Published September 12, 2022.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
You will love this delicious homemade pizza dough recipe that perfectly rises every time with a soft, chewy crust. This recipe is easy to make and can be slightly altered to your liking, and will quickly become your new favorite pizza dough recipe.
We are huge Italian food fans and eat it at least 1 once a week. If you love it as much as we do, you should try my Chicken Marsala or Pasta Cacio E Pepe.
Pizza Dough
Pizza dough is a basic bread dough consisting of flour, water, salt, and yeast that is rested and stretched to strengthen the gluten until it is ready to use. There are many different preferences when it comes to pizza dough. Some like paper thin, deep dish, tavern-style, while others enjoy very thick, and everything in between. The thickness will depend on the time you have for proofing and what you prefer.
You do not need anything special to make pizza dough outside of a bowl and a towel or plastic wrap. Please watch the video on making this pizza dough recipe and switch the recipe ingredients in the recipe card below from metric to us customary for cups. This recipe has worked perfectly every time that I make it.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Flour – I prefer a combination of bread flour and whole wheat flour, although you can just use bread flour in this recipe. You can also use all-purpose flour but need to decrease the amount of water by 5%.
- Water – You will need water at warm temperatures between 98° and 100°
- Salt – This will help season the dough and assist in turning brown.
- Yeast – I use active dry yeast in this recipe. However, you can use instant yeast.
How to Make the Best Homemade Pizza Dough
In a large bowl, combine with your hands both of the flours, warm water, salt, and yeast until completely mixed. Use a combination of pinching and squeezing to ensure everything is incorporated.
Let the pizza dough rest for 90 minutes or until double in size, covered in plastic wrap.
Next, knead the dough by stretching and folding the dough for 2 minutes and cover and rest for 90 more minutes.
Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle the top with flour and fold the dough over 2 times.
Mold the ball of dough by cupping the dough into the bottom.
Cut the dough into 4 individual dough balls.
Using the same cupping method, form 4 dough balls and place them on a sheet tray with parchment paper dusted with flour and covered with a towel, and rest for 90 minutes. Store or use the dough.
Make-Ahead
Make-Ahead: You can make this pizza dough up to 1 day ahead of time.
How to Store: If you use the dough the same day, keep it covered at room temperature until you are ready to use it. Cover and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Pull the dough out for 1 hour before forming it and using it. You can cover and freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Thaw it at room temperature until soft and pliable.
Chef Notes + Tips
- You can substitute 4 tablespoons of water with 4 tablespoons of olive oil if you’d like.
- A trick to help proof the dough is to add the bowl while resting in a slightly cracked oven with only the oven light on. It creates the perfect moist temperature environment for proofing.
- If you’re serious about pizza dough making, then I recommend purchasing a bench knife and banneton.
- You can do this recipe in a stand mixer with the dough hook. Let the dough rise during the resting period and knead at low speed during the folding procedures.
- No need for a rolling pin in this recipe.
More Pizza Recipes
- Sicilian Style Pizza
- Thin Crust Pizza
- Steak Pizzaiola
- Homemade Pizza
- Pizza Sauce
Video
Save
Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
5 from 12 votes
You will love this delicious homemade pizza dough recipe that perfectly rises every time with a soft, chewy crust.
Servings: 4 pizza doughs
Prep Time: 5 hours hours
Ingredients
- 560 grams bread flour
- 190 grams whole wheat flour
- 600 grams warm water, 98° to 100°
- 10 grams sea salt
- 4 grams active yeast
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine with your hands the flours, water, salt, and yeast until completely mixed. Use a combination of pinching and squeezing to ensure everything is incorporated.
Let the pizza dough rest for 90 minutes, covered in plastic wrap.
Next, stretch and fold the dough for 2 minutes and cover and rest for 90 more minutes. See the video.
Dust a clean surface with flour and place the dough onto it.
Sprinkle the top with flour and fold the dough over two times and then begin to mold the dough into a ball by cupping around the dough into the bottom.
Cut the dough into 4 individual dough balls, and using the same cupping method form 4 dough balls and place them on a sheet tray with parchment paper dusted with flour and covered with a towel, and rest for 90 minutes.
Store or use the dough.
Notes
Make-Ahead: You can make this pizza dough up to 1 day ahead of time.
How to Store: If you use the dough the same day, keep it covered at room temperature until you are ready to use it. Cover and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Pull the dough out for 1 hour before forming it and using it. You can cover and freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Thaw it at room temperature until soft and pliable.
You can substitute 4 tablespoons of water with 4 tablespoons of olive oil if you’d like.
A trick to help proof the dough is to add the bowl while resting in a slightly cracked oven with only the oven light on. It creates the perfect moist temperature environment for proofing.
If you’re serious about pizza dough making, then I recommend purchasing a bench knife and banneton.
You can do this recipe in a stand mixer with the dough hook. Let the dough rise during the resting period and knead at low speed during the folding procedures.
No need for a rolling pin in this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 670kcalCarbohydrates: 136gProtein: 23gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gSodium: 981mgPotassium: 322mgFiber: 9gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 7IUVitamin C: 0.003mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 3mg
Course: bread, lunch, Main
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Chef Billy Parisi
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23 comments
- Melinda
All of Billy’s recipes elevate the dish to the next level, and this one is no different! Best pizza crust I’ve tried.
- Reply
- patti rizzo
i just finished making this pizza dough. topped it with my sauce pepperoni and cheeses. Made it in a 12 x 15 jelly roll pan. baked it 475 for 25 minutes. crust was thick – nice crunch on bottom – chewy and airy on inside. the best crust ever!! thank you again for great recipes
- Reply
- Trish
This pizza dough recipe is hands down better than any I’ve tried.
- Reply
- Alicia
I made the pizza dough yesterday. It was delicious… chewy and satisfying. I used your idea of making a tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes. I added some great garlic from my garden and a few Italian herbs. I used lots of great toppings. We’re having another one for lunch today and I’m already looking forward to it. Thank you so much for the recipes you give us. They actually inspire me and take the pain out of trying to come up with new ideas for dinner. Thank you Chef BP.
- Reply
my pleasure!
- Reply
- Leslie
This pizza dough is so good! Loved it! So much better than take out! Thank you Chef!!!
- Reply
- Janice Gore
Can you use semolina flour in place of wheat flour?
- Reply
- Natasha C.
Best recipe ever! The wheat flour is a game changer. I make this for family and friends both indoors and outside in our tabletop oven. It’s always a crowd pleaser.
- Reply
Appreciate it.
- Reply
- Deborah Woodward
My family loved this pizza dough!
- Reply
thanks for giving it a shot!!
- Reply
- Mike Rossetti
Chef…..this has been our go to pizza dough recipe for the last 9 months making pizza 2 to 3 times a month. It is delicious and foolproof! Have not bought pizza out in over a year. Probably will not again unless we are desperate. I want to make some dough ahead of time and freeze it or put in the fridge. My question is do I do the rises before putting in the fridge or freezer, or do I do them after coming to room temperature. It is the perfect pizza dough!! Thank you again!
- Reply
love it!
- Reply
- Dianna Mathews
This is the only pizza dough recipe that I use. Amazing every time!
- Reply
Thank you so kindly!!
- Reply
- Jennifer
What other flour can use instead of whole wheat flour? I have an allergy to it…all purpose flour?
- Reply
yes
- Reply
- Fran
Best pizza dough ever.
- Reply
so good!!
- Reply
- Cheryl Wong
5***** love this pizza dough recipe. It’s my new favourite!!
- Reply
- jan
Made this recipe for pizza dough…..turned out Amazing! It’s replacing my old go to recipe. Absolutely try this one….✨✨✨✨✨🍕
Billy, thanks a bunch!- Reply
- Teresa Smith
My nephew and I decided to have a pizza party. We made this recipe many times over, so we would have enough dough for everyone to have their own crust. Then we had many different pizza sauces, (I.e., tomato base, bbq, Alfredo, even cream cheese, different cheeses, and pizza toppings galore, meats, veggies, fruits, you name it. Everyone assembled their favorite pizza, (yes, even dessert pizzas), and then he and I baked them, and everyone shared their favorite go to pizza! Absolutely, the funnest/tastiest party I ever hosted.
- Reply
- Kathy sorenson
Everything I make you are my go to! I love Everything you make, you have definitely made me a better cook and most definitely a life saver. Every thing I made my family could not stop talking about how delicious my food was. Thank you for all you do and sharing your amazing recipes.
- Reply
