This is hands down the best pizza dough! It makes a New York-style pizza with a thin crust in the center and beautifully puffed on the 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!
Unlike our Quick and Easy Pizza Dough (which is great if you’re in a hurry), this is an Overnight pizza dough. You can only get this kind of pizzeria-quality crust by letting it rest in the refrigerator and slowly rise overnight. It’s also easier than you think. Watch the video tutorial, and you’ll be a pro in no time!
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The Best 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 pizza dough also makes throwing a pizza party stress-free and everyone will be super impressed by your pizza-making skills. P.S. This overnight pizza dough is also great for homemade Stromboli or even Calzones (i.e. pizza pockets).
Pizza Dough Video Tutorial
Watch the pizza dough video tutorial once and you will be a pro in no time.
The Secret to the Best Pizza Crust
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 to rise in the slow/ cold fermentation step. This process makes the dough much easier to work with and forms the coveted texture, rise, and bubbles at the edges.
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.
If you want to make a more Neopolitan-style pizza, a “00” Flour is a great choice as well.
You can dust the pizza peel with the flour you are using to make the dough, or dust with semolina flour if you have it on hand. It’s what the pros use for easier transfer from the pizza peel to the oven.
Pro Tip:
Do not use too much yeast! Most ‘quick’ pizza doughs use way too much yeast which makes the crust doughy and causes 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.
How to Make Overnight Pizza Dough
- Mix together water, salt and honey. Sprinkle with yeast and set aside 5 min then stir.
- Pour the water mixture over your flour and stir to combine with a spatula, then knead by hand for 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 the ‘book fold’ and turning the dough between each fold strengthens the gluten threads and traps carbon dioxide created by the yeast, which helps form those beautiful bubbles in the dough.
How to Form and Bake Pizza Crust
- Remove the 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 and dust lightly with flour.
- Gently press the dough down in the center with your 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 pizza sauce or red pizza sauce, 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 Homemade 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 in the oven
- Pizza Cutter – the easiest way to slice a pizza
- Instant Read Thermometer – to check water temperature
Pro Tip:
If you are looking for fresh pizza topping inspiration, you’ll love the Tuscan Pizza we shared in Natasha’s Kitchen Cookbook (it uses this same overnight pizza dough recipe)!
Can I Freeze Pizza Dough?
Yes! It’s very easy to freeze this dough, and once it’s thawed, it tastes just as good as freshly made. See our tutorial for How to Freeze Pizza Dough.
What to Serve with Pizza
Once you have mastered your pizza-making skills, you will want to throw a pizza party. Once you throw a pizza party, you’ll need sides to go with it. These are all great options:
- Avocado Ranch or Homemade Ranch Dressing
- Caesar Salad – a fresh and crisp green salad
- Avocado Corn Salad – so vibrant and satisfying
- Cobb Salad – beautiful and delicious
- Garden Salad – A restaurant-style side salad
- Instant Pot Corn on the Cob – the juiciest way to cook corn
Overnight Pizza Dough Recipe
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
I love this crust. Have been making it for a couple years and I recommend it to everyone when the subject of pizza comes up. Can you tell me if you can make up the pizza crusts ahead then remove them from the fridge an hour before cooking and add the toppings before cooking? I have people over for pizza and it would be convenient if I could do this portion ahead of time.
Hi Yvonne, while the dough can be stored in the fridge anywhere from overnight or up to 7 days, I haven’t tried forming it before storing to advise on the outcome. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Dear Natasha, I’ve been fan of your recipies, since long , i just seen your Pizza Dough recepie,i would Appreciate if you could let me know the measurements of 1 KG flours. thanks 🙏
I’m so glad you love my recipes! If you click on the “metric” button in the recipe card, it will convert the ingredient list for you.
Natasha, your recipe for pizza is awesome. White sauce super, I was looking for good sauce. Pizza dough wow!!!Love Ela
I’m glad that you liked it!
The best pizza dough I’ve ever had. It was super easy to make. Simply amazed! Thanks for this wonderful recipe. 10/10!!
That’s wonderful, Michael! So glad you loved the recipe.
I have been making pizza dough, wrong, for the last 10 years. I just tried your pizza dough recipe and WOW!!!! It turned out so professional and tasty and crunchy and chewy!! I love my new pizza stone too. Thank you thank you for this recipe. I also made your white sauce & red sauce. My company loved it!! You made me into a chef. Thanks for everything.
That’s wonderful, Michael! So glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for the feedback.
Really amazing. I doubled the recipe and made the first pizza after dough was refrigerated for only about 5 hours…it was good and there were some small bubbles but after 2 full days in the fridge….amazing! The dough puffed up beautifully and is light and tasty. Most impressive is the ease of working with the dough to make a nice thin crust. Thank you Natasha for your great recipes. I am a big fan!
Is it possible to make two or three smaller pizzas with this recipe instead of the one large if I weigh out the dough? I usually make your other pizza recipe and it works out perfectly as everyone in my family of three gets their own pizza but I’d like to try this one.
Hi Jordann! Yes, you can. Just watch them in the oven because they will bake quicker.
I love this recipe, but one of the ads is very inconveniently placed over the instructions!
Hi Arielle, Thank you for sharing your concerns and feedback. The only way we can continue providing free recipes is by having ads on our site, so we are not able to remove those at this time. We find that most people would rather see the ads than pay to see the recipes. But we will definitely take note of your feedback and use it to improve our website.
I appreciate your feedback, and I hope you love every recipe you try.
Hi Natasha
I took up cooking during the pandemic and you have made me into a chef. I now have a great love for cooking and have you to thank for that as you make it so simple. Just wanted you to know and thank you!!!
That’s amazing, Cathy! Thank you for sharing that with me. I’m so glad you are learning a lot from my channel.
Advice for us poor guys who don’t own an oven that goes to 500 degrees or have a pizza stone and only occasionally make pizza? Thank you for your efforts and taking time to share with others
Hi C! I would set it to the highest temperature you can and use a regular metal baking pan. It may need to cook a while longer, but it should still turn out great!
Hi Donna,
I also had the sticking issue with the peel.
I solved it but cutting parchment paper to fit the peel and dusting the top of the parchment with organic semolina. Or, you could also use fine cornmeal instead if you want. Place and shape directly onto the prepared parchment & peel.
I just transfer the whole shebang onto the preheated pizzastone and bake! As long as the oven & stone are very hot the pizza should come out perfect. Put the hot pizza directly onto a wire rack for a couple of minutes to ensure the bottom remains crisp.
Hope this helps.
🙏 🫶 🙏
Not sure if I should post this under the dough recipe or the calzone recipe, but I noticed several people asking about using instant yeast (rapid rise) rather than active dry, so I posted it here. I made this dough for calzones. I have not made pizza with it. Made the dough on Monday morning, using bread flour. Used instant yeast, but at 75% of what the recipe calls for, because the internet told me to do that for long, cold ferments. That means I put in 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp instant yeast, mixed directly into the flour, along with the salt. Added warm water mixed with honey. After the countertop rise, I split the dough in half, and put each into 64 oz storage containers and refrigerated them. I had to “burp” the containers twice a day. They slowly rose to almost fill those containers by Thursday, when I used one container of dough to make 4 calzones, and I froze the other container. To make the calzones, I had to roll out the dough, and thus squished out all the bubbles. But oh man! The best calzones, ever, because of the dough! It tasted great, and was so light, soft, chewy, and crispy. Perfect! Can’t wait to use the other half to make a pizza, when I don’t have to squish all the bubbles out. But even with squishing all the bubbles out, I can tell that this is THE recipe! Next, I’ll try subbing out some flour and water to use up some sourdough discard. My plan is to use 200g discard, 320g bread flour, 195g water, all else the same (with 75% adjustment for instant yeast).
Thanks a lot for sharing this with us in detail, we appreciate it! I hope you’ll enjoy all the other recipes that you will try too.
Hi Natasha,
Is it possible to freeze this dough without compromising the quality?
Hi Maureen! Yes, you sure can. See my note above “Can I freeze Pizza Dough” and you can read the tutorial that I linked in the notes.
This is THE pizza dough recipe I have been searching for, for decades! Thank you for sharing it! It is the softest dough to work with and the flavor and texture after baking is perfect!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Maureen! Thank you so much for sharing your excellent review with me!
Delicious!! This pizza dough is amazing. Thank you for sharing your recipe.😋
You’re welcome, Melissa! I’m glad you loved the recipe.
I would love to try this but i don’t have the stone. I have one of those pizza pans with the holes. Can I use that? Not sure if it was mentioned before.
Thank you!!
Hi Dana! That should work, some of my readers also just make this in a regular pan or large baking sheet. You’ll just have to keep an eye on it in the oven so the crust doesn’t burn.
Hi, just wondering if you need to grease the pan? Or put cornmeal down?
Hi Beth, since the stone (or pan) is preheated, we do not oil or put cornmeal down. We transfer the pizza from a floured pizza peel to the preheated stone, and it does not stick. I hope this helps.
I do love this pizza dough. I was wondering if you can freeze it? If so do I let it ferment in the fridge first or put it directly in the freezer? Also sometimes I cannot get the pizza off the peel even though I flour it. Would cornmeal work better?
Hi Mary Ann! I have a blog post on how to freeze pizza dough with instructions. You can definitely try cornmeal, it may work better. I’m glad you love this recipe!
I let the dough rise for five hours and then accidentally put it directly in the refrigerator overnight before doing the folding step. Is it ruined?
Hi Erin, it’s best to follow all the steps in order. I hope you were able to salvage it this morning!
I just made this dough but I totally forgot to add the salt! Is this ruined now or will it still work?
Thank you!
Hi Laura, I’m not so sure. I haven’t tested this recipe without salt yet to advise. Let me know how it turned out!
It tasted pretty good, but not my best work so I’m trying it again! I made the dough last night and making the pizzas tonight. Doing a white pizza with goat cheese, Procuitto, arugula and roasted garlic and a meat lovers with sausage, pepperoni, onions and hot peppers on a red sauce. Fingers crossed! The dough tastes really good regardless. I will always use this recipe. Thank you!
That sounds amazing! Thank you for the wonderful feedback, Laura! 🙂
I just made this dough but forgot the salt also 🙁
I am going to add a little when I find it 8 times. Good or bad idea?
This dough is so delicious! So easy and worth the timing involved! I just made a second batch and made a cheeseburger pizza complete with half tater tots and half onion rings on top. Sesame seeds on the crust, too. Sooo yummy!
I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you for the feedback.
Your recipe and all the positive comments won me over but…when I put the water-yeast mixture into the flour I ended up with too much flour. I redid it excluding the 1/3 cup and still too much flour….not sure what to think. I’m continuing with the recipe, proofing is almost done.
Hi Suzanne, Be sure to measure by fluffing the flour first with a spoon then spoon it into a dry ingredient measuring cup and scrape off the top. If you push your measuring cup into a flour bin, you will get up to 25% too much flour. Also, do not tap the flour down in the measuring cup.
Guilty as charged…I dipped into the bag! Thank you for your reply. I used to have an antique sifter. Looks like I’ll be looking to re-lace it. Made the pizza today, it was harder to manipulate the dough but my guests still enjoyed it.