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
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.
Super delish! I’ve found it tastes best after refrigerated for 3-5 days. And yes, less is more when it comes to yeast! Some pizza recipes out there call for a tablespoon or more of yeast… ugh. Makes the dough bland and tasteless. My husband and I love this recipe especially paired with your homemade alfredo sauce
Thank you so much for sharing that great feedback with us Phoebe! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
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.