There’s nothing quite as satisfying as making pizza dough from scratch. This homemade pizza dough recipe is not only simple but also foolproof!
Table of Contents
Foolproof Pizza Dough!
Hi folks,
There are about a million pizza dough recipes out there, and they all include the same 5 or 6 ingredients: water, yeast, salt, flour, olive oil, and sometimes cornmeal. So, what sets this pizza dough recipe apart from the others? It’s my years of experience testing and altering this recipe to create the best no-fail pizza dough recipe.
I’ve lived in multiple states and two foreign countries, and nothing beats pizza from the East Coast! So, out of necessity, I’ve been making my own homemade pizza dough recipe, pizza sauce, and pizza for over 20 years now. I am sharing with you the tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way to make the best homemade pizza dough.
This Homemade Pizza Dough recipe makes the perfect pizza crust every time. You can knead it by hand, use a stand mixer, or even a food processor. It calls for basic pantry ingredients and is freezer-friendly.
Equipment Needed:
- Tools Needed:
- liquid measuring cup
- kitchen scale
- stand mixer OR food processor OR large mixing bowl and spoon
- 6-quart food container with lid
- pizza stone
- pizza peel
- parchment paper
- pastry brush
- pizza cutter
Ingredients and Estimated Cost
Per Serving Cost: $0.54
Recipe Cost: $3.25
- 1 ¾ cup warm water: free
- 2 teaspoon rapid-rise yeast: $0.18
- 4 cups bread flour: $2.25
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt: $0.02
- 1 teaspoon cornmeal: $0.10
- 3 ½ Tablespoons olive oil: $0.70
NOTE: Recipe prices and the amounts needed are based on grocery store websites. Actual costs may vary depending on your ingredients. Prices updated October 2024.
How To Make Food Processor Pizza Dough
Prepare the Yeast:
- Measure water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, and then add yeast and give it a quick stir. Let the mixture sit until yeast is dissolved and a bit frothy, about 5 minutes.
- Mix in 2 tablespoons of olive oil to yeast mixture.
Make the Dough:
- In your food processor, combine the flour and salt. Pulse a few times to mix.
- With the food processor running, slowly pour in the yeast mixture.
- Continue processing until the dough forms a ball. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour, a tablespoon at a time. If it’s too dry, add more water, a teaspoon at a time.
Knead and Let the Dough Rise:
- Once the dough forms a ball, transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough by hand for about 2-3 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap.
- Let it rise in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours or until it has doubled in size.
Shape and Use the Dough:
- After the dough has risen, punch it down to release any air bubbles.
- Divide the dough into two dough balls.
- Place parchment paper on top of the pizza peel and sprinkle cornmeal.
- Move one dough ball to the pizza peel, gently stretch, and press it into a 14-inch circle.
- Add the sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings. Brush the edges of each pizza with ½ tablespoon of olive oil.
***View my recipe video in the recipe card below.
Why Each Ingredient Matters
- Warm Water: Warm water and yeast go together like peas and carrots. The warm water helps activate the yeast, so there’s less rise time. I also use more water in this recipe than others because it gives the crust a chewier, “from the pizzeria” texture.
- Rapid Rise Yeast: This is my yeast of choice when making any yeast dough. It rises quicker, and who doesn’t love faster pizza production? A quick tip about the yeast: keep it in the freezer! Doing so extends the shelf life for months past the expiration date.
- Bread Flour: Hands down, bread flour gives pizza dough the best texture. It makes it a little breadier (in a good way, with a deliciously chewy texture, not spongy). Bread flour also helps the crust achieve a uniform crust when cooked on a preheated pizza stone. My flour of choice is King Arthur Bread Flour.
- Salt: It adds a bit of flavor to the pizza dough. All the toppings in the world can’t add flavor to the dough, so don’t miss this step. A little salt goes a long way.
- Cornmeal: I love the flavor that cornmeal adds to the pizza crust. It will also have your family guessing if the pizza is homemade or from your favorite pizzeria!
- Olive oil: Brushing a little olive oil along the edges of the pressed-out pizza dough helps the exposed crust turn gorgeously golden brown while baking in the oven. It also adds a beautiful sheen to the baked pizza crust.
Homemade Pizza Dough Equipment & Tips
Use Your Hands, NOT A Rolling Pin:
I’ve found that using a rolling pin to stretch the dough compresses too many of the lovely gas bubbles. We want those gas bubbles as they prevent the dough from cooking up flat.
Food Scale:
I cannot say enough about weighing your flour on a food scale for this pizza dough recipe! When I weigh my flour, I never have to adjust the flour or water in the dough; it comes out perfectly every time.
Pizza Stone:
Using a pizza stone helps the dough cook evenly. It also helps make the bottom of the pizza crust perfectly crisp and the interior soft and chewy.
PIZZA STONE TIMING TIP: My oven takes about 30 minutes to reach 500 degrees F. To make the best pizza, preheat the pizza stone for at least 30 minutes once the oven reaches 500 degrees F. Start preheating the oven at least 1 hour before you plan on cooking the pizza.
Let that dough rest!
If the dough snaps back while being pressed out, let it rest! Cover the dough with a damp paper towel and let it sit for 5-10 minutes, then try shaping it again. If needed, repeat the process 1-2 more times. This short rest helps the gluten in the dough relax, making it easier to work with. The dough will also be less prone to tearing when you give it the rest that it needs.
Pizza Peel:
Parchment paper isn’t sturdy enough to transfer the pizza to and from the oven, so I opt for a pizza peel. I haven’t lost a pizza yet with the peel, and it makes me feel like a pizza pro.
Parchment Paper:
Pizza peel AND parchment paper? Isn’t that a little overkill? Some may see it as overkill, but I see it as cautious and a way to ensure my pizza comes out perfectly every single time.
Trust me, before I started using parchment paper, I would make a mess of cornmeal all over the pizza stone and the oven. Sometimes, I wouldn’t use enough cornmeal, and the pizza would stick to the pizza peel.
Freezing and Reheating Instructions
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- After dividing the risen dough into two equal pieces, roll each piece of dough into a smooth, round ball. Wrap the dough balls tightly in plastic wrap and place them into quart-sized Ziploc bags. Then, place the dough in the freezer immediately.
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- Don’t be surprised when you recover the dough from the freezer popped through the plastic wrap. This is normal as the dough rises slightly until it freezes completely.
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- You can freeze the dough for up to 3 months.
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- On the day you plan on using the dough, in the morning, keep the dough in all of its wrappings and transfer it to the refrigerator. This will give it enough time to thaw for dinner.
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- Transfer the dough from the Ziploc bag and plastic wrap to a lightly floured surface. Cover the dough with a damp paper towel and let it stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Place the pizza stone in the oven and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Ensure the pizza stone has been preheated for at least 30 minutes.
Do I have to freeze the dough if I’m using it the next day?
Yes, when you freeze the dough, you stop the rising. If you place the dough in the refrigerator until the next day, it will continue to rise (albeit slowly), and you will have over-risen dough on your hands. This will produce an unruly and puffy pizza crust with the wrong texture.
Cook’s Note
- You can use all-purpose flour for this pizza dough recipe, but be warned that the crust will not be as crisp and will be slightly spongy.
- I highly recommend weighing your flour instead of using measuring cups. It’s a more accurate way to measure, and it will take the guesswork out of mixing the pizza dough.
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Food Processor Pizza Dough
Video
Equipment
- liquid measuring cup
- Kitchen scale
- stand mixer OR food processor OR large mixing bowl and spoon
- 6-quart food container with lid
- pizza stone
- pizza peel
- parchment paper
- pastry brush
- pizza cutter
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup warm water between 90-100 degrees F
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 4 ¼ cups bread flour 22 ounces, plus more for dusting
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 3 ½ Tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon yellow cornmeal
Instructions
Bloom Yeast:
- Measure water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, and then add yeast and give it a quick stir. Let the mixture sit until the yeast dissolves and becomes a bit frothy, about 5 minutes.
- Mix in 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the yeast mixture.
Mix Dough In a Food Processor:
- Add flour and salt to the work bowl of a food processor and pulse with a steel blade to combine.
- Slowly pour in the liquid ingredients, then pulse until a cohesive dough ball forms. Continue processing until the dough is smooth and elastic, for about 30 seconds longer.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for a few seconds to form a smooth, round ball.
Rise Dough:
- Lightly oil a large bowl or container with ½ tablespoon of olive oil.
- Move the dough to the prepared bowl or container, and roll it around in the oil to lightly coat.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or place the container’s lid on and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 ½ – 2 hours.
Preheat Oven:
- While the dough is rising, move the oven rack to the second-highest position. Place a pizza stone on the rack, and preheat the oven to 500°F for at least 30 minutes.
Deflate and Relax Dough:
- Deflate the dough by punching it down. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured countertop and divide it into 2 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece of dough into a smooth, round ball. (If you're freezing one of the dough balls, wrap it in plastic and place it in a Ziploc bag before transferring it to the freezer. For more detailed directions, see my freezing instructions above.)
- Cover the dough with a damp paper towel and let it relax for 15-30 minutes.
Roll Out The Dough:
- Place parchment paper on top of the pizza peel and sprinkle with cornmeal. Move 1 dough ball to the pizza peel and press it into a 14-inch circle by gently stretching and pressing the dough.
- Once the dough is pressed into an 8-inch circle, place the palm of your hand in the center and gently pull the edges to stretch it to 14 inches. If the dough is snapping back while you're pressing and stretching it, then cover it with a damp paper towel and let it relax for 5-10 minutes before starting again to get it to 14 inches.
- Brush ½ tablespoon of olive oil around the outer edge of each pizza.
Bake the Pizza:
- Once the pizza stone has preheated at 500°F for at least 30 minutes, add sauce, cheese, and desired toppings to the rolled-out doughs.
- Use the pizza peel to slide the pizza and parchment onto the preheated pizza stone. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until the crust is beautifully golden and the cheese is bubbly.
- Use the pizza peel to remove the pizza from the oven. Let the pizza sit for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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Sugar is not mentioned in the Ingredients, but you mention it with the yeast. Where am I going wrong? Thank you,
1 ¾ cup warm water:
2 teaspoon rapid-rise yeast:
4 cups bread flour:
1 ½ teaspoons salt:
1 teaspoon cornmeal:
3 ½ Tablespoons olive oil:
Prepare the Yeast:
In a small bowl, combine the warm water and sugar.
Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit for about 5 minutes or until it becomes frothy.
Hi Linda, so sorry about that. Sugar is not used in this recipe. The post is not updated to reflect that.
It calls for 3 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil. 2 go in the yeast mixture, 1/2 greases the bowl, what about the other 1 tablespoon? Thank you.
Hi Anna, here is the breakdown:
2 tablespoons go into the yeast mixture.
1/2 tablespoon greases the bowl.
1/2 tablespoon is brushed onto the edges of EACH rolled out dough.
I Jillian, I would like to try your recipe, I’d like to know after it has risen for 2 hours, can I put it in the fridge for two days.
Thank you in advance.
Yes, make sure the dough is covered, though.
Easy to make and bake, and so tasty! First time I have made home made dough and I’m hooked!
Question – I made the dough this evening around 5 and want to thaw it for lunch tomorrow. Can I take it out around midnight?? We have made this dough a couple times before and it’s amazing – as well as your sauce recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Yes, you can take the pizza dough out of the freezer around midnight to thaw for lunch the next day. The best method is to transfer the dough to the refrigerator overnight. This allows it to defrost gradually and maintain its texture. By the time lunch comes around, the dough should be fully thawed and ready to use. Remember to let the dough come to room temperature for about an hour before you start shaping it for your pizza.
I am so happy that I finally found the pizza crust recipe that actually worked!
I always felt hesitant to make pizza at home because the crust never turned out good.
This recipe was not hard at all and it turned out amazing. I loved detailed tip! Thanks!
I don’t have pizza stone but do have cast iron pizza pan and it worked amazing with this recipe.
I made one more batch and froze it and am excited to see how it will turn out.
Thank you for this great recipe!
Hyunjoo,
I am thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for stopping by to let me know!
Haven’t made my own dough before, sounds fun for sure.
I have a question…I too live outside of the US and rely on blogs and internet recipes to get our recipes….the question, in Costa Rica, in the outlying communities not close to San Jose ( big city) bread flour is non existent or in very small, expensive quantities…all purpose flour is only affordable thing here….how can I make great pizza dough with all purpose flour???
You can use all-purpose flour. You just may need to add a little extra to the dough.
Hands down easy recipe my son and I just made our first pizza and it came out amazing! Love it the sauce I followed it’s great for kids I think I would change it up for myself and husband but the dough came out great! Only thing is I never made a pizza so my dough was a lot of dough I like flatter but all it mean is to work with the dough and try it again. Love it thanks for the easy instructions!
Haley,
I am thrilled that you liked this recipe. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
We had a pizza night last night and OMG this dough is perfect! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
We make homemade pizza almost every Friday night. Thanks for this great recipe for the dough!
Super tips, these! We love making our own pizza dough, but I confess I’m usually quite lazy and just make it in the bread machine, lol!
I love making homemade pizza so I will definitely try your recipe next time! Pinning for later. 🙂
There are so many homemade pizza doughs out there, but this one is amazing! So simple, super tasty, and even better freezer friendly. Love all the tips for making this perfect every single time.
Pizza is such an amazing thing to make from scratch, so I appreciate coming across this dough recipe. Thanks for all of your fantastic tips!
Nothing like homemade pizza dough! Love that it’s freezer friendly!