Quick & Easy Homemade Pizza Dough: The Perfect Base for Any Pizza Night
There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of a homemade pizza—crispy, chewy, and topped with all your favorite ingredients. But what truly elevates a pizza from good to great is the dough. If you’ve ever wondered how to make pizza dough at home without all the hassle, you’re in for a treat. This Quick & Easy Homemade Pizza Dough recipe is the answer!
With just a handful of ingredients and a bit of patience, you can make your own pizza dough from scratch in under an hour. No need to wait for hours for the dough to rise. This recipe uses a simple technique that allows you to get your dough ready quickly, so you can focus on creating your perfect pizza. Whether you’re craving a classic Margherita, a loaded veggie pizza, or something more adventurous, this dough will be your perfect base.
At Kathryn Cooks, we believe that homemade food doesn’t need to be complicated, and this pizza dough proves just that. It’s easy, fast, and so much better than store-bought dough. Plus, it’s highly customizable—add herbs, garlic, or a little olive oil to give it extra flavor!
Why You’ll Love This Quick & Easy Homemade Pizza Dough
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Fast and Simple: The best part about this recipe is that it comes together quickly. In under an hour, you’ll have homemade pizza dough ready to go—no need for hours of rising time or complex steps. You get fresh, warm dough with minimal effort.
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Perfect Texture: This pizza dough strikes the perfect balance between chewy and crispy. It’s soft and elastic but bakes up golden and crisp on the edges, just like your favorite pizzeria crust.
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No Fancy Equipment Required: You don’t need a stand mixer or pizza stone to make this dough. A mixing bowl, a spoon, and a rolling pin are all you need to get this dough ready. It’s a no-fuss recipe that anyone can follow.
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Customizable: You can easily add your favorite herbs (like oregano or basil) or a touch of garlic powder to the dough for extra flavor. Want a thicker crust? Simply roll the dough out a little less thinly. Prefer a thin and crispy base? Roll it out as thin as you like!
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Made with Pantry Staples: The ingredients for this dough are simple and likely already in your kitchen: flour, yeast, olive oil, salt, and water. It’s a cost-effective way to enjoy homemade pizza without having to buy pre-made dough.
How to Serve Homemade Pizza Dough
Once your dough is ready, you can top it with just about anything you like. Here are some ideas to inspire your next pizza night:
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Classic Margherita Pizza: Top the dough with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and a few basil leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until bubbly. Simple, but absolutely delicious.
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Veggie Delight: Load the dough up with sautéed mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, spinach, and olives for a satisfying vegetarian option.
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Meat Lovers’ Pizza: Pile on your favorite meats, like pepperoni, sausage, bacon, and ham. Add some extra cheese for a pizza that’s sure to satisfy.
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BBQ Chicken Pizza: Use BBQ sauce as the base, then add cooked chicken, red onion, cilantro, and cheese. It’s a fun twist on traditional pizza!
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Dessert Pizza: For something sweet, spread Nutella on your pizza dough, top with sliced strawberries or bananas, and finish with a dusting of powdered sugar after baking.
Quick & Easy Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
Ready to get started? Here’s the simple recipe for the Quick & Easy Homemade Pizza Dough:
Quick & Easy Homemade Pizza Dough
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Servings
2 Pizza Shells
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
75 minutes
Making your own Quick & Easy Homemade Pizza Dough is one of the most rewarding and fun things you can do in the kitchen. With minimal effort and a few simple ingredients, you can enjoy pizza that’s fresh, flavorful, and totally customizable. Whether you're making a classic cheese pizza or going all out with toppings, this dough is the perfect base for any pizza creation.
So the next time you're craving pizza, skip the takeout and make it from scratch with this easy pizza dough recipe. It’s sure to become a family favorite, and you'll never look back at store-bought dough again!
Author:Kathryn Martens
Ingredients
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1 ¾ c warm water 110° to 115°
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1 tbsp yeast
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1 tbsp sugar
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4 ½ cup flour
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¼ cup olive oil
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pinch of salt
Directions
Add yeast, water and sugar to a mixing bowl. Dough can be made by hand or in a standing mixer with dough hook.
Allow yeast/sugar mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes; it will start to foam up.
Add salt and olive oil.
Slowly mix in the flour. If using standing mixer, set on medium low speed while adding. Mix until just combined.
Cover the dough with a light hand towel and let it rise in a warm area for at least 1 hour or up to 4.
Once dough is done rising, separate into two balls and let rise for another 15-20 minutes.
Roll out dough into pizza shells. This recipe makes two 12" shells.
Preheat oven to 500° with pizza stone in oven as it heats. Remove from oven once heated and bake pizza shell for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and top with desired pizza fixings.
Recipe Note
Tips for the Best Homemade Pizza Dough
Don’t Overwork the Dough: Knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic, but don’t overdo it. Overworking the dough can make it tough. Just knead it enough to bring it all together.
Use Warm, Not Hot Water: When activating the yeast, make sure the water is warm (about 110°F or 43°C), not hot. Hot water can kill the yeast, and cold water won’t activate it.
Flour Type: You can experiment with different types of flour, such as bread flour, for a chewier crust. All-purpose flour works perfectly fine, but using a high-protein flour will give you that pizzeria-style chew.
Add Flavor: While this dough is great as is, you can add extra flavor by mixing in herbs like oregano or basil, or even a bit of garlic powder for a savory twist.
Freezing Dough: If you make extra dough, you can freeze it for later. After the dough has risen, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use it, simply thaw it in the fridge overnight before rolling it out.