Pizza is one of my all-time favourite foods. And it's even better when it's homemade. You know exactly what's going into it, and it's easier than you think! I'll teach you how...
Why Make Homemade Pizza Dough?
If you've ever made homemade focaccia, you can easily make homemade pizza dough. It's easier, quicker and has less steps.
I am a firm believer that you can put anything you want on top of a pizza. I usually make 'kitchen-sink' pizzas with any leftover vegetables that I have from the week. It's a great way to use up leftovers and get your hit of pizza!
Did you know you can also meal prep pizza? See my top tips for Pizza Meal Prep.
Homemade pizza dough vs store-bought
You might wonder… why waste the time when you can just buy pizza dough or pizza bases? While convenient, from-scratch pizza dough is fresher, has better texture and is a lot more versatile.
Ultimately, the best type of pizza dough for you depends on your personal preferences and circumstances. If you are looking for convenience, store-bought pizza dough is a good option. If you are looking for flavour and a versatility, homemade pizza dough is a better option.
Homemade Pizza Dough Ingredients
All pizza dough has the same basic ingredients: flour, yeast, olive oil, water, salt and a pinch of sugar. The full recipe is below, but here is a breakdown of what is used and why.
Flour. You can use all-purpose flour or pizza & bread flour. I have made it with both and really enjoy the texture of the pizza & bread flour. For me, it's worth the additional investment. This is the one I use.
Yeast. Instant dry yeast is best for pizza dough as it can be mixed directly into the dry ingredients. Active yeast needs rehydration and takes longer to rise. If you have active yeast, check the instructions on the packet for how to use it.
I used Lowan Whole Foods Instant Dried Yeast from Woolworths, but you could use Tandaco Dry Yeast which comes in 7g sachets (it just costs more for the convenience). 1x 7g sachet is fine for this recipe.
Water. The water should be warm as this will help the yeast activate and the dough rise. To make the perfect temperature, I use 1 cup of cold water and ½ cup of boiling water.
Oil. Olive oil is used in the dough and on top of the dough when allowing it to rest. This stops it from sticking to the cling wrap when it rises.
Salt. Any good quality salt will work in the mixture, but I recommend good, flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top.
Sugar. Sugar increases the yeast’s activity and tenderises the dough.
Semolina. Semolina isn't in the dough, but it's used to dust the pizza pan and give the bottom of the pizza a bit of crisp.
How to Make Homemade Pizza Dough?
Make the dough. Mix flour, salt, yeast and sugar with a fork. Add water and oil to the flour mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until combined and sticky. Use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl.
Knead. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With the heel of your hand, push the dough away from you, then fold it over towards you. Give the dough a quarter turn and repeat steps pushing and turning for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. 2 and 3 for about 5-7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour. If the dough is dry, add a little more water.
Rise. Set the dough aside with cling wrap for at least 30 minutes or until it doubles in size. You could also refrigerate this if you wish. See here for how to refrigerate homemade pizza dough.
Shape. Once risen, shape dough into a long cylinder and separate into the amount of pizzas you want. This recipe will make 2 x 30cm pizzas or 3 x 20cm pizzas. If you want to freeze the dough, I would suggest doing this in single pizza sizes. See here for how to freeze homemade pizza dough.
Top. Top with whatever toppings you wish. Here are my top suggestions:
- Margherita Pizza
- Vegetarian Pizza
- Pepperoni Pizza
- Cheesy Garlic
Bake. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes @200C or until the cheese has melted and the crust is golden brown.
Favourite Pizza Accessories
While you don't need all the fancy accessories to make your homemade pizza, here are some of my favourites.
Pizza Cutter. While you could definitely use a knife, a pizza cutter just makes the slicing so much easier without all the mess.
Pizza Cutter Blade. You can then take it one step further with a pizza blade which can cut lengthways in one shot.
Pizza Scissors. I've never actually given these a try, but they look pretty fun and like they could work quite well with a scissor and lifter combo.
Pizza Pan. You can use any cookie sheet to bake your pizza, however the pizza pan is the right shape when you roll it out into a circle.
Pizza Pan with holes. The addition of the holes in this pizza pan allow the heat to rise up underneath and crisp up the bottom further. Just make sure you sprinkle cornflour/semolina on the bottom to prevent sticking.
Pizza Stone. The pizza stone absorbs moisture from the dough, which helps to create a crispy crust. It also distributes heat evenly, which helps to ensure that the pizza is cooked all the way through. I find these work really well on the bbq!
Make Ahead Pizza Dough
You can make pizza dough ahead of time. I have given you tips and tricks to refrigerate the pizza dough or freeze & thaw.
How do I refrigerate homemade pizza dough?
You can prepare the dough as per the recipe below and allow to rise for 8-12 hours in the fridge. Keep it covered with the cling wrap. When ready to use, let it sit at room temperature for up to an hour before shaping.
How do I freeze homemade pizza dough?
This recipe yields 2 large pizzas or 3 medium pizzas. After the dough rises and you divide the dough, you can freeze the balls of dough to make pizza later. Lightly coat the dough with olive oil and place in a zip lock bag or silicone bag, sealing tightly. You can freeze for up to 3 months.
How do i thaw homemade pizza dough?
The frozen dough can be thawed in the refrigerator for about 8 hours. When ready to make, remove and allow to rest at room temperature for up to an hour. Shape, top and bake as per below.
How to Meal Prep Pizzas
In my opinion, Pizza tastes best re-heated. But, sometimes this can get soggy and all the ingredients start to fall off - this is not what you want. Here are my tips for reheating pizza so it isn't soggy:
Pan. My favourite way to reheat pizza is on medium heat on a pan with a lid. This allows the crust to crisp up a little and the cheese to re-melt on top.
Toaster Oven. Turn your toaster on its side and slide the pizza in so the base is resting on the rack and the toppings don't touch the other side.
Oven. Preheat the oven to 160C and place the pizza on a piece of parchment paper. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the crust is crispy and the cheese is melted.
Air Fryer. Place pizza in the air fryer and bake for 8-12 minutes @150C, or until the crust is crispy and the cheese is melted.
If you want more meal prepping tips & tricks, have a read of my Meal Prep for Beginners post.
Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
Recipe
Easy Homemade Pizza Dough
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 375 ml (1 ½ cups) warm water, 250[/adustable]ml cold, 125ml boiling
- 7 g (1 teaspoon) instant yeast, 1 sachet
- 480 g (4 cups) flour, extra for dusting (See Note 1)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon caster sugar
- 60 ml (4 tablespoon) extra virgin olive oil, extra for brushing
- 1 tablespoon semolina, optional (See Note 2)
Instructions
Prepare ingredients
- Mix 480 g (4 cups) flour, 1 tsp salt, 7 g (1 teaspoon) instant yeast, 1 tsp caster sugar with a fork.
- Add 375 ml (1 ½ cups) warm water and 60 ml (4 tablespoon) extra virgin olive oil to the flour mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until combined and sticky. Use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl.
- Sprinkle a bit of flour on a clean surface and add the dough. Knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Brush lightly with oil and place back into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap/cling wrap) and set aside in a warm environment for at least 30 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size (See Note 3 for tips on refrigerating).
Cook
- Sprinkle a bit of flour on a clean surface and add the dough. Form into a long cylinder and form into the amount of pizzas you want (makes 2 large 30cm, 3 medium 20cm).
- Use a rolling pin to roll each dough out to required size. If using semolina, sprinkle 1 tbsp semolina on the bottom of the pan before adding the dough.
- Add your favourite toppings and bake @200°C (390°F) for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.
Sarah
I made a version of this for my new pizza oven, delicious! Also having how much boiling water vs cold water to get the right temperature of the dough was extremely helpful and none of the other recipes I've found for pizza dough have this, thank you!
athletelunchbox
I'm so glad you found the boiling water vs cold water helpful! I find that "luke warm" or even "warm" water can vary so much depending on your climate and preference so the mixture is a way to help make it more consistent on remakes!