Name: Pizza Dough {Master Recipe}
Prep time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 500 grams* Tipo 00 or all-purpose flour (3 1/3 cups); 8 grams instant or active dry yeast (2 teaspoons); 7 grams kosher salt (1 teaspoon); 338 grams warm water (1 1/4 cups + 3 tablespoons); 13 grams olive oil (1 tablespoon)

Cooks everywhere agree: this is the best pizza dough recipe! It’s a trusted resource for how to make pizza dough with the perfect chewy texture—every time.

Are you ready for next level pizza dough? Alex and I spent the past 10+ years becoming homemade pizza experts. We’ve interviewed chefs and researched the best way to make it at home, with a few trips to Italy. So it’s with pleasure that we share our very best pizza dough recipe! The base recipe was originally published in our cookbook, Pretty Simple Cooking, but we’ve made a few adjustments to make it even better. You don’t need special equipment: just your bare hands and a passion for pizza. Here are all our secrets on how to make pizza dough⁠!

Video 1: How to make pizza dough

Here’s a video we put together to show you how to make pizza dough, from kneading to stretching! Making a great dough is all about getting your hands dirty. Watch the video first, then scroll down to the recipe to try it yourself.

Best flour for pizza dough

What makes best possible homemade pizza dough recipe? Using great flour. Over the years, we’ve found that if you want the perfect texture, use the flour that professional pizzerias use! The best flour for pizza dough? Tipo 00, a special Italian style of finely ground flour! We order ours online and use it only for our pizza dough.

Tipo 00 makes for the perfect chewy and fluffy texture, but it’s not a requirement. If you prefer, you can use all-purpose flour here. The pizza crust still comes out next level: crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside!

Order it! Tipo 00 flour $15

How to make pizza dough (4 tips)

Making homemade pizza dough is a fairly simple process. The only part that requires some skill is the stretching. There is also some proof time involved, so make sure to factor that in to your pizza night! Here are some things to note about how to make pizza dough:

1) Refrigerate the dough 1 to 3 days prior to baking (optional!).

Alex and I have interviewed some top rated pizzeria chefs in America and they all agree. The best pizza dough is made in advance and sits in the fridge for 2 to 3 days before baking. This helps it to naturally ferment and brings a nutty, complex flavor! If possible, make this recipe 2 to 3 days in advance of your pizza night. Of course, thinking ahead that much is not always possible! We often don’t, either. You can skip this and the dough is still incredible. (Promise.)

2) Knead the dough by hand, or use a stand mixer.

Contrary to what you might think, you don’t need any special equipment for pizza dough. Simply knead it by hand! Alex and I love the tactile nature of hand kneading. But if you do have a KitchenAid or stand mixer, it does a fantastic job and is totally hands off. The kneading time in both cases is 8 minutes. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can also use our food processor pizza dough recipe. (It’s still tasty, but not nearly as perfect as this recipe.)

3) Allow the dough 45 minutes to rise.

Kneading takes only 8 minutes, so most of the time required for making pizza dough is letting it rise or “proof”! This recipe requires 45 minutes to proof. That means, start making the recipe about 1 hour before you’d like to eat your pizza. (Or make it in advance and refrigerate, as noted above.)

4) Stretching the dough takes a bit of practice (see the video)!

Do you need to throw the pizza dough into the air like in your favorite pizzeria? No. Pat the dough into a circle, then drape it on your knuckles to stretch it. If the dough resists stretching, set it down and let it rest for 1 minute. Once you pick it up again, the gluten will have relaxed and it will be possible to stretch.

Kid kneading dough — Even kids can help with this pizza dough recipe!

Video 2: How to stretch pizza dough

Because the stretching process is so tactile, we made another video about how to stretch pizza dough! Remember, avoid the urge to pull or tear the dough. Any time the dough starts to resist stretching, put it in down and let the gluten in the dough to relax a bit. This lets you stretch it into a perfect circle! See below.

Dough variations

Here are a few variations on this pizza crust recipe if you’re looking for other options:

Thin Crust Pizza Dough is similar to this recipe, but with a thinner crust! It’s slightly healthier because there is less crust per slice.
KitchenAid Pizza Dough Recipe is customized for using a stand mixer for the kneading, instead of by hand.

Ready for the recipe?

And that’s it! Head down to the recipe below to follow our detailed instruction on how make pizza dough. Then let us know what you think in the comments below. See More pizza resources under the recipe for topping ideas!

This pizza dough recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based and dairy-free.