Making your own crisp, chewy homemade pizza dough is easy, with few ingredients. All you need is time to let it rise slowly in the fridge.
One thing the pandemic has given my family is the gift of homemade pizza. Don't get me wrong, I made pizza plenty of times before the pandemic started, but in the past year, it has definitely become a regular occurrence - every week or two, usually on Friday nights.
Previously, I didn't really have a pizza dough recipe I relied on. But since I've been making pizza from scratch more often, I've gotten the chance to perfect my homemade pizza dough, and my family comments every single time I make it how it's the Best Ever Homemade Pizza Dough.
What ingredients do I need to make homemade pizza dough?
Making your own pizza dough requires few ingredients, and none of them are particularly difficult to find:
Bread Flour - I have tried making pizza dough with other types of flour, like expensive and hard to find 00 (Double Zero) flour. I found that it didn't make better pizza crust, so I stuck with regular bread flour. You need bread flour instead of all purpose flour because the higher protein content of the bread flour gives pizza dough it's distinct chewiness.
Whole wheat flour - This ingredient is really a matter of preference. I like my pizza crust with a little graininess, but if you don't like that, or don't have any whole wheat flour, feel free to skip it. Simply substitute it with an equal amount (½ cup for this recipe) of bread flour.
Sugar - Only a minimal amount of sugar is used in this pizza dough. It doesn't add a lot of sweetness to the crust, but it does help the dough to rise, as well as helps the crust brown when cooking.
Yeast - Instant or rapid rise yeast is used in this dough. Only a small amount is used due to the long rise time.
Salt - Adds flavor to the crust.
Olive Oil - Adding oil to your dough helps make it easier to stretch without tearing. Though you can use any cooking oil, I like to use extra virgin olive oil for more flavor.
Do I need any special equipment to make pizza dough?
Food Processor - To make the pizza dough itself, a good quality food processor helps a lot. Technically, you could probably make it by hand, by kneading, or with a stand mixer.
Baking Stone - You will need a good baking stone when it comes time to bake your delicious pizza. This will ensure that the crust is crisp and the bottom and your pizza cooks all the way through.
Pizza Peel - To get your pizza in and out of the oven, you will need a pizza peel that is at least the size of your pizza. Alternatively, you can use a rimless baking sheet (cookie sheet), which is what I use, as I already had one before I started making pizza. It works just fine.
How long does it take to make homemade pizza dough?
The downside to making your own pizza dough is that it takes a long time. You don't actually have to do anything during that time, it just needs to sit in the fridge for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days before you take it back out again.
As long as you plan ahead (I usually make my dough on Wednesday if I want to have pizza Friday night), you'll be good to go and eating your own homemade pizza before you know it!
Want more bread recipes?
Homemade Pizza Dough Nutrition Notes:
The nutrition information in the recipe below is for the crust only, and does not include any pizza toppings.
Best Ever Homemade Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups bread flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour, optional - or use an additional ½ cup bread flour
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon instant or rapid rise yeast
- 1 ⅓ cups ice water
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Recipe Equipment
- Pizza stone
- Pizza peel or rimless baking sheet
Instructions
- Add the bread flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, and yeast to a food processor and pulse until combined. Turn on the food processor and slowly pour in the water while the processor is mixing. Once the water has all been added, keep processing until all the flour is incorporated and the dough forms a sticky ball (about 1 minute). Let it rest in the food processor for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle the salt over the dough, then turn on the food processor and stream in the olive oil. Continue to process until the dough forms a smooth ball (about 30-60 seconds).
- Remove the dough from the processor, and knead on a lightly oiled countertop a few times just to form a ball. Place into a medium oiled bowl and cover with an air tight lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 3 days.
- At least one hour before you plan to start making your pizza, remove the dough from the fridge, place it on a clean countertop, and cut it in half. Form each piece into a taut ball and place on an oiled baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature or a warm place for an hour.
- Place a baking stone on the lower middle rack of the oven and heat the oven to 500°F for one hour.
- Working with one dough ball at a time, lightly flour a countertop, and the dough, and stretch it into a 12-14" round (if you're having a hard time stretching it, and it keeps springing back, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes then come back to it). Place the dough on a pizza peel (placing parchment paper underneath makes it easier to slide it off later), and top with desired toppings.
- Slide the pizza and parchment paper onto the hot pizza stone. After about 5 minutes, pull the parchment paper out from under the pizza to prevent burning. Continue to cook until the cheese is melted and crust is browned, about 5-10 more minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes before cutting. Repeat with second ball of dough.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer: I try my best to make sure the nutrition information I provide is accurate to provide you with the best information possible. However, due to ingredient discrepancies and other factors, the above nutrition information should be considered an estimation only.
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