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
Hello.
The pizza dough is great although mine comes out so soft it’s hard to stretch it via your method. Is there any suggestion on what I might be doing wrong or any helpful hints?
HI Marie, it could be one of 2 things – make sure to measure flour correctly (adding too much can make the dough tough), and also allowing the dough time to rest at room temperature helps relax the gluten strands and it will be easier to form.
The dough isn’t tough. It’s actually great. It’s just that after being in the frig proofing, it’s just so soft.
Delicious!!, this recipe is in my keeper recipe book! I enjoy how easy it is to work with, The recipe is so simple to make, even someone who is not familiar with how to use yeast can easily make this recipe.
That’s so great to hear, Pamela! Thank you.
Where have you been all my live??? I have been making pizza’s for 45years and tried so many recipes but this is the best, a perfect pizza. Thank you so much. I watch your video about how to weight flour for example. I didn’t know that is important to scoop with spoon. I have been baking since I was 12 years old I am 64 now and still learning something new. Sorry for my bad English I am from Iceland. Thanks a lot
Hi Ella! That’s so great to hear. Thank you for the wonderful feedback. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe.
By far, the BEST pizza dough that I have ever made! Just like all of your recipes, Natasha, it is incredible! Thanks for sharing and making me look like a pizza expert!
Hi Maureen! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback. I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe.
By far and away, the best pizza dough recipe I’ve ever had. It’s our “go to” recipe ALWAYS.
We use sea salt and just a bit less of it as we try to cut back our sodium intake but aside from that, it’s by the book!
Thanks so much for posting this recipe.
I’m so glad you love it, Steve! Thank you for sharing.
This was 100% the best pizza I have ever made at home. The crust is spot on has an excellent taste and I did use bread floor which I had and baked it on my 14 inch cast iron pizza wheel. I literally prepared the pizza right on the cast iron. I was scared it would lift, but after it baked it lift right up with no sticking.
Thank you for sharing. I’m glad it turned out well! It’s really the best crust!
This is truly the best pizza dough I have ever made! Thank you for sharing! Everything I make from you comes out perfection.
Hi Carmie! I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you.
After all if the pizza dough recipes I have tried, THIS ONE IS BY FAR THE ABSOLUTE BEST! ITS NOW MY GO TO!!
Hi Shawn! I’m so happy to hear that! So glad you found a new go-to!
Hi, I am a high school culinary teacher & would like to “refresh” my current pizza dough recipe. I only have 2 (80 min.) periods for students to make their pizzas. Is there a way for them to make the dough one day (refrigerate overnight) then bake the next day (or does it really need the 2nd rise)? I can take it out an hour ahead of time so it’s room temp. We are also going to try your 5 minute pizza sauce. Thank you!
Hi Tracey, because there isn’t alot of yeast in this dough and it is a slow rise kind of dough, you probably wouldn’t be able to squeeze it into that timeframe. You might try our Quick Pizza Dough instead. It’s not quite as good in texture but much more feasible for your timeline.
Can this dough be used to make pizza in an Ooni Koda pizza oven outside????has anyone tried it????
I bet it would be amazing in a pizza oven! If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe. One of my readers wrote this “My husband and I have a Halo pizza oven and have been experimenting with lots of different pizza doughs. We made this and had it yesterday and it is the winner after about 5-6 mediocre tries. Easy to make, I used 00 flour, and boy the crust was both crispy and puffy. Winner!” I hope this helps!
Thank you for your quick reply. Did your Halo reader say if she made any adjustments to the flour and water?
Hi Josephine, their comment that I pasted is what they wrote.
This is the only pizza dough recipe we use thank you so much Natasha
I have a stupid question if I want to double the recipe I still need to use the same amount of yeast or I double that amount too
Thank you for your time and a happy new year!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Athina! Yes, you would double everything in the recipe!
Hi Natasha. I’m currently in the process of making your pizza dough recipe. I’m curious, why no olive oil. Most of the recipes I’ve made to date call for oil of some kind. I added 1 tbs of olive oil while in the mixing process and coated the dough ball for the room temperature rise. I’ll post my results.
Hi Russell, we believe we found the perfect balance without it. I hope you love this recipe.
Is the dough supposed to rip when I do the folding? Also, I find that the dough, especially the centre, has a hard crunch. Am I doing something wrong?
HI Mary, it sounds like too much flour may have been added or not enough water. See our tutorial for how to measure ingredients (it could simply have been due to mis-counting when adding flour – that’s happened to me before!)
Hi, my oven doesn’t even heat up to 550, only to 500. So what temperature would you suggest?
Hi April, 500 will still work, but yes, it will require slightly more time in the oven.
Hi Natasha, can I bake in advance and store the crusts for a day or two
Hi Janet, we prefer it fresh once we bake it. But you can store it for longer before baking. The dough can be stored in the fridge anywhere from overnight or up to 7 days,
Made it. Love it. Question – can roll the pizza dough with a rolling pin instead of over the knuckles?
Hi Tammy! You just want to be sure not to overwork the dough, it will affect the texture.
Thank you for the recipe with great directions. I’ve made it twice now, last week calzones with half and pizza with the rest, tonight 2 pizzas. My man said it was the best crust he’s ever had. I agree. Love that you can pick up your piece of pizza and it doesn’t sag down and all of the toppings fall off.
That’s wonderful! So glad you enjoy the recipe.
Hi
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I tried making it but it didn’t turn out out well, I think there was too much flour despite measuring properly. Could you confirm how many ml for the flour cup? I noticed every cup has a different ml so it makes easier to add the ml for the cup.
I was excited to try but I was left disappointed.
Thanks
Hi Livie. Dry ingredients should not be measured in ML as you would measure liquid ingredients. For best results, you should use a food scale and measure in grams. You can click on “metric” in the recipe card and the ingredient list will be converted for you.
Watch my tutorial for How to measure ingredients as well for additional information. You can look for a conversion table online as well to have one on hand.
I used metric this time and the dough is SO dry. The auto metric conversion says 420 g of flour, however, the King Arthur conversion chart says 116 g = 1 C of flour, therefore, it should only be 386.67 g. Am I missing something? i think it would be so much more helpful, please, to put the metric amounts along side US customary and not rely on the auto conversion, which seems inaccurate.
Hi Heather! 420 grams is correct, for all-purpose flour it’s 120g per cup which is what is reflected in the King Arthur conversion chart that I viewed as well. Measurements can differ based on what type of flour you’re using. The feature for metric is computer generated but we check them beforehand and make sure things look accurate, sometimes there are errors but we try to catch them. Unfortunately we’re limited to what features/tools are available. We are always trying to improve the website, thanks for the feedback.
Then why don’t you use grams in the recipe? All ingredients should be in grams except for tiny amounts of spices like 1/8 or 1/4 tsp.
Okay, for ALL of you asking if you can make this pizza same day, YES YOU CAN! I came here looking at all the comments to see if anyone did and if it comes out, well I tried it and it works perfectly! If you already made the dough without realizing you have to refrigerate it, you don’t have to! It comes out just fine after it rises the first time. YOU’RE WELCOME!
Great recipe!
Thank you! I came to the comments as well for this reason 🙂
Natasha!! Your dough recipe is a winner !! I have done quite a few different recipes, played with different ratios , etc; but yours is a winner!! Thank you for sharing!!
I’m so glad to hear that, Lena! Thank you for sharing.