Simple Pizza Dough (6 Ingredients Only!)
on Nov 11, 2023
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This easiest pizza dough recipe is made by hand with only 6 simple ingredients! (No mixer is required.) My daughter could make a perfectly soft and fluffy pizza crust with this SUPER easy recipe when she was 10 years old! If you have all-purpose flour and yeast at home, cook a homemade pizza for dinner tonight. Skip the pizza delivery.
Today, I am going to share how to make the EASIEST pizza dough with a few simple ingredients! I promise you it will taste better than any store-bought pizza dough.
Once you give it a try, your family and friends will beg you to make it every week!
Watch how to make it (so easy!)
Only 6 Ingredients for this EASIEST pizza dough recipe! Besides sugar, oil, salt, and water, all you need is YEAST and FLOUR!
There are no fancy ingredients or equipment needed to make this simple dough. Even beginners can pull it off easily! I can prove this to you as my 10-year-old daughter mastered it like a pro!
If you are confused about which yeast to use, here’s good news for you: this recipe works for BOTH instant yeast and active dry yeast.
If you have a packet of either instant yeast or active dry yeast, you are all set! Instant yeast doesn’t require proofing and therefore is faster, but they both work well with this recipe.
For the photos you see in this post, the pizza dough was made using active dry yeast, and this is the product I used. For instant yeast, I recommend using this one, which always results in a perfect dough!
Can I use all-purpose flour?
Yes, all-purpose flour is my go-to flour to use in this pizza dough recipe. It yields a soft and thick pizza crust with a nice chew.
There is no need to go buy Italian Tipo ‘00’ flour or bread flour for making pizza dough. I’ve tried all of them, and the differences are not significant!
Now you have all the ingredients. Let’s make the pizza dough!
It will take about 15 minutes to form the dough ball, and 30 minutes for it to rise:
First, combine yeast, sugar, and warm water. Make sure that your WARM water is between 105-110°F degrees.
Sprinkle the yeast and sugar on top of the warm water. If you use active dry yeast, let it sit for about 5-10 minutes or until the yeast foams up on the surface. If you use instant yeast, you don’t need to wait and simply continue to the next step.
Mix flour, salt, yeast mixture, and oil. I like to do this by hand with a wooden spoon, but you can also use a stand mixer if you prefer.
Then knead the dough. Knead by hand for about 10 minutes until the dough is soft and elastic. It’s ok if your dough looks fairly rough.
You’re ready to let the dough rise. Place dough in a greased mixing bowl. Cover and let it rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
⚠️ Caution! Don’t knead your dough after rising
After the dough rises, you shouldn’t knead the dough as it can destroy the bubbles inside, causing your dough to become flat and dense.
Rolling out the dough
After rising the dough, you can roll it out for your pizza recipe. This pizza dough recipe yields enough crust for one 12-inch pizza.
Place the dough disk on a 12-inch round pizza pan. Press it out gently with your fingers, so that you won’t destroy the bubbles that will make your pizza fluffy. Roll it out to about 1/6 to 1/8-inch thick.
Once the dough is ready, baking the pizza is so easy!
Poke holes on the dough surface with a fork, brush with oil, and then add your favorite toppings.
Bake at 450°F degrees in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and becomes golden brown.
Make it ahead
This pizza dough recipe is perfect for making ahead. Once it has risen to a nice dough ball, you can wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. It’ll keep well in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Can I freeze pizza dough?
Yes. Place the wrapped dough disk in a freezer-friendly bag and squeeze out the air. It can last for about 3 months in the freezer. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before using it.
My favorite pizza recipes
Use this homemade pizza dough in any of these delicious pizza recipes:
Easy Pizza Dough Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 packet active dry yeast*, (2 ¼ teaspoon)
- 1 cup warm water**, 105°F to 110°F
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for greasing
Instructions
- Whisk together active dry yeast, sugar, and warm water in a small mixing bowl. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes or until a bubbly foam starts to form on the surface. (If you use instant yeast, you don’t need to wait. Proceed to the next step immediately)
- Once the yeast mixture is ready. Add flour, salt, olive oil, and the yeast mixture into a large mixing bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon. Bring the flour in from the sides and blend into the liquid with your hand if needed.
- Keep mixing until the dough is forming.
- Transfer the dough to a flat surface dusted with flour. Knead your dough until it’s smooth and elastic. It could take 5 to 10 minutes.
- Grease another large bowl with olive oil. Then place the dough into the bowl and brush the ball with oil.
- Cover with plastic wrap or kitchen towel. Let it rise at room temperature for about 30 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
- When the dough is ready, transfer it to a 12-inch pizza pan.
- Gently roll out the dough by pressing it gently into a 12-inch circle.
- Add your favorite toppings and bake at 450°F degrees for about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- * You can use the same amount of instant yeast for this step. Simply skip the proofing process and add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients mix immediately.
- ** Use warm water between 105°F to 110°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can touch the water with your hand. If it’s just slightly warmer than your hand, it’s ok to use.
- This recipe yields one 12-inch pizza with a relatively thick crust.
- Make it Gluten Free: Use the same amount of gluten-free flour to replace all-purpose flour for a gluten-free pizza dough.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.
