Skip the frozen pizza and over-priced delivery! Make some quick pizza dough instead for the best homemade pizza ever. A wonderful, fun Friday night meal that is really easy to make.
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About this Quick Pizza Dough recipe
Let’s face it, store-bought pizza dough just really doesn’t cut it — and frozen pizzas more often than not just taste like cardboard. Ordering delivery seems to cost an arm and a leg these days too! So what do you do when you’re craving that cheesy, pepperoni goodness?
I faced this dilemma in 2020 when I couldn’t find pizza dough in the store and didn’t want to order delivery. So I set out to make the best pizza dough recipe that wouldn’t take me hours on end to prep!
It has taken me awhile to get this quick pizza dough absolutely perfect, but now that I have, everyone asks me for the recipe. This easy pizza dough recipe is my go-to. It is super fast, yet it still makes a nice fluffy crust. And the best part — you don’t have to wait for it to rise more than 20 minutes! But it also freezes well for later.
So next time you’re craving pizza on a weekend, turn to this quick pizza dough that turns out perfectly every time. You’ll never want another pizza dough recipe again!
You can even use it to make pizza pinwheels for a fun, kid-friendly lunch or an easy appetizer. Or bake it up into breadsticks to dip into pizza dip.
More dinner party recipes: Spinach Artichoke Dip • Penne Rosa • Spaghetti & Meatballs Soup
Why you’ll love this recipe
What’s not to love about a homemade pizza dough recipe that is 6 ingredients and takes 30 minutes to make:
- One recipe makes two 16-inch pizzas or four 8-inch pizzas. Great for a family dinner, a party, or even just for one person. Who hasn’t eaten a whole pizza in one sitting before at least once in their life?
- This quick pizza dough freezes really nicely so you can make a double batch and have pizza again later. It’s a wonderful make-ahead recipe to help you meal prep later on.
- Have friends over and make pizzas together. It’s a fun activity and would be fun for kids too!
Ingredients
These few pizza dough ingredients are all you need to make the best pizza dough ever:
- bread flour
- active dry yeast
- salt
- olive oil
- hot water
- honey
Substitutions and Variations
If you do not have bread flour, you can use all purpose flour in its place! The dough may not be as fluffy, but it will still taste great.
Agave nectar is a great substitute for honey!
I prefer the flavor of olive oil in pizza dough, but you can also use avocado oil if that’s all that you have on hand.
Tools & equipment
To make quick pizza dough, you’ll need a stand mixer (ideally with the dough hook) or a food processor. You’ll also need plenty of parchment paper and some plastic wrap or a ziptop bag.
I prefer to use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients and get the ratio just right, but you can use measuring cups if that’s what you have.
If you plan to bake the pizza dough the same day you make it, make sure you’ve got baking sheets, more parchment paper and a pizza stone if you’d like.
How to Make a Quick Pizza Dough
Follow these step by step instructions and in no time you’ll have homemade pizza that rivals your favorite pizza shop:
In a stand mixer or food processor, thoroughly combine flour, yeast and salt. Then add the oil and mix until the texture resembles sand.
Meanwhile, heat the water in the microwave until warm. Don’t let it boil, but make sure it’s not just lukewarm either. Add the honey and then stir until fully dissolved.
Pour the water into the dry ingredients in a slow, steady stream. Mix for 2-3 minutes until the dough forms a ball. It should be sticky, but not too sticky that it sticks to your fingers.
If the dough is too dry, add ¼ cup of warm water a little at a time. If it’s too wet or sticky, add a sprinkle of flour.
Roll out a piece of plastic wrap onto a clean surface, or use a large cutting board. Place the dough ball onto the work surface and flatten it out into a rectangle. Then use your fingers to make indentations.
Fold one side over to the middle, like a letter. Then repeat the indentations, and fold over the other third. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or place it into a zip-top plastic bag. Set it aside to rise for 20 minutes.
After the 20 minutes have passed, divide the dough into two pieces and roll each into a ball. You can use the dough immediately, or wrap in more plastic wrap or place into a bag.
Refrigerate dough and use within 3 days, or freeze it for up to 6 months. Thaw the pizza dough in the fridge overnight before using.
How to use Quick Pizza Dough
When you’re ready to make the best pizza ever, follow these instructions to put that tasty pizza dough to use:
Allow the dough to come to room temperature on the counter top for 20 minutes. Then preheat your oven to 550°F (290°F) with a pizza stone inside. If you do not have a pizza stone, you can use a baking sheet or pizza pan — just don’t preheat it.
Over a big piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet, stretch out the homemade pizza dough into a large circle. Place the dough in the center of the parchment paper.
Add your favorite pizza toppings. I love to do a drizzle of olive oil and some minced garlic, then rub it all over the crust.
Next add pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil and pizza seasoning.
Transfer the parchment holding the pizza to the preheated pizza stone, or a baking sheet.
Bake for 6 to 10 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Then use the parchment to slide the pizza back onto the previous baking sheet and let it rest for a few minutes to cool.
When it comes out, add some more fresh basil, hot honey or anything else you like to add. Then slice and enjoy!
What to serve with Homemade Pizza
While I’m a firm believer that pizza is its own food group and needs no sides, there are plenty of tasty things you can pair with it! Some air fryer mozzarella sticks or copycat crazy bread with marinara would be delicious too!
You can also go Italian with drinks. I love a bubbly Italian soda or Negroni Sbagliato alongside a few slices of pizza. A spaghett cocktail is a beer cocktail that would also be great.
A limoncello martini would be a fun boozy beverage to pair with your pizza, and a simple jack and coke never hurts either! If you’re making pizza for a party, then mix up some margarita sangria to serve.
Tips & tricks
Check out these basic helpful tips so that your easy homemade pizza dough turns out fluffy and delicious:
- I prefer to use gravity to help me stretch the dough, slowly working my hands around the edges. Don’t stress about making it perfect, it’s okay if it is uneven! And if a hole forms, you can pinch it back together.
- It’s important not to use boiling water when making the pizza dough because it can kill the yeast. However, you need something hotter than lukewarm water. So just make sure you’ve got a good temp! The hottest your tap makes should be fine.
- If your kitchen is cold, allow your dough to proof in the oven with just the oven light on. It creates a warmer environment that will help the dough rise perfectly.
FAQ
Absolutely! Once you’ve gone through the whole process and the dough has risen, it’s ready to be used.
If you’ve stored your pizza dough in the fridge, then take it out at least 20 minutes before you plan to use it. This will help it come to room temperature so that you can stretch it out more easily.
More Italian-inspired recipes
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Quick Pizza Dough
ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups bread flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast 1 packet
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¾ cup hot water plus more if needed
- 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
- 2-3 tablespoons 00 flour or cornmeal
instructions
Homemade Pizza Dough
- In a stand mixer or food processor, combine flour, yeast and salt until combined.
- Add the oil and mix until the texture resembles sand.
- Meanwhile, heat the water in the microwave — you don’t want it boiling, just on the warmer side. Add the honey and stir until dissolved.
- Add the water in a slow, steady stream. Mix for 2-3 minutes until it forms a ball and the dough is sticky but not sticking to your fingers. If dough is too dry, add another ¼ cup of warm water a little at a time. If it is too sticky, you can add a sprinkle of flour to make it easier to handle.
- Roll out a piece of plastic wrap or use a cutting board. Place the dough on top and flatten it out into a rectangle. Use your fingers to make indentations like you are playing the piano. Fold one side over to the middle, like a letter. Repeat the indentations, then fold over the other third. Cover in plastic wrap or place in a zip-top bag. Set aside for 20 minutes to rise in a warm place.
- Divide the dough into two pieces and roll them into a ball. Wrap in more plastic wrap or place in a zip-top bag. You can use it immediately. If you are saving it for later, you can refrigerate and use within 3 days, or freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge the night before you plan to use it.
Homemade Pizza
- Let the dough come to room temperature on the counter for about 20 minutes before beginning.
- Preheat the oven to 550°F (290°F) with a pizza stone inside. You can also use a baking sheet or pizza pan, but don’t preheat it.
- Sprinkle 00 flour over a big piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Stretch the dough out into a large circle with your hands. Flour your hands with 00 flour if the dough is too sticky. Place in the center of the parchment paper.
- Add pizza sauce, cheese and your favorite pizza toppings.
- Transfer the parchment, with the pizza on it, to your pizza stone or baking sheet. This makes it easy to handle from surface to surface. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
- Use the parchment to slide the pizza back onto the baking sheet. Let rest for a couple minutes, then slice into pieces and enjoy!
notes
- Don’t use boiling water because it can kill the yeast. The hottest water your tap makes should be fine.
- I prefer the stand mixer with a dough hook to the food processor. The mixer seems better able to handle a big ball that will weight it down unevenly.
- If your kitchen is cold, allow your dough to rest in the oven with just the oven light on. It creates a warmer environment that will help the dough rise perfectly.
- Use gravity to help you stretch the dough, slowly working your hands around the edges.
- Don’t stress about making a perfect circle — it’s okay if it is uneven! This is homemade pizza, after all.
- If a hole forms, pinch it back together.
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