The Secret to the Perfect Pizza Dough Recipe! Easy to follow step by step photos that will give you the perfect pizza dough! And if the pictures aren’t enough to help you out, I have a video that shows the whole process. Read the reviews on this recipe, you will never use another pizza crust recipe!
This pizza dough recipe is a family recipe passed down from my mom, and it is an absolute winner. It is one that we use in our house weekly and it always turns out perfectly.
The secret to this recipe is both very simple and very important.
“I’m definitely saving this recipe because I just made the most perfect pizza for dinner and it’s because of this perfect crust. Absolutely the perfect balance of tender/chewy/fluffy/crispy.” – Rebecca
The Secret to the Best Pizza Dough Recipe
So here is the secret to making your perfect pizza dough at home, water temperature.
Yup. That’s it.
You just have to make sure that your water is in the zone. I’m not going to tell you how many seconds to microwave it, because water comes out of the faucet/fridge tap at different temperatures and microwaves all work differently.
You really need to use a thermometer. If the water isn’t hot enough, it won’t wake up the yeast. If it is too hot it will kill the yeast. If it is in the correct temperature window, it will bubble up just perfectly.
Believe me, I wasted lots of dough before my mom, fed up with my phone calls to her about why it wasn’t working, just gave me her thermometer. She could tell the correct temperature by touch and after many batch of dough you’ll be able to also.
Temperature to Proof Yeast
In order to proof your yeast, the temperature of the water needs to be between 110 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
How to Make Perfect Pizza Dough
Now that you know the secret, we can get started.
This thermometer taught me the feel of the right temperature for water. For years, I used it every single time I made dough. I doubt you’ll be able to find another just like it, but a candy thermometer will work just as well.
Once you get it in the temperature window (and sometimes I have had to dump my water and start over), you add 2 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast and one teaspoon of sugar. You don’t really have to stir, it will work it’s way in.
Let it sit for about five minutes until it is nice and frothy on the top.
If it doesn’t look like the picture below after you let it sit for five minutes, dump it and start over. I would much rather you waste a little yeast, sugar, and water than end up with a bad batch of dough or pizza.
In the bowl of a food processor, mix together:
- 3 cups of all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
Now add the water yeast mixture and then 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil.
Spray a large bowl with cooking spray, and then drop in your dough. (I use this large bowl for about 75% of my recipes I swear.) Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for at least one hour, but two is better.
Your dough should have doubled in size. And will ultimately should look like the photo below.
Pizza Recipes
This recipe makes two pizza crusts. Rip it half and roll it out for two different pizzas. This recipe also works well for 5 small individual pizzas.
Try some of my different pizza sauce recipes!
- I have a great pizza sauce recipe that you can use with this. It is a delicious and simple red sauce.
- If you want to make pizza with white sauce, check out my White Pizza for that sauce recipe.
- You absolutely MUST make my Taco Pizza! It’s legit.
- Finally, you could use my BBQ sauce to make BBQ pizza.
In the summer months try making your pizza on your grill! It cooks fast and is a big hit every time we do it.
Storing Leftover Dough
When we only make one pizza, I store the extra crust in the refrigerator and we get to have pizza again tomorrow night too! When pulling the crust out the next day, just make sure to bring it to room temperature for about 5 to 10 minutes before you start working with it.
I haven’t personally frozen this pizza dough recipe (we eat it too fast!), but several readers have at the “divide into two dough balls” stage and have had great results.
Perfect Pizza Dough Cheat Sheet
Here are all the tips you need to make sure it comes out perfect every time:
- Make sure that your water is the right temperature (between 110 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit or between 43 and 46 degrees Celsius). After a while of making this recipe, you will be able to do it without the thermometer.
- Once you add the yeast and sugar, leave it for five minutes and wait for your yeast to proof. If it isn’t nice and frothy like the picture above, dump it and start over.
- When measuring the flour for this recipe, make sure to scoop the flour into the cup and level off. If you scoop right from the flour container, you might end up with more flour.
- If your dough isn’t coming together well (because maybe you did add a little too much flour), add a tiny bit of warm water, just a few teaspoons at a time until it comes together.
If you make this pizza dough recipe, leave me a comment to let me know how it went and what you topped your pizza with!
The Secret To Perfect Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon water heated to 110 to 115 degrees
- 2 1/4 tsps active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Heat water to between 110 and 115 degrees. (You will use the full 1 cup and 1 tablespoon all at once.)
- Sprinkle 2 1/4 tsps active dry yeast over the water. Then sprinkle 1 tsp of sugar over the yeast. Let it sit until the water has become frothy. If it doesn’t froth as pictured above, dump your water and start again.
- In the bowl of a food processor add three cups all purpose flour and salt. Pulse for a few seconds to evenly distribute the salt.
- With the food processor running, add the oil. Then add the yeast water combination with the food processor still running until a dough ball forms.
- Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Put the dough ball in and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to double in size, about an hour to an hour and a half.
- Pull the dough apart to create two dough balls for two pizza crusts.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Roll out the pizza dough and place on a pizza stone or pizza baking sheet, add pizza sauce, your favorite toppings, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Linda says
Ciao I tutti !! Came out excellent .
I made a margarita pizza with this beautiful dough !
Yum !!!! just about sums it up .
So glad you liked it Linda!
Dina says
Thank you for this recipe and your lovely blog. Looks doable for a bread newbie like myself! May I ask how one should adjust the quantity of yeast when doubling the recipe? Also I assume I can keep it for a slow ferment in the fridge if I make it in the morning. Should the dough be refrigerated before or after first rise? Thanks in advance!
The dough already makes two pizzas. If you want to make four, double all of the ingredients. And if I were making this in the morning for the evening, I would just leave it on the counter!
Joyce says
Thanks for a great dough recipe. Also your pizza sauce recipe is fantastic. My 12 year old grandson said “Never lose these recipes, your best ever pizza!” No better compliment than that.
Joyce, this absolutely made my day! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let me know!
Matt says
Your recipe is SPOT on! My dough is incredible! Thank you so much for the tips!
So glad you like it!
Matt says
My dough is going to make Pepperoni Rolls – Double Daves Pizzaworks style. I can no longer get them here, but they start with a GREAT dough, and this is IT!
Drooling just thinking about them!
Jackie says
Great pizza dough recipe!
But why is no crispy when I cooked 🤔
That’s a hard question to answer, as oven temperatures vary, as do pizza toppings. I like using a pizza stone that I put in the oven as it preheats. It makes for a great crispy crust. Also, if your cheese and toppings are done, but the crust still feels floppy when you lift it up with a pizza cutter, you can take the stone out of the oven and let the pizza sit on it for a few minutes. It will help the crust crisp up more.
Susan Atala says
Hello!
Thank you for sharing!
I have a question…
Can you use instant yeast instead of active yeast, and if you can’t substitute what would you change in the procedure?
According to my research, yes, but cut it down to 1 3/4 teaspoon. And you can mix it right into the dry ingredients, you don’t need to proof it first.
Patricia Khan says
Hello, I used instant yeast, but the original measurements from your recipe (2 1/4 tsp). This is the first time I’m making bread and the dough looks fine. But what will the outcome be of me using the 2 1/4 tsp of yeast be? Can I still use it for pizza crust? Thanks
Hi Patricia! Instant dry yeast and active dry yeast can be used interchangeably in recipes, but active dry yeast needs to be dissolved in water as is done in this recipe. You should be fine!
Reyco says
Perfect dough that I ever made!!
I always make pizza with different recipe but it was too soft to deal with.
This recipe is perfect.
Easy to make and super easy do deal with!
Thank you so very much for sharing this amazing recipe!
I’m so happy you liked it!
Mary says
So this is more of a shaggy dough as opposed to a smooth one? I’ve always thought we should keep kneading until
Hi Mary! It’s okay if it’s a shaggy dough. You can see from my process photos that it’s not totally smooth when we leave it rest.
Pat says
Just wondering, you said that it makes two pizzas. What size pizzas are you referring to? Otherwise, it sounds like a perfect recipe.
Ours are about 12 inches when we roll them out.