Pizza Dough:
This is a make-ahead pizza dough recipe that just gets better with time and it keeps really well refrigerated for at least a week. Here’s more good news: our classic red pizza sauce and creamy white pizza sauce also keep really well in the fridge so you can fire up a pizza whenever the craving strikes. An overnight crust also makes throwing a pizza party stress-free and everyone will be super impressed by your pizza making skills.
The #1 Secret to the Best Pizza Dough:
Since most pizza dough recipes have the same ingredients: flour, salt, water, yeast, it’s the process that makes all the difference. This pizza dough seriously tastes like it came out of a high-end pizzeria and in fact, most New York pizza doughs are fermented for at least 24 hours.
The pizza bosses of the world know the secret to an incredible dough is to let it rest and give it time. This process makes the dough much easier to work with and forms the coveted texture, rise, and bubbles at the edges.
The #2 Secret to the Perfect Crust:
Do not use too much yeast! Many of the quick pizza doughs out there use way too much yeast which makes the crust doughy and makes the center of the pizza rise while baking. If you use too much yeast, you will never achieve that thin crisp crust in the center.
The Takeaway: use less yeast and let the dough rest.
How to Make Pizza Dough Video Tutorial:
Watch the pizza dough video tutorial once and you will be a pro in no time. Here is a quick overview of the process for easy reference:
- Mix together water, salt and honey. Sprinkle with yeast and set aside 5 min then stir.
- Pour water mixture over your flour and stir to combine with a spatula then knead by hand 2 minutes. Cover and let rise 4-5 hours at room temperature.
- Transfer dough onto a floured surface and divide in half. Fold each piece of dough 8 times (rotating book fold) and form a ball. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 7 days. Your dough is done.
Why Fold the Pizza Dough?
Folding the dough balls 8 times with that book fold, and turning the dough between each fold, makes the gluten threads stronger and traps carbon dioxide created by the yeast to help form those beautiful bubbles in the dough.
How to Form and Bake Pizza Crust:
- Remove dough from the fridge 1 hour before using then preheat the oven with a pizza stone in the center to 550˚F.
- When the oven is preheated, place room temperature dough onto a floured surface, dust lightly with flour.
- Gently press dough down in the center with fingertips then place the dough over the back of your knuckles with both hands together and roll over your knuckles rotating around the dough as you go, keeping a 1″ thicker border. Place 10-12″ diameter crust onto a floured pizza peel.
- Add white sauce or red sauce then cheese and toppings. Give the pizza a shake over your pizza peel to make sure it’s not sticking then immediately slide it from your pizza peel onto the preheated pizza stone and bake at 550˚F for 8-10 minutes.
Tools for Making Pizza:
The right tools will make the pizza dough making the process even easier. It will also make you look like a pizza ninja to transfer your pizza from a pizza peel onto your hot pizza stone.
- Pizza Peels (a set of 2 makes the process easier).
- Flexible Food Scraper – to scrape the dough out of bowls and cut the dough in half
- Round Pizza Stone – to bake your pizza on in the oven
- Pizza Cutter – the easiest way to slice a pizza
- Instant Read Thermometer – to check water temperature
What is the Best Flour for Pizza Dough?
You don’t need any fancy flours to develop a gorgeous crust. We used organic all-purpose flour for making pizza. Bread flour will work equally well if that is what you have on hand and it will give you a slightly chewier crust. You can substitute bread flour for all-purpose flour in equal parts.
Note: We haven’t tried making a gluten-free version or any other flour, so let me know if you experiment.
What to Serve with Pizza:
Once you have your pizza making skills down, you will want to throw a pizza party. Pizza pairs really well with these easy sides.
- Avocado Ranch – because everyone loves a great dipping sauce
- Caesar Salad – a fresh green salad with light homemade dressing
- Avocado Corn Salad – so vibrant and satisfying
- Cobb Salad – beautiful and delicious
- Instant Pot Corn on the Cob – the juiciest way to cook corn
Pizza Dough Recipe - The Best Pizza Crust!
This is hands down the best pizza dough! It makes a New York-style pizza crust that is a thin crust pizza in the center with beautifully puffed edges. You'll love chewing on the crust - it's crisp, chewy and so satisfying.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups warm water 105-110˚F
- 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/2 Tbsp fine sea salt
- 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (measured correctly) plus more to dust*
Instructions
How to Make Pizza Dough:
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In a small bowl, stir together water, honey, and salt then sprinkle the top with 1/2 tsp yeast and let sit 5 minutes then stir.
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Measure 3 1/3 cups flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Pour yeast mixture into the center then stir with a firm spatula until the dough comes together. Knead by hand 2 minutes (dough will be sticky). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 4-5 hours or until doubled in size.
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Transfer dough to a floured surface, turn to coat lightly in flour so it isn’t sticky then divide in half. Fold each piece of dough in half 8 times, gently pulling the sides over the center like closing a book, turning the dough each time and repeating for 8 folds. Form a ball in your hands and transfer each piece of dough to a lightly oiled bowl seam-side-down, cover and refrigerate overnight (18 hours) or up to 1 week.
How to Form a Pizza Crust:
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PREP: Remove the dough 1 hour before using to let it relax and come to room temperature. Before forming the pizza crust, fully preheat your oven so pizza can be baked right away. Place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet onto the center rack of the oven and preheat to 550˚F. Also, lightly flour a pizza peel and prep toppings.
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When dough is about room temperature and oven is preheated, transfer 1 piece of dough to a floured surface, turning to lightly coat in flour. Pat the center of the dough gently with fingertips. DO NOT pop any bubbles present.
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Lift the dough over both knuckles and roll your knuckles under the center of the dough, working outward as you rotate the dough along your knuckles and leaving a thicker crust at the edge. Continue working the dough until a 10-12” pizza has formed. It will shrink slightly so make it a little bigger than you think. Place the dough down on a lightly floured pizza peel. Give the pizza peel a little shake to make sure the pizza slides over it and is not sticking.
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Spread on desired pizza sauce and toppings. Give the pizza another jolt to make sure it slides on the pizza peel (you don’t want it to stick while transferring it into the oven). Slide pizza onto the preheated pizza stone and bake at 550˚F for 8-10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and some of the larger bubbles on the crust are lightly scorched to ensure a crisp crust.
Recipe Notes
*Use a high-quality flour. We used organic all-purpose flour.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Natasha Kravchuk
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California Pizza Recipe 
White Pizza Sauce (Quick & Easy) 
No-Knead Bread Recipe (VIDEO) 
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
LOVE the recipe!Would like to know if you can freeze it and for how long? Thank you!
Carmen Fittro
Hi Carmen, freezing will work fine. To Freeze Pizza Dough: 1. Let the dough do it’s cold ferment overnight before freezing. 2. Lightly coat the dough with oil and transfer to a resealable freezer-safe zip bag and squeeze out the excess air then freeze up to 3 months. 3. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest on the counter and come to room temperature 1 hour before shaping.
we live in Florida and with humidity and other issues. I made this twice first time was the 8hours, then 24 in the fridge. Was good but not a lot of bubbles. 2nd I did and in the fridge for 4 days, 1 dried on top and the other was fine but less bubbles than the first time i made it. Dough was wet in the middle. Was wondering if I should cut the liquid down. I have to do that with other recipes, due to sea level and weather. Any one have thoughts about this. Maybe less time in the fridge? Because the dough seems like it is perfect after folding and 8 hours on the counter.
Hi Lisa, I think it’s worth experimenting with slightly less liquid if you living in a humid area and especially if that is a typical fix for you. Make sure to cover when refrigerating so it doesn’t dry out or form a film.
I want to only do half of the thing– do I halve all flour, water, and yeast measurements?
Hi Winni, that is correct, you would halve the entire recipe.
This pizza dough is amazing!!! It’s the first homemade pizza I’ve ever made and it came out perfect. The recipe is so easy to follow and the dough was incredibly easy to work with. I used bread flour and let the dough rest in the fridge for 24h. The crust was nice and crispy on the outside and chewy and soft on the inside. I topped mine with big chunks of fresh mozzarella and fresh basil.
Yum! That sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing that great review!
Mine didn’t turn out..
The dough didnt rise well at all even though i followed your steps. It didnt bubble much either. It was very heavy. Pizza looked beautiful but didnt taste fluffy like i was expecting. Do you think i might have added too much flour? Should I add more yeast maybe? 1/2tsp seems so little.
Hi Ksusha, I would suggest checking if your yeast is still active. It doesn’t rise as much as bread but it should rise as described in the post. It could also be too much flour – make sure to either weight in grams or use the method we suggest for measuring ingredients. I hope that helps.
Thank you for the help. I think too much flour was half the problem and the other half was that I took the dough out of the fridge 1.5hrs prior to cooking. I let the other half of the dough out 4 hrs prior to baking the next day and it formed the bubbles but was still a bit heavy. Definitely will try again to perfect it.
It tastes great btw!
I’m glad that was helpful!
SOS
Hi Natasha! I accidentally, added 1/2 tsp of salt instead of 1/2 tbs. it’s been about 2 hrs. Can my dough be salvaged or should I start over?
Hi Angela, the dough will be fine. It will still work well with less salt. The toppings will also add salt and will compensate. It tastes better with more, but the recipe will still work.
Can I bake my pizza in a pizza pan if I don’t have a stone or those other fancy things?
Hi Gabriela, others shared that they used a pizza pan and it worked well too.
We love to add broccoli and Italian sausage and use just olive oil. We also do spinach and artichokes.
Sometimes we go insane with pepperoni, sausage,band bacon.
** Can we cook the pizza at 425 degrees? If so, how long?
That sounds amazing! If that is the highest your oven will go, yes. You may need to adjust the bake time, however.
Really want to make this but, quick questions.
Does it have to be kneaded by hand only? Standing mixer won’t work?
Hi Natasha, a stand mixer isn’t necessary and I find I have more control doing this by hand. Also, I have baked after 5 hours in my testing and I found the cold fermentation is what gives you those desired bubbles in the crust, great texture and rise as the edges while it’s baking. It also tastes better after cold fermentation.
Made this, this past weekend which was not a good idea in 100 degree weather but non the less was so good I made extra so once it cools down will forsure be making more pizza 😘🍕
That is awesome! I’m so glad you liked it.
Hi Natasha, I love your blogs. I’ve made this pizza dough couple of times already, but I’d like to know if it is possible to let the dough rise in an instant pot? As an alternative to 4-5 hrs at room temp.
Hi Ann, I have not tested that in an instant pot to advise. If you experiment please let me know how you like that.
Hi Natasha! I was first impressed by this recipe with 70% hydration dough made with hand as I never seen it before as it is recommended to be done with a mixer. So I decided to give a try. I was surprised that you could fold a 70% hydrated dough with hands and that dough looks somehow hard in your hand though 70% dough are very soft e sticky and impossible to be worked by hand like you show in the video. So I gave it a try and I was right. After 4 hours I tried to fold the dough, and it was not as the hard dough you can fold in the video, though somewhat I managed to fold it and it is on the fridge now So finally I would love some info on this recipe, because it sounds good but it does not give the results that you are showing, and I really want this work.
Thank you a lot!
Hi Gris, it may be in the way you are measuring flour. Check out our post on measuring ingredients which may help answer your questions to get the texture correct. If you can weigh your ingredients, that would be even better.
Hi Natasha. I have been trying to make a good pizza at home for a while now. none of the recipes ive tried have worked out. Except this one.. it did take me three tries to get it right..but finally when i got it, it was sooo yummy… thanks for the recipe…. i was so excited that when i formed the crust with my hands it didn’t break this time and i saw the bubbles
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it Smitha!
Hi Natasha, I’m a long time viewer of your cooking videos and first time commenting. Just wanted to let you know that this pizza recipe was great! Your video is so helpful to understand the technique for preparing the pizza and shaping it. This is the first time I was able to make a mostly circle pizza lol.
That is awesome, great job! Thanks for leaving a comment here and for your excellent review!
with everything going on, i could only find fresh yeast. Will it work?
Hi Kathy, I haven’t tested this with fresh yeast to advise.
We made it with fresh yeast. Used double the amount of yeast that you asked for and it turned out amazing! My kiddos love this pizza and want it everyday. My oldest loves following your recipes. You are our go to. Will get a pizza stone as we made it on a baking sheet, but still the best recipe.
That is so great to know that it works great using double the fresh yeast. Did you change anything else in the process or keep the steps the same? Others have asked about using fresh yeast and your review is so helpful. Thank you!
Hi Natasha,
I made the pizza and it was amazing!! Thank you so much. It was nice and crisp and crunchy. My son loved it so much he wants it every weekend. I k ow you said we could use instant yeast. Couple questions
#1 do you think it will taste the same as far as crisp and crunchy crust?
#2 you said you could put the instant yeast in with the flour, what would be the next steps and so forth?
I love your cinnamon rolls by the way, will be making them today!
Thanks so much for all your great recipes. P.S your meatloaf is so on point also!!
Elle
Hi Elle, I always make mine with active dry yeast. If I were to do it with instant, I would mix it into the flour and then just add the liquids to that flour mixture.
Would you use the same amount of instant dry yeast? Or reduce it?
Hi Heather, I always make mine with active dry yeast. If I were to do it with instant, I would mix it into the flour and then just add the liquids to that flour mixture.
I’ve been making pizza for years and have tried many crusts. This is the best one I have found and it will be my go to recipe from now on. Thanks. Kelly
That is just perfect! Thank you so much for your good comments.
Hi there all the way from New Zealand. We tried this recipe along with your white pizza sauce for a cheese pizza and it was awesome. Definitely be using this recipe again
I’m so glad that you loved it! Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
I really want to make this but I dont have a pizza stone… what do you recommend? also your kids are super cute !!!
Hi Amberley, you can use a pizza pan or a baking pan! That should work great! I recommend reading through the comments for some tips also, our readers have the best ideas! One reader mentioned using cast iron.
Hi I want to try your recipe for dough but does the Honey make it sweet?
Hi Denise, it does not. Most pizza dough has either sugar or honey in it.
I’ve just finished mixing the initial ingredients and set aside for the first rise. Since I cook for one, how should I divide and shape the dough for smaller size pizzas? Will the dough freeze properly after the second rise in the refrigerator after it’s already divided? Thanks, Natasha!
Hi Sara, freezing will work fine. To Freeze Pizza Dough: 1. Let the dough do it’s cold ferment overnight before freezing. 2. Lightly coat the dough with oil and transfer to a resealable freezer-safe zip bag and squeeze out the excess air then freeze up to 3 months. 3. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest on the counter and come to room temperature 1 hour before shaping.
How should I divide and form the dough for smaller pizzas as I cook for only one?
Hi Sara, that should work fine, just form smaller balls of dough – I would cut them further in half but probably not smaller than that.
Best pizza dough ever!!! My husband and I have tried a couple dough recipes and this one is the best! Not only are we only going to use this recipe from now on but might have a pizza night once a week just to have this!
That’s just awesome Larissa! I’m so glad you both enjoyed this! It sounds like you found a new favorite! That’s so great!
Natasha, all I have right now is Whole Wheat Bread Flour. Is this okay to use? Any special instructions in making this Pizza?
I haven’t tried wheat flour but I think it would make the dough tougher to just use whole wheat.
Hi. I tried to make a double portion. When combined all Ingredients I had a lot of flour left, Could not get to the right consistency. What did I do wrong?
Hi Iryna, could you possibly have mismeasured the flour? It helps me to count out loud when I’m measuring a lot of flour. Also, this post on how to measure ingredients for baking may be helpful.
Can I use fresh yeast? If so, how much?
Thank you in advance.
Hi Ana, I haven’t tested this with fresh yeast to advise.
This pizza was amazing!! My kids looked at me and just said PLEEEEAASE make this again! We used your red sauce!
Most pizza stones say 450 degrees though, do you have a stone that can take 550 heat?
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Amanda! Sounds like you found a new family favorite! We use this pizza stone here. It is heat safe up to 2100 degrees.
Where did you get your light blue coated tongs?
Hello Pam, you may check the kichen tools that I use here in our Amazon Page.
This recipe is a keeper! I have been relying on two other recipes for the past several years. They were always just ok, not like the New York style that I wanted to replicate. This was that!! I went through the first 5 hour rise and then I did another 5 hours in the fridge. I didn’t want to wait and I needed something for dinner. It was still great, but I bet the longer rise develops amazing flavor. I will plan better next time. Also, I use a piece of parchment on my pizza peel to make sure it doesn’t stick when I slide it onto the baking stone.
I’m so glad you loved the pizza dough! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review.
Hi
I don’t have baking stone
What I can use instead
Thank you
Hi Tamara, you can use a pizza pan or a baking pan! That should work great! I recommend reading through the comments for some tips also, our readers have the best ideas! One reader mentioned using cast iron.
Anyone try this review with gluten free ap flour? Curious if it would turn out well.
Hi Trina, I have not tested this with gluten-free flour. I looked through the comments and didn’t see anyone commenting on that. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hi Natasha! I’m Juan Carlos from Colombia, I am going to try to make the pizza crust with gluten free flour. I will let you know how it goes.
Regards.
1st try I used exact measurements and the dough was so dry I couldn’t even get it to come together, so I started over. 2nd try I sifted flour and measured properly but Left out 3/4 cup Flour and dough is still dry, not sticky at all, seems very dense. Any helpful tips?
Hi Heidi! Are you scooping the flour or spooning it into your measuring cup? This post on measuring should help.
Hi
During quarantine i found this pizza recipe. I have tried to make one. The problem i found was the dough was stiil rising in the fridge. Its not like i watched in your video. I followed your instruction already but it came up different. Is there any suggestion? Thanks natasha
Hi Kuz, it should still right slightly in the refrigerator and that is normal. You can see the difference after resting overnight in the photo tutorial above in the smaller bowl before and after photos. You want it to rise slightly – that means your yeast is working and those bubbles are awesome in the baked dough.
Thanks natasha
Just 1 simple question. Do we need oil for dough?
Thanks again
Hi Kuz, we did not add oil to the dough itself but it does rest in a lightly oiled bowl seam-side-down.
My daughter had to make homemade pizza dough for a school project. We tried 2 recipes….this one turned out the best! I’m keeping it for my own go to recipe. On a side note, we only had whole wheat flour… crust still turned out good but we had to use less flour. Definitely going to use all-purpose next time and I think we will get an even better crust… it’s pizza, who needs to be healthy! Thanks for the great recipe and tips!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hey, that pizza looks incredible and I’m excited to try it.
What to do if I don’t have a pizza stone or a wooden peel? Should I keep my pizza pan in the oven beforehand? Should I transfer it from my wooden cutting board to the hot pizza pan in the oven?
Thanks
Hi Fatima, yes, you can use your pizza pan! That should work great! I recommend reading through the comments for some tips also, our readers have the best ideas!
Pizza can be healthy depends on what you put on it.
Yesss! This pizza dough is so easy, and tastes better the longer you wait. I just used some jarred marina, a ton of mozzarella and some Parmesan. I topped with fresh basil and some chili flakes. Magical! My oven only heats up to 500 Fahrenheit, and I don’t have a pizza stone or peel. I baked the pizza for an extra 2 minutes, on a preheated cast iron pan. Once the dough was formed into the shape I wanted, I transferred it onto some well floured parchment paper and then added the toppings. It was easy to transport onto the pan (left the parchment paper under as the pizza cooked). Thanks for this great recipe!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
I’m in my 60’s and consider myself a good baker, but I’ve never worked with yeast. I Always thought it was too hard. Making this dough was SO easy, and it actually came out so good! My husband even said the pizza was restaurant quality. The only thing I couldn’t do was make it round. The dough just got longer and longer, so I baked it that way! It looked very ‘artisan’! Also, I had to use a cookie sheet, but it still came out fine. Lol. I’ll definitely make this again. Love your recipes.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Julie! Thank you for that awesome review.
Perfect one! Turned out really great, crispy and was restaurant-quality. Finally have found my forever pizza dough recipe. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome Adrah! I’m so happy you enjoyed that! Sounds like you found a new favorite!
Hi Natasha! I made this recipe with instant yeast and it was amazing! Thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing that with us Nina!
Hi Nina how did you do that?
I made it with the active yeast, it was great by the way. I’m new to baking. It took way too long. I use instant for my cinnamon rolls, but would like to use it for pizza dough. If you could kind of explain it, that would be great.
Thanks,
Elle
Your pizza dough is the best ever. Crispy and perfect. Will make this my pizza dough recipe for ever. Thank you!!
You’re welcome! Thanks for your great feedback.
This is the best pizza dough ever!!! Omg…we really enjoyed 😋😋Thanks Natasa😘
Yay thanks for your awesome comment!
Just a question. I just finished the first steps and am beginning the initial 4-5 hour wait…wondering if I can just leave the dough out overnight (as I’m heading to bed soon) and making the dough balls in the morning.
Hi Alex, it can be left on the counter for 8 hours – that will work fine.
Hi Natasha! Pizza was great 😍 it was awesome for the first try. I didnt hav a pizza stone so the crust was not tat crispy! Bt it was thin in the middle as urs😍❤️ Loved it! Have one question though! Even though its in fridge the second batch dough keeps rising day by day! Should i knock out the air and fold again before i use? Or use as it is? Its almost tripled i would say. What do u suggest?
Hi Rad, there is no need to remove the air bubbles – those make the crust better. After a week though – the dough becomes overly bubbly and is more like a sourdough baguette dough. It made a lovely baguette for me (I’ve tried it!), but it wasn’t great for pizza anymore after a week.
Oh thanq so much! Its just been 3 days since i made d dough! So hopefully will make a pizza again ! Will send u the pic once i make the second batch! Thank u Natasha
You’re welcome! I look forward to it!
I have read many recipes that say never to add salt until the flour stage as it kills the yeast properties. You haven’t found this to be the case?
Also, what is the difference in activating yeast with honey or sugar?
Hi Adri, we haven’t had that issue at all. Both honey and sugar work well and it feeds the yeast.
Best dough recipe. I used it to make a French baguette. 450F Convection 12 min, then 4 min on Broil. Amazing!
Thank you so much!
Made this dough yesterday, the dough has been in the fridge for 24 hrs and I am about to taste the pizza. I will update my review when the taste test is done, but I wanted to note that my dough was not as sticky as yours. Also, after refrigerating it, I could not use my knuckles to thin it out as it was too think, I ended up using a rolling pin.
Sounds good Ria. Please share with us how it goes!
Hi I made this yesterday – great taste and seemed to come out great but I did notice that after staying on the fridge for 24 hours the dough doubled again in size. In your video the dough seems to be the same size as when you made it into balls. Did I do something wrong or does it rise again when it’s in the fridge? I did use active yeast (not instant).
Hi Renee, Great question! It does rise slightly but won’t double. I put it into a bowl that can hold dough twice the size of the ball. As the dough sits up to a week in the fridge, it will slowly expand more. so if you have a 1 1/2 cup portion of dough, you should have a 3 cup bowl to give it some room.
Hi, I tried your recipe and it came out amazing. May I use wheat flour on this? Thanks.
Hi C, without testing that, I’m not sure what the substitution would be or how it would affect the rise and texture of the dough.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t tried wheat flour but I think it would make the dough tougher to just use whole wheat.
Hi,
Can you make this pizza with instant yeast. It has been hard to find yeast during the pandemic. I finally found instant yeast today & would love to make the pizza.
Thank you
Hi Janice, I always make this with active dry yeast because it seems to keep better for longer, but that should work fine and there would be no need to wait 5 minutes. You could mix the instant yeast right into the flour before adding the liquids. Please let me know if you experiment with instant yeast.
Best pizza ever!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that! Thank you for sharing that awesome review with me, Natalia!
Hi Natasha, I seldom write comments for recipes that’s I’ve tried. But this pizza dough recipe is a real keeper! Thank you very much for this amazing recipe!!!!!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed that1
Made this tonight for Mother’s Day with my daughter. Who always turns cooking time into a food fight. Pizza dough turned out great. Thanks for the memories. Brandy
So nice you enjoyed making this with your daughter. Hope you had a nice Mother’s Day celebration!
Dear Natasha, followed your Recipe to the T and it came out perfect. Including the hollow bubbles you showed on your video. Also made & used your Pizza White Sauce (Minus the Parmesan. Yet it was nice). Thanks a ton for sharing the wonderful Recipe. It was my first time making Pizza at home and feeling so happy to have nailed it with your help of course..😁
You are very welcome. I’m so glad that you enjoyed making pizza! Thanks for giving this recipe a try.
Natasha,
I make my pizza with, Italian sausage, onions, mushrooms and green chile, with lots of oregano at the end! I love your segments!
I shot a cooking segment for 14 years in the 90’s and early 2000’s for local TV news. I shot, chopped and produced it with two different chefs, all over the US. I like yours because it’s simple and good food! Keep up the good work
Wow, that is awesome Dennis. Thank you for sharing that with us, thank you for your great feedback!
I have tried many pizza dough recipes but this one is certainly the best. The dough turns out perfectly, not too sticky. It is really very easy to make too! Thank you for this recipe. Our family uses it every Friday night.
You are very welcome! Thanks for trying out this recipe and for giving it an excellent review, Melanie.
I had problems with the dough being too soft after one hour. It stretched way too easy and didn’t allow the full circle to form. I think it may need to be a bit chilled before stretching. The first pie (next day) was okay. The second one (three days later), was a flop. Not sure if anyone has had this and figured out a solution as to what went wrong.
Hi Marcy, I haven’t had that experience – it can soften faster in a warmer room so you can keep it out for less in a warmer environment. Also, make sure you are measuring the wet and dry ingredients the same way. Check out our tutorial on how to measure.
I only have premium instant yeast, can I use that instead of active yeast? If so do I just add it to the flour?
Hi Sheri, I always make this with active dry yeast because it seems to keep better for longer, but that should work fine and there would be no need to wait 5 minutes. You could mix the instant yeast right into the flour before adding the liquids. Please let me know if you experiment with instant yeast.
Thank you! Making it now, with the shortages in the store, this is all I could get!
Can the dough be frozen I would like to make more than one batch at a time thanks for the great recipe
Hi Lisa, This would work fine for freezing. To Freeze Pizza Dough: 1. Let the dough do it’s cold ferment overnight before freezing. 2. Lightly coat the dough with oil and transfer to a resealable freezer-safe zip bag and squeeze out the excess air then freeze up to 3 months. 3. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest on the counter and come to room temperature 1 hour before shaping.
The water and flour proportion seems totally off. My dough turned out to be extremely dry and didn’t rise. Also adding yeast and salt together in water looks like a bad idea.
Hi Katie, Bummer it did not work out for you and I’m always happy to help troubleshoot. The liquid to dry ingredients proportion is accurate and make sure you aren’t substituting with a different type of flour. Check out our post on how to measure ingredients – measuring flour the wrong way can result in 25% more flour than you need. Also, make sure your yeast is not expired and be sure not to overheat the dough while it proofs or it can deactivate and kill the yeast.
I really like your recipes and presentation. I made this tonight and I’m hearing a lot of “This is so good!” From the fam. Thanks, keep up the good work!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review Richard!
Best recipe ever. Thanks for sharing. Wondering if you have tried with a different Flour? Whole grain or sprouted spelt flour?
Hi Yordy, I have not tested that with other flour to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
What’s the serving size
Servings: 8 people (makes 2, 10-12 inch crusts)
An amazing recipe! I still have some leftover dough from the last time i made this, however i donot get the crispy edges or the thin centre, could you help me out with what i might be doing wrong, also can this me made without a pizza sone?
Hi Nafisa, the pizza stone aids in that crispy edge. Having a heavy-duty pan that is already oven hot to place the dough on helps that effect. You can still use a pan but it may be less crispy.
If you have instant yeast do you still put it in the water? Or in the flour?
Hi Christine, I always make this with active dry yeast because it seems to keep better for longer, but that should work fine and there would be no need to wait 5 minutes. You could mix the instant yeast right into the flour before adding the liquids. Please let me know if you experiment with instant yeast.
Hi Natasha, I just made the pizza dough, I followed your recipe exactly, but it is not sticky as yours. Not sure what went wrong…
Hi Lana, flour is usually the culprit in the manner it was measured. This post on measuring should help. I hope this helps.
Came out a little doughy but still yam. Thanks Natasha.
I’m glad you enjoyed that!
Just a bit confused as to why you add salt to the liquid, rather than the flour. I was always taught that salt kills yeast if it comes in direct contact. Thanks so much
Hi Natasha, have you ever used 00 Flour? I’ve been told I should be using 00 Flour for Pizza and Pasta doughs.
Hi G, I haven’t because it works so well with All-purpose, but if you test it out, I’d love to know how you liked it compared to all-purpose flour.
Hi Natasha! Would a normal baking sheet give a crusty pizza dough similar to the one that is bake in a pizza stone?
Hi Kei, we prefer baking this on a stone but it will still work on a baking sheet. I hope that helps.
I made the pizza for supper today.
It is awesome.
Love it. Also did the white sauce. Perfect
Tks
That’s so great! I’m glad you enjoyed it! Our kids LOVE the white sauce!
Great recipe. I made one pizza 24hrs after and one pizza 4 days after I made the dough. The second one tasted even better! So easy and quick to make. Will be doubling the recipe next time:)
That is awesome Rachel! Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your good feedback.
Hi, can you omit honey? or substitute for sugar? If so, how much sugar?
Hi Chantelle, yes it can be substituted with 1 tsp of sugar.
We made your pizza today. Both we delicious the crust was amazing. And the white sauce was soooo good! Luv your recipes!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback
Hi Natasha ,
Can we substitute honey with sugar/ brown sugar? If yes, then how much ?
Hello Tanya, yes it can be substituted with 1 tsp of sugar.
I thought I made good pizza. I made this recipe tonight, and WOWZA it is the best ever. I will need to remember to make it on Friday’s for our Sat. night pizza tradition. I have 2 pizza stones, now I need one of those pizza paddles. Thank you Natasha!
You’re so welcome! I’m so glad that you loved the pizza, thanks for sharing that with us and for giving this recipe an awesome review!
Hi Natasha.. love your recipes.. thank you. I want to try this pizza crust but my oven only goes up to 500. Do I need to adjust the time of cooking? Thanks!
Hi Lena, it will still work at 500, just preheat with the pizza stone as usual at 500 and you may need to bake a couple of minutes longer, just keep an eye on the pizza.
It was my first time making pizza at home. We really LOVE it. It is the perfect Italian dough. We did one with tomato sauce/cheese and olive oil/Rugula/Brochuto for us. Thank you for sharing this receipt with us.
That is so awesome! Thanks for giving this recipe a try, I am happy to know that you enjoyed it!
The pizza stone ou recommended is not available. Do you have another one in mind we could order?
Hi Bobette, sorry about that! I have updated the link, but here is a pizza stone that will work great.
Best and easiest pizza dough I have ever made! We LOVED it (and your pizza sauce as well 😊).
Love from Belgium!
Thank you, I’m so glad you loved it!
Hi. Do you have a recipe book with your recipes? Would love to buy one. I love all your recipes..
Thank you
Rowena
Hi Rowena, thank you for your message. I am currently working on a cookbook but it’s taking some time for me to finish it but I’ll make sure to share it with everyone when it’s ready.
Hi Natasha, just wondering if this dough can be frozen? Thanks
Hi Natalia, This would work fine for freezing. To Freeze Pizza Dough: 1. Let the dough do it’s cold ferment overnight before freezing. 2. Lightly coat the dough with oil and transfer to a resealable freezer-safe zip bag and squeeze out the excess air then freeze up to 3 months. 3. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest on the counter and come to room temperature 1 hour before shaping.
Hi Natasha. Can I use this dough to make a pan pizza using a cast iron frying pan and make the distribution of the dough equal instead of making it thin in the middle and thick at the ends? Would like to hear your comment. Thanks.
Hi Glenn, yes this will work in a cast iron! We prefer it more traditional and thicker on the ends but it should still work equal also. If you experiment please let me know how you like this recipe.
Forgot to mention that I made pizza following your recipe, and it is THE BEST PIZZA ever! Also tried both White and Red pizza souce, and I just love white! Thank you!
So great to hear that you, Natalia. Thanks for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha. I tried it today using the cast iron pan and spreading the dough equally. After 14 mins at 250 deg C, I put the cast iron on the burner for 5 mins to make the crust crunchier. It was absolutely great! Crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy inside. I will definitely recommend this to my friends.
Thank you so much for sharing your tip with using a cast iron pan to make pizza dough.
Hi Natasha
Can the honey be substituted with brown sugar?
Thanks much.
Warmest Regards
Nicole
Hi Nicole, I haven’t tried that but I think it would still work fine.
Can I use this for making Stromboli?
Hi Maggie, I haven’t tested that to advise. If you experiment I would love to know how you like that.
Hi Natasha, I just finished making my dough and I am letting it rest. I made two batches, and when I was making the second batch, I realized that I misread the amount of salt when I did the first. In my first batch I only added 1/2 tsp of salt. Will this affect the rise/taste of the dough?
Hi Ashley, the added salt does make it taste better but the dough is still useable and will work.
I don’t have a pizza Stone will I get the same results using a tin pizza pan
Hi Janette, I always bake mine on a pizza stone but I think a pizza pan should still work. I would oil the pizza pan (you don’t have to oil a stone and it won’t stick when it’s placed on a hot stone). In a pizza pan, you might bake around 500˚F for 10-15 minutes and keep an eye one it after 12 minutes so it doesn’t burn.
Hi Natasha,
I love this recipe!
I was wondering if I would skip the refrigeration part for the pizza dough and just let it risen for 5-6 hours in room temperature would it be ok?
Thank you,
Katalin
Hi Katalin, I have tested it and it’s just not quite as good as refrigerating and letting it do the cold ferment stage.
Hello Natasha! I have to say, I totally agree with you. This pizza dough is the best ever! I let it set in the fridge for 3 days, followed the directions to a T…it turned out perfect and amazing. A chewy outer crust with a crispy center. Thank you so much for this delicious recipe!
I am so happy you loved the pizza crust! Thank you for the amazing review. I couldn’t have described it better myself. Now I’m craving pizza all over again.
I can’t wait to try this recipe, but I have always used bread flour for my pizza dough. Have you tried this with different flour?
Hi Liz, I have not tested that with bread flour to advise. I’m curious now, if you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
My search for the perfect dough has ended. This was everything. May just have to figure out how to build that brick oven now! We topped one with your red sauce (w mozz) and one with your white sauce (w potatoes and spring onion). I used 00 flour because I had some on hand. Also used corn meal instead of flour on the peel bc I like that texture. Delish!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us! Brick oven sounds lovely!
Natasha, thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. I have never been able to make good home made pizza as it always tasted, well, homemade. This is exceptional and finally I’ve made a really good pizza that we all loved.
Keep up the good work.
So great to hear that, Nigel. Thanks for your excellent feedback!
Hi,
My pizza after baking was a bit dry
I wonder why that happened. I followed all the steps accurately.
Can this recipe be kneaded in a stand mixer with a dough hook? Can it also be baked after the first 4-5 hour rise or is the 24 hour cold fermentation a requirement?
Hi Beth, a stand mixer isn’t necessary and I find I have more control doing this by hand. Also, I have baked after 5 hours in my testing and I found the cold fermentation is what gives you those desired bubbles in the crust, great texture and rise as the edges while it’s baking. It also tastes better after cold fermentation.
Can this pizza dough be frozen for later use?
Hi Lori, This would work fine for freezing. To Freeze Pizza Dough: 1. Let the dough do it’s cold ferment overnight before freezing. 2. Lightly coat the dough with oil and transfer to a resealable freezer-safe zip bag and squeeze out the excess air then freeze up to 3 months. 3. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest on the counter and come to room temperature 1 hour before shaping.
Can you use wild sour dough yeast instead of the powder for the pizza dough? If so how much wild yeast would you use?
Hi Todd, I honestly haven’t tried it with this dough so it’s difficult to make a recommendation. If anyone else has tried, please let us know.
Made this for dinner last night. Used your red sauce recipe also. My husband is still talking about how delicious it was. Thank you!!! We just loved it!!!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Hi there, i tried making this recipe, and for some reason my pizza turned out to be a bit more chewy which is fine, but my father in law couldn’t have any due to his dentures. Any suggestions on making the pizza a bit more crunch and less chewy? i used the same measurements. I liked the chewy texture
Hi Prexa, the traditional cold fermented yeast doughs like this will have that nice chewy texture at the crust with a crisp base. Usually baking slightly less or adding a little more yeast will make it puff up more and keep it less chewy if that is what you are looking for.
So I’ve got this pizza dough separated in two bowls in the fridge and it just won’t stop rising…is this normal?
Hi Sam, was anything altered in the recipe so I can better advise? It is normal for it to rise some.
Hi, I made this dough – it doubled in size – refrigerated for 2 days. But when I was making the pizzas there were some tough spots and when I baked it – it was very tough and chewy. What did I do wrong?
Hi Heidi, did you make sure to knead the dough by hand for 2 minutes initially and then fold the dough as shown in the video and photos above? Those two steps are usually enough to eliminate tough spots which are usually bits of dough that required more kneading. Also, oiling the bowls when refrigerating the dough helps for it to release easier so you don’t end up with tight folds of dough as you scrape it out of the bowl. I hope that helps!
I’ve tried many recipes over the years, this is hands down the best! I was a little skeptical st only 1/2 tsp of yeast but worked great
Also made breadsticks with the white sauce and cheese, and used the homemade pizza sauce for a dip, very good
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Natasha,
I just had to tell you that this is the best pizza dough I have ever made.
It is the only recipe that I will use from now on.
I made a pizza using your white sauce and added bacon, mushrooms and red onions.
We all ate every bit of the crust and that never happens!
Thank you for all of your had work and sharing your recipes and family life with all of us.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Can’t find the link to the pizza kit..thanks
Hi Gary, check out the Pizza tools section above in the post. Here is the exact pizza kit we used. I hope that helps!
The BEST pizza dough ever! The whole family loved it and said it’s definitely restaurant quality!
Wow I love it! Thanks for your wonderful feedback, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This is the first time in my life I have felt compelled to leave a recipe review. After trying and failing many times to make a satisfactory pizza in my home oven using both home made and store bought dough, I saw this video on Facebook the other day and decided to give it one. last. shot.
I measured the flour with a food scale and found the dough really easy to work with in all the steps. The process was so fast and easy.
I don’t have a pizza stone, so I heated up a cast iron griddle on my stovetop, slid the prepared pizza on to that, and then threw it under the broiler for a few minutes, which worked which worked AMAZINGLY well! I need to tweak it next time because I burned the bottom, but the crust was still light and crisp and tasted great….so much like what you get in a restaurant. Oh, and I don’t have a pizza peel either, so I used a piece of cardboard dusted with cornmeal which worked great too, though I will now be investing in a peel!
I need to work on my sauce and cheese combos(planning on trying yours) but this is the ONLY crust recipe I will ever use again. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
I’m so glad you loved the crust recipe! Thank you so much for sharing and I love that you made it in a cast-iron pan – that is brilliant!
My pizza dough is chilling and I’m hoping to bake it tonight but have a 30 year old Pampered Chef pizza stone and in their instructions they say not to preheat the stone. They also say that’s it’s only safe up to 450 degrees. I’m wondering if anyone has experience using this pizza stone. I don’t want to ruin my pizza by baking it at too low of a temperature but also don’t want the stone to break!
I’m puzzled by that since most pizza stones work best when they are preheated. Maybe test following their instructions (and report back in case someone else has the same question)? I would hate to give you advice that might ruin your stone.
Can I use instant yeast?
Can I sub the honey for sugar or maple syrup?
Hi, I always make this with active dry yeast because it seems to keep better for longer, but that should work fine and there would be no need to wait 5 minutes. You could mix the instant yeast right into the flour before adding the liquids. Please let me know if you experiment with instant yeast. Sugar should work fine as a replacement.
I preheat my PC pizza stone in a 450* oven at least twice a month to bake frozen pizza and reheat store bought pizzas. Be sure not to put the hot stone on a cold surface. Put it on a wire rack.
I have had several PC stone crack in the oven without anything in them be careful.
I have an old Pampered Chef stone that I’ve used for years preheating it to 500 deg F (the highest my stove reaches) for one hour before I make pizza and I’ve never had an issue.
This was THE BEST pizza crust I have ever had!!! I can’t believe how easy it was to make. My family (picky teen) LOVED it and request every week now. I made one using the homemade sauce and the other with the white sauce…AMAZING!!!! Natasha, you are now my go-to for every recipe!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I’m all smiles!
Coming back to say this was phenomenal. Thanks
Love it! Thank you so much, Laura.
I have to be honest, I was quite skeptical about this recipe, especially after trying your amazing Californian pizza recipe just last week and swearing THAT was my best pizza…I was afraid this one will be dry and hard and nobody in my house would eat it. I’m so glad I gave it a try! It is amazing!!! So easy to follow your instructions and to make. I like the convenience of making it ahead and keeping the dough in the fridge for a quick dinner during the week. The crust was perfect (restaurant quality) and the texture was very pleasant. It does remind me of eating at an authentic Italian restaurant. Thank you, Natasha, for another wonderful recipe that I’ll add to my kitchen recipe binder!
I love every bit of your comment, Polina and I am so glad that you gave this recipe a try! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us.
Hi Natasha,
Love your recipes, especially your step-by-step videos.
Concerning the pizza dough recipe, can the dough be frozen for use at a later date?
Hi Michelle, This would work fine for freezing. To Freeze Pizza Dough: 1. Let the dough do it’s cold ferment overnight before freezing. 2. Lightly coat the dough with oil and transfer to a resealable freezer-safe zip bag and squeeze out the excess air then freeze up to 3 months. 3. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest on the counter and come to room temperature 1 hour before shaping.
The dough is good, but the biggest issue is the moisture of the dough. It needs to be totally dry to the touch. Anything other than that and it will not slide off the peel (this happened twice to me) no matter how much flour you put on the peel. So, be warned.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me. We demonstrated how we check if it is stuck or not including adding more flour.
Hi Brad.
Try putting the pie on parchment paper, then removing the parchment paper after a few minutes of baking. Just pull it away with your hands or tongs when you think it’s okay to do so. I do that with other high moisture (hydrated) breads. I can’t take credit for that solution. I became obsessed with making bread 5 years ago as a hobby. I’ve read about that technique on many sites and in a few books. The key is to properly guess when it’s time to do so. Because it’s pizza you want a good char on the bottom, right? You may also try putting a good amount of cornmeal under the pie on the peel. It’s not uncommon. That acts like little ball bearings to help the pie slide off the peel. That adds an additional crunch to the pie. Again, I’m not an expert. I’m just offering suggestions from my few years of trying to make bread, which was just started as a hobby. The irony is I don’t eat it. I just enjoy trying to make every kind of bread there is for family and friends. It’s not always a success, but it’s fun.
David
hi Brad, use semolina instead of flour and the pizza will fly in any direction you like! Happy baking !!!
Crust was great, though I made it too thin in the middle. Thanks for the recipe. I need more practice!! Red sauce, sautéed mushrooms, pepperoni, onions and cheese! Yummm!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback!
Hi Natasha! I’ve ran into an issue with the dough. I use fresh, good quality Canadian all purpose flour and I measured exactly right. BUT I noticed that once I kneaded my dough, it looked way drier than yours and once it cooled for 5 hours in the fridge it seemed kind of tough and was a bit difficult to fold 8 times. Should I measure in grams next time or just use less flour??
Hi Zori, this post on measuring should help with that. The most likely culprit is too much flour. When measuring flour, be sure to use dry ingredient measuring cups (that can be leveled at the top) and spoon the flour into the measuring cup and scrape off the top. If you scoop the measuring cup into the flour bin, you can get up to 25% too much flour which would affect how the dough turns out.
Can i use a cookie sheet instead of a pizza stone?
Hi Jan, we prefer the stone but that may work!
Hi Natasha, I love your site, thank you. Could I ask when you refer to all purpose flour, what do you mean? In the UK we have self raising flour which has had baking powder added at source, and then we have plain flour for pastries etc. which should I use please for the pizza and donuts. Thank you so much xx
Hi Carol, when I refer to all-purpose flour, I am referring to plain flour which as no leavening in it.
Thank you Natasha. It is a great pleasure that you send me, this Pizza Recipe. I appreciate this much. Good luck and god bless.
Always,
Minerva
You’re welcome!
This looks delicious. Prepared the dough and waiting to use it. The recipe says 1/2 tablespoon … is this correct? I thought it was too much so used 1/2 teaspoon instead. Thank you.
Hi Hedy, the recipe is correct – it should be 1/2 tsp of active dry yeast and 1/2 Tbsp (or 1 1/2 tsp of sea salt).
I love this recipe! It’s perfect and awesome.
Hai Natasha,
I am a fan of yours from Indonesia, i’ve been making your tres leches cake for my daughter’s birthday & for my own birthday & my family loves it…i’m always excited everytime your new videos is out..
I tried to make this pizza dough recipe yesterday, but my dough is so sticky & it doesn’t want to hold its shape..i follow the metric measurement, the only different is i’m using instant yeast & the temperature at my place is 31°C at the moment..can you please tell me what could possibly wrong with my dough, coz i really really love to see the look of your pizza..
Hi Puci, thank you for sharing your great review and happy birthday to your daughter! It sounds like somehow the liquid and dry ingredient proportions were off. If you click on the “metric” button you can see the metric measurements which is 295.74 ml warm water and 420 grams of all-purpose flour. If those weights and measures were the same, it could be potentially due to using a different kind of flour and since various flours have different gluten and protein consistency, it may just need a little more flour until it looks like the texture when I am kneading the dough (and it was very sticky). The room temperature wouldn’t harm the dough but help it rise. Also, when I first turned the dough out onto the floured surface, I had to dust it with flour or it would have been very sticky to the touch and difficult to handle.
Looks uh-mazing!!!
Yes, it is indeed amazing, I hope you can try this soon!
Hi. Can you use whole wheat pastry flour instead?
Hi Cat, without testing that, I’m not sure what the substitution would be or how it would affect the rise and texture of the dough.
Do you always measure your flour as opposed to weighing it? I’m a big fan of KA flour but can’t for the life of me get a cup of it to weigh 4.25 oz as they suggest. I’m usually closer to the 5oz that CI uses for the weight of a cup of AP flour, but
I always yield to the person whose recipe it is. I would really like to know how much you are using for the weight of a cup of flour since I prefer to weigh ingredients when baking.
thanks
Bill
Hi Bill, if you click on “Metric” in the recipe card, you will see the weights in grams for comparison. For this recipe, we used 420 grams.
Can you make it with whole wheat pastry flour?
Hello Cee, I haven’t tried that yet to advise. Please let us know how it goes if you decide to do it as an experiment.
Well we tried the dough yesterday and this morning it’s somewhat of a disaster. Just sllightly risen over what it was when we put it in the fridge last night. First time in over 70 years of cooking with mama we’ve had yeast gone bad. We proofed the yeast this morning to see where the problem arose and sure enough the yeast wasn’t viable. We’ll try the recipe again tonight and get back to you. Grampa Joe
Hi, it happens unfortunately but I’m glad you figured it out! It helps to keep the yeast in a dark airtight container in the refrigerator. I have had a large bag last for several years that way. Also, did the dough rise and double in the first rise as it should have? It normally won’t rise much in the refrigerator overnight during the cold ferment.
I used pizza flour on Friday when I made pizza. Have ever used pizza flour?
Hi Diane, we always stick with all-purpose flour, but let me know if you experiment and if you needed any changes in the quantity. I’m sure that would help someone else who might have the same question. Thank you!
Natasha, will it bake the same way using a regular metal pizza pan?
We prefer it on the stone but that should work also Julie!
Can I make this on a perforated metal pizza pan if I don’t have a stone?
We prefer it on the stone but that should work also Mary Beth.
Hi Natasha – Is it really OK to put salt when proofing the yeast? Most recipes say not to…
Thanks!
Hi Violet, it is absolutely ok. If you feel more comfortable, you can add the salt to the flour but 5 minutes later, it’s all combined together. It works great with the process we are using.
PS – I am trying it anyways, as I totally trust your recipes and have always had good results!!
The best of the best delicious pizza. Great. hits on your YouTube channel.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I tried the pizza dough recipe, it was awesome. I just used pre-made sauce, it was good too. After reading all the great reviews on your sauces, I’ll surely have to try them too! Thanks Natasha for the recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m happy you enjoyed that.
Yay! Gonna try this one.
I got into pizza making about 3 years ago.
Bought it all:
Stone, peel, rocker blades to cut pizza, round cutting board where a special wood is used for food safety (only use it for pizza to cut and easy to place on table for grabbing that yummy pizza, just like the one you have in the background of the video except lighter color), dough splitters or whatever they are called.
I tried a recipe for sauce and it is awesome, but gonna try your red sauce and the white sauce.
Thanks for the share Natasha!
Virtual Hugs for you, ((((((Natasha))))))
Mo
You’re welcome Mo! I hope you really love this recipe! Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha,
Firstly I just want to say I have tried many of your recipes and they are always fantastic. Can’t wait to try this one! Just a quick question, I know pizza is best cooked in a super hot oven, but my oven only reaches 446f. Do I just cook the pizza for longer or will it not work out as well because I can’t get the temperature to 550? Thanks
Hi Melissa, you can give it a go at that temperature. Hotter is better. It will require more time at a lower temp. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hi Natasha,
The pizza stone in your oven rested on a metal rack with handles. Did your stone come with the rack or is it sold separately? The stone you listed on Amazon did not have the rack.
I LOVE your recipes and look forward to your posts. Will make dough today and pizza tomorrow!
Hi Cheryl, the stone that we use is one that came with our oven and I don’t think it is available for purchase separately from the oven, but a rack is not necessary and we typically just let the stone cool down inside the oven as the oven cools.
I’ve been searching for a great pizza crust for a long time – mine were always doughy and bread-like and this looks like absolute perfection!
I’m so glad you found it also. I hope it becomes a new favorite for you!
Can you use instant dry yeast
Hi Rose, I always make this with active dry yeast because it seems to keep better for longer, but that should work fine and there would be no need to wait 5 minutes. You could mix the instant yeast right into the flour before adding the liquids. Please let me know if you experiment with instant yeast.
This is the best pizza dough recipe I went through! I have made pizza several times but the dough came so puffy like normal bread! Thank you so much for the recipe Natasha!
You’re welcome and thanks for giving this recipe a try!
Will the dough continue to rise in the refrigerator? Wanting to know if I should use bigger bowls to place them in?
Hi Lori, Great question! It does rise slightly but won’t double. I put it into a bowl that can hold dough twice the size of the ball. As the dough sits up to a week in the fridge, it will slowly expand more. so if you have a 1 1/2 cup portion of dough, you should have a 3 cup bowl to give it some room.
Can you substitute the honey for sugar or will it alter the results?
How Sariah, it can be substituted with 1 tsp of sugar.
I like to use pesto sauce, shrimp and shredded mouzzarella
Also ala vodka sauce and fresh mouzzarella
That sounds so delicious!
Do you use a blend of certain cheeses on your pizza?
Hi Beverly, you sure can!
Can you freeze the dough?
Hi Barb, This would work fine for freezing. To Freeze Pizza Dough: 1. Let the dough do it’s cold ferment overnight before freezing. 2. Lightly coat the dough with oil and transfer to a resealable freezer-safe zip bag and squeeze out the excess air then freeze up to 3 months. 3. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest on the counter and come to room temperature 1 hour before shaping.
Can you substitute sugar or honey? If yes, how much sugar would you suggest?
Hi Ann, you could sub with the same amount of sugar.
Oh wow I can’t wait to try, if it doesn’t spend 24 hours in the fridge will it still turn out ok? Thank you
Hi Laura, the shortest amount of time that I refrigerated it was 12 hours. The longer it sits in there the better your results will be. It would still technically work if you refrigerated it for a few hours until it was chilled then bring it back to room temperature but again, the results wouldn’t be quite the same “wow-factor” crust.
Thank you, I’m just being impatient 🙂 I’ve made and will use tomorrow
I would love to try making the pizza dough but I only have instant yeast. I have not been able to find dry yeast. Can I still make a nice crust and how would I add it?
Hi Angie, I answered this same question a couple of comments up which should help.
What’s an alternative to a pizza board? I dont own one and want to make this. Could I flour the back of a cookie sheet and place it on that?
Hi Sara, yes that would work, or a rimless cookie sheet would be easier to work with, but the back of a cookie sheet will work, just be sure to give it a little jolt every now and then to make sure it isn’t sticking to the cookie sheet.
Would you preheat the cookie sheet too?
Hi France, I would preheat the cookie sheet.
cant wait to make this for dinner!
I hope it becomes a new favorite pizza recipe for you!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. Are you able to freeze this dough for the future?
Hi Sharon, great question, I answered this a couple of comments up. Hope that helps!
The video you have here is fantastic. Not only is your recipe delicious but your video revealed so many things I have been doing wrong with pizza dough! Thank you! Ps- I also only have instant yeast (thanks to shortages). Hopefully, it works ok.
I’m so glad you found the tutorial helpful and I hope this becomes your new favorite pizza dough! Check a few comments up where I wrote about using the different type of yeast which should help.
Thats exaclty what I needed for my indoor birthday pizza party coming up next weekend! Thanks for the recepie, Natasha!
You’re welcome! I hope you love this recipe!
Hi natasha, what if we don’t have a pizza stone but just a pizza pan. Will it still bake at 550 degrees and for10 minutes. Or should we adjust temp. and time?
Hi Jessica, I always bake mine on a pizza stone but I think a pizza pan should still work. I would oil the pizza pan (you don’t have to oil a stone and it won’t stick when it’s placed on a hot stone). In a pizza pan, you might bake around 500˚F for 10-15 minutes and keep an eye one it after 12 minutes so it doesn’t burn.
This dough is incredible!! We will definitely make more homemade pizza with this recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Natalie!
Wondering where you purchased you pizza tools… Peel, pizza stone etc
Hi Paul, the specific ones we have are from the Camp Chef brand and they are sold out on Amazon right now. I will keep checking and update the link when it becomes available.
Hi Natasha! Wonderful recipe! Can we use instant dry yeast here if that’s all we have?
Hi Malak, I always make this with active dry yeast because it seems to keep better for longer, but that should work fine and there would be no need to wait 5 minutes. You could mix the instant yeast right into the flour before adding the liquids. Please let me know if you experiment with instant yeast.
This pizza dough really was amazing! Great recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Stephanie! Thank you so much for that wonderful review!