Homemade Pizza Dough with Yeast
Making your own pizza dough could not be simpler! All you need is 6 simple ingredients about 15 minutes of hands-on time to make it.
This pizza dough recipe is one you can rely on. My family made this growing up and I’ve had it committed to memory for a while. It yields a soft, fluffy dough that takes well to add-ins and flour swaps. Made with yeast and other pantry basics (flour, olive oil, sugar, salt and water), you can throw it together on a moments notice. Let’s make it!
Ingredients
Homemade pizza with yeast
- Warm water – just very warm water from the tap is fine. It should be slightly warmer than lukewarm.
- Active dry yeast – you can also use instant yeast. Using instant yeast will shorten your rise time.
- Sugar
- Salt
- Olive oil
- All-purpose flour – I often swap in a cup of whole-wheat flour but this isn’t required
How to make it
Pour 1 1/4 cup warm water into a mixing bowl. Empty yeast packet on top of the water and allow it to rest there until the yeast begins to get foamy and dissolve. Stir.
Add the sugar and stir. Then add the olive oil and salt.
Add the flour. Start by adding 3 cups of flour and stir. You want the dough to hold together but still be fairly wet before you knead it. See photo below for a visual reference. If it’s still super wet/sticky, you can add another 1/4 cup of flour.
Place the dough on a clean, floured work-surface. Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough and rub some in between your hands before you begin kneading.
Knead the dough until smooth, it shouldn’t take more than 10 kneads.
Once the dough is smoothed and can be patted into a smooth ball. Place it in a lightly oiled, large mixing bowl. Cover with a clean dish towel and place it on the kitchen counter to rise for 1 hour. The dough should have doubled in size.
Press dough into baking pan and assemble your pizza!
Bake at 425F until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown – about 25 minutes.
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Homemade Pizza Dough made with Yeast
Have this pizza recipe made with yeast in your back pocket for a quick, easy and wholesome weeknight dinner.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (plus up to 1/2 cup for kneading)
Instructions
- Empty yeast packet into a large bowl and add water. Let stand until yeast is foamy.
- Add sugar and stir.
- Add oil and salt. Then start adding the flour. Start with 3 cups and check the texture of the dough. It should be a little sticky but hold together enough to begin kneading. You can add another 1/4 cup of flour if it seems too wet. *see notes for making a garlic & herb crust.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface, liberally sprinkled with flour. Knead the dough until dough is easily shaped into a smooth ball.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled, large mixing bowl. Cover with a clean dish towel and allow it rise on the kitchen counter for 1 hour. The dough will double in size.
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Press the dough into a large pizza pan or baking sheet. This dough recipe can make more or less pizza depending on how thick you want to crust.
- Top with sauce and desired toppings.
- Bake until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Enjoy!
Notes
- Wheat crust: swap 1 cup of AP flour for one cup of wheat.
- Garlic/herb crust: after adding the oil add 2 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp dried oregano, and 2 tsp garlic powder
