This Italian pizza dough recipe is one of my favorite ways to create a light and crispy crust. It is absolutely perfect for homemade pizza night. Just add sauce, cheese, and your favorite pizza toppings!
Pizza is one of my favorite foods, and what I usually end up ordering when I can’t bring myself to cook dinner at home. With this easy pizza dough recipe, I can enjoy a pizza straight from Italy just about any time I am in the mood for it!
Italian Pizza Dough Recipe
Homemade pizza crust is freezable, so you can batch make it and freeze it in individual portions. Just allow it to defrost in the fridge or on the counter and roll it out when you’re ready to create your pizzas!
The most important part of making this Italian pizza dough recipe is to allow it to rise correctly. If it doesn’t rise, your dough will be dense and chewy after baking.
How To Make Homemade Dough
To make this Italian pizza dough:
- Activate the yeast in water, oil, and sugar
- Add flour and salt to the yeast mixture until a dough forms
- Knead the Italian pizza dough until elastic
- Cover in oil and allow to rise for an hour
- Punch dough and knead for a minute or two
- Divide into pizzas and roll or wrap and store
It’s not difficult to make homemade pizza dough, and I love the flavor so much more than store bought. It’s as authentic as it gets!
How To Knead Dough
Kneading pizza dough, while tedious, isn’t a difficult job. When you knead pizza dough, it allows the gases from the yeast to be distributed throughout the dough and help to develop the gluten.
To knead pizza dough:
- Lightly flour a dry work surface
- Turn the pizza dough onto the work surface (which should resemble a ball)
- Form the dough into a ball, then punch the dough (this is the process of pressing the heels of your hands into the dough and moving them forward slightly). The dough will be sticky, so lightly dust your hands with flour to prevent sticking. It gets easier as the dough comes together.
- Turn the dough slightly, fold it in half, and punch it again. This whole process is known as ‘working the dough’. There you go! You got it.
When the Italian pizza dough is done, no lumps should remain. It should have a smooth and elastic feel to it, and be slightly sticky to the touch. The dough should hold its shape when it is done.
How To Roll Pizza Dough
Here are some tips and tricks to roll out the pizza dough perfectly:
- Go Thin: this pizza dough will be bread-like unless rolled out thinly. It will inflate and grow while cooking, so don’t be afraid to roll it thin.
- Go Slowly: because this is the perfect thin crust pizza dough, it will need to be about 1/8″ thick. Work slowly while rolling it out so you don’t tear the pizza dough.
- Go Floured: make sure the working surface, rolling pin, and your hands are all coated with flour. The dough rises with oil, and it will stick if you haven’t added enough flour or corn meal.
- Go Understanding: If you’re rolling out dough vs tossing it, it won’t be a perfect circle. Don’t worry about having the perfect circular pizza. I promise it’ll be amaing. While rolling it out, focus on an even thickness.
- Go Flip It: Once the dough is almost rolled out, flip it over and check the thickness from the other side to make sure you know it’s rolled out evenly. While you’re at it, make sure your pizza stone will fit the pizza you’ve rolled out!
How To Make Thin Crust Pizza
In Italy, most of the time you’ll be enjoying thin crust pizza. This homemade pizza dough can be used to make thin crust pizza!
If you’re making thin crust pizza, it isn’t imperative to allow your dough to rise for an hour. The quick pre baking of the crust will help the dough rise ever so slightly.
I have found, however, that allowing the dough to rise gives you a great crackly crust that is as close to what you’ll find in Italy as ever, so I usually do it anyways.
When you roll out a thin crust pizza, you will need less dough. I like to divide this recipe into 3 thin crust pizzas rather than 2 regular ones.
For thin crust pizza, aim to roll the dough out to less than ¼” thickness. Throw it on a hot pizza stone and put it in the oven for 3-5 minutes. If bubbles begin to form, just pierce them with a fork.
Then, just flip the thin pizza crust over and add your toppings before returning it to the oven to finish baking.
Double baking may be an extra step for a ton of people, but adding that first bake ensures the bottom of the crust comes out perfectly crisp and the top has a chance to melt without burning. Trust me.
How To Make Italian Pizza
There are a ton of popular Italian pizza recipes, the most famous being the margherita pizza. Start with making a thin crust like above. Then all you need to add is pizza sauce and fresh mozzarella medallions before returning it to the oven.
I sometimes like to add basil before it cooks, but some people find this can cause the basil to wilt and not be as palatable. If you prefer, add it once the pizza comes out right before serving. Garnish the Italian pizza with fresh parmesan and for a kick, add some chili flakes (I put these on everything).
Pizza Topping Ideas
Meat
- Pepperoni
- Ham
- Italian sausage
- Chorizo sausage
- Ground beef
- Crumbled bacon
- Grilled chicken
- Grilled shrimp
- Steak
Sauce
- Pizza sauce
- Marinara sauce
- Alfredo sauce
- Garlic Sauce
- Olive oil and herbs
- Pesto
Cheese
- Fresh mozzarella
- Feta
- Grated mozzarella
- Cheddar cheese
- White cheddar
- Brie
- Fontina
Veggies
- Red onions
- Onions
- Scallions
- Roasted garlic
- Artichokes
- Spinach
- Mushrooms
- Peppers
- Jalapenos
- Basil
- Rosemary
- Pineapple
- Arugula (after baking)
- Olives
- Tomatoes
Other
- Truffle oil
- Blue cheese dressing
- Capers
- Sun dried tomatoes
How To Freeze Pizza Dough
I make this pizza dough to freeze each month for weekly pizza nights. To freeze homemade pizza dough:
- Make this Italian pizza dough up until the kneading process, including the second rise.
- Split the dough into two individual balls for medium sized pizzas, or six balls for personal pizzas.
- Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
To defrost pizza dough, just pop the dough into the fridge the day before pizza night, or defrost on the counter. Make sure to stick the dough in the fridge once completely defrosted, or it may not crisp up.
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Italian Pizza Dough Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast 1 package
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt kosher
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add water, oil, and sugar. Sprinkle yeast on top and let sit for about 5 minutes or until foamy.
- Meanwhile in a medium bowl, combine flour and salt. Add gradually to the yeast mixture. Add more flour or water as needed while you work the dough.
- Continue to mix pizza dough until it feels elastic. Turn it onto a floured surface.
- Knead the dough for a minute and a half or until smooth. Do not overmix or the dough will become tough.
- Place the dough in a medium bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and flip a few times to coat it. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour.
- Punch dough down and knead on a lightly floured surface for 1-2 minutes or until smooth.
- Divide into 2 (or 6) pieces and roll out into pizzas.
To Bake:
- Heat a pizza stone in the oven at 425°F.
- Roll pizza out to desired thickness, 1/4" for a standard pizza and slightly thinner for a thin crust pizza.
- Brush pizza with olive oil and place on heated pizza stone, olive oil side down. Bake for 5-8 minutes or until underside is browned. If bubbles appear while baking, pierce with a fork.
- Flip pizza onto a working surface. Add sauce and desired toppings to the browned side of the pizza crust and return to the oven for an additional 7-10 minutes or until cooked through and toppings are melted.
Notes
Tried this recipe? Let me know how you liked it below!
I would love it if you pinned this for later!
109 thoughts on “Italian Pizza Dough Recipe”
Love this recipe! It’s so easy and it tastes fantastic! I’ve experimented with different toppings, but our favorite is pesto, Alfred sauce, grilled chicken, fresh spinach and mushrooms and lots of cheese! Thank you for this great recipe!
Sounds so delicious! So happy you loved it
Had a make your own pizza toppings using this recipe and it was great crust. Got rave reviews. Will be my go to dough.
So happy it was a hit!
Me and my husband have a friendly ongoing homemade pizza contest. Best toppings. Best way to cook it. Best whatever. But we ALWAYS use this crust. Comes together so easily and is perfect every time. We have settled on grilling the dough at a very high heat. Delicious recipe. I have sent this recipe to many people as well.
Hi Alison, I am so happy that you’ve created some awesome memories around this recipe. Thank you so much for loving it! Grilling is our favorite way to prepare it too!
Thanks for a great recipe! It’s super easy and delicious!
So glad you enjoyed it Laurel!
If you make this a day ahead of time- what’s the best way to store it?
Hey Melissa, we like to store it in a large bowl in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap.
Perfection! Thank you for sharing.
Happy you enjoy it!
I’ve made this recipe about a dozen times and every time it comes out perfect. We love doing Make Your Own Pizza nights with our friends and the kids. This is a perfect base!
So glad you loved it Alyssa! Make your own pizza nights are super fun!
I must admit this is the best pizza doe ever. It was so easy to work with and tastes wonderful. Thank you for this recipe. Keep them coming.
I am so glad you loved it Pat!
this sounds like a great recipe .i love that you give so many helpful things about how to make the best pizza nothing sounds complicated. i use instant yeast a lot could i use it with this recipe .also i have pizza pans would the pizza be ok to do on them also
Hi Judith! Instant yeast works well for this. Pizza pans are also perfect. Can’t wait to hear how it turns out!
Can i replace the active dry yeast with instant yeast? If so, how would I do that? We can’t wait to make more of this pizza dough! We love it. Thanks!
Hi Byanks, you can easily substitute for a packet of instant yeast for this pizza dough.
Thank you for sharing this great recipe! My family loves it!
So glad you love it Casey!
Found this recipe yesterday and since I was craving a thin crust pizza, I gave it a chance. So, two things. First time I made it and combined the warm water, sugar, oil and yeast, it didn’t bloom at all. So for the next batch, I omitted the oil. It bloomed just fine like that. Then I added the oil and flour/salt. I don’t own a pizza stone, but I have a pizza pan with holes. I rolled out the dough on parchment paper with oil on it. Baked on top of the pizza pan for 10 minutes. Then after I added the toppings, I took it off the parchment paper and placed directly on the pan. I didn’t think it was going to be crispy, but it was! Totally delicious! I’m an experienced baker, but I don’t do bread often. I didn’t know what it meant when it said to knead until elastic, lol. I googled it and was like “oh!” Anyway, thanks for this delicious recipe! It’s a keeper!
Thanks for the feedback Stephanie, I am so glad you loved it!
What if you want to make a nice little edge on the crust? Since that side would need to cook first, does it flatten the crust edge a bit?
The edges will raise a little more on the second side as the toppings and sauce will help weight the centre down. You could also fold the edges over about 1/2″ to create a raised crust. Enjoy!
2 questions: Can I mix the dough in my stand mixer with a dough hook? Also, I have some ground sausage so I would like to make a stromboli with the other half of dough. Any special instructions for stromboli?
Hi, I often use a dough hook to combine the ingredients, then just knead it out once the dough has risen.
I have only tried the recipe as written, but this dough has been used for stromboli by other readers with success.
Hello, I was wondering if I can put it in the fridge for the next day? Or will I need to freeze it?
Hi Jasmine, it can be refrigerated for a day but ensure it is in a spacious container as it will continue to rise.
Hi
Can I use bread flour instead of all purpose flour
Hi Diana, I have only tried this recipe with all purpose flour but I am sure bread flour would work fine.
I am not using the pizza right away. Once it rises for the hour and if I’m not using the dough right away. What do I do with the dough?? If I refrigerate do I let it rise again or just bring dough to room temp or use right out of the frig?? Thanks
Hi Jeanette, the dough can be kept in the fridge until it’s ready to be used. You can use it right out of the fridge, it may be a little harder to roll out.
If frozen, defrost it completely before rolling it out.
Was one of the easiest doughs to make! Love it! Reheats leftover pizza well. In fact the dough is almost better reheated! Will make again for sure. Thank you
So glad you loved it Sheila!
What adjustment should I make if using rapid rise or instant yeast?
Hi Davis, you can use instant yeast in this recipe. You may not need to rise it for too long!
My husband and I eat homemade pizza about once a week. I’ve tried other recipes in the past and none really worked out, at least not yummy! We decided to try this. Omg! First try! Super easy super yummy! We used 1/2 for a pizza (first run, you know you have to learn) was really good. Cooked the other half of the dough the next day. We had a little experience now, and it came out perfect! Thank you for the recipe!!!!
Hey Keri, so glad you loved it! We love doing weekly pizza night too!
I make this almost every week! It has become my go to recipe anytime we’re craving a pizza, which is often. I’ve never commented on recipes before, but I had to thank you for sharing it. My daughters and I have a lot of memories with this pizza crust at the center. 🙂
I am so glad I could help create some amazing memories with your daughters, that definitely put a smile on my face. Also thank you for the kind words, and I am so glad you enjoy this pizza dough!
Thank you for such a nice recipe…my family loved my pizza…I may as well discard all other pizza recipes
Hi Eleanor, so glad you loved the pizza! Can’t wait to hear about the other creations you try with this pizza dough 🙂
This dough can’t be cooked with the toppings on it?? The cooking one side is throwing me, I wanted to try this recipe today but I’m not sure if I should go with my tried and true one now. This is a preference due to the fact that we are making multiple personal pizzas and the precooking it an extra step that won’t really work for our timing.
Hi Naomi! To get a delicious thin pizza crust on both sides, browning one side first does make a huge difference. We often make multiple personal pizzas, so we like to either bake the first side of them all at once before adding toppings together (if we have quite a few people), or doing the first bake in between the pizzas that have toppings. Hope this helps!
I love this recipe! I just made four batches because it’s so good, freezes well and so easy! I can’t wait to try this on the grill. This recipe replaced my other one. Thank you for sharing ❤️
So glad you love it Linda! We love making it in batches and freezing it for easy pizza nights. It’s amazing on the grill, just make sure the bars are hot and well oiled.
I have made this dough and pizzas 3 times now. I bake it on a silpat on a perforated metal baking sheet. Rolled it out, I did brush the edges with olive oil for added taste put on my sauce, cheese and toppings. Baked in a 450 oven and they were fantastic. We like thin crust and this is the best!
So glad you love it Suzy, thanks for the feedback!
There should be an instruction to put cornmeal or something on the pizza stone before you put the dough! Just olive oil is not enough, my pizza got stuck into the stone and it was in pieces. Otherwise the dough was good.
Ugh, I hate it when that happens, so sorry Monica! If the pizza stone isn’t piping hot and fully heated through, it will stick. Cornmeal can help too!
Quick question, I am wanting to make this for dinner but was thinking about making the dough around noon. So a few hours early. Would i just leave it out or do you suggest putting it in the fridge?
Hi Carla! Pizza dough should not be left out longer than an hour or two after rising. If you’re making it ahead of time, store it in the fridge. Make sure it’s wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, or in a bowl as it may rise a little more. Enjoy!
Before I attempt, I have a few questions. Could I do this in my bread maker on the dough cycle? Also, could I use this as a thick crust version in my 10” cast iron skillet? We are a deep dish family? thank you in advance
I’ve only tried this recipe as written, but I feel like it would be great in a cast iron! Let me know how it turns out!
We made the pizza in a cast iron pan on the grill. Added the toppings and baked about 7 minutes on 400-425 degrees. Did not flip dough.
So glad you loved it Linda!
Can this be baked in a normal oven?
Hi Lara, I always bake this in a normal oven with great results.
Our family has loved this recipe the last year and people ask for me to make them dough for Christmas ? just quick question. I had leftover dough from the other night and forgot to put it in the freezer and wrapped it up and threw it in the fridge. How long is it good in the fridge? 5-7 days perhaps?
This is the best pizza dough ever. It even impressed my husband who loves a good thin crust pizza. He said he doesn’t have to order from the pizza place in our neighbourhood anymore. Thank you
I am so glad you guys loved it Adele! Homemade is always better!
My family LOVES this recipe! We have it almost weekly. Has anyone tried freezing it once it is all shaped and baked on one side? We are having my son’s bday party in a couple weekends and each of the kiddos is going to make their own personal pan pizza but I want to be able to just take it out of the freezer ready to go and have them put their toppings on it. I don’t know if I should bake it on both side and freeze or just one side and freeze it.
I am so glad you love this pizza dough! I have only tried freezing the dough before cooking, not after. I would suggest precooking one side and freezing it, then adding your toppings and baking afterwards. If you try it, let me know how it turns out, and happy early birthday to your son!
I used this recipe and I liked it. My daughter said it was to oily. I guess I will cut down on the olive oil
Hi Anna, sorry you found it oily! Because pizza dough uses a lean dough (no eggs or butter), you will usually have a nice crispy crust. Olive oil helps to keep the interior nice and soft while adding flavor. Hope this helps!
I am hosting a family pizza making night. Could I pre-bake all the crusts & keep until they arrive to put toppings on?
Hi Joyce, I have definitely done this! Just do the first bake on one side, and do the second side with toppings when everyone is there. Enjoy the party!
do you freeze after the first rise
Hi Judith, I have only frozen it when it is ready to roll out. Freezing after the first rise should work out perfectly though! Just knead it a little bit once it is defrosted.
I’m so excited to try this! When you freeze it, how do you go about using it later? Just thaw and roll out?
Hi Tiffany, you’ll love it! I normally will put it in my fridge a day or two before I make the pizza. It also thaws great on the countertop if it’s last minute. Enjoy!
Best pizza crust I’ve made I got 4 10″ crusts per recipe or 10 for slightly more then a double recipe I like to make up pizzas and freeze them for the family to pop in oven themselves better then any store bought brand
Hi Anita, so glad you love it! I also usually double the batch to freeze some if I need a quick dinner option. Thank you for the comment!
What if You don’t have a pizza stone, will this recipe still work?
Hi Joetta, you can cook this without a pizza stone. In a pinch, I have used the backside of a baking tray as a pizza stone (make sure it is hot first). This pizza dough is also great on the grill, no pizza stone required. Enjoy!
Hi Bailey, I never post on recipes I have made but I have to say, this dough was extremely easy to make! We cooked ours on the grill. Just as you said, no pizza stone required. One thing I did wrong that made it taste great was reading the recipe incorrectly and adding the garlic powder to the dough instead of the butter. Bottom line, great dough, it’s in my cookbook now! Thanks so much!
Hi Linda, thank you for the kind words, I am so glad you loved it! Garlic powder sounds like it would be delicious, I will definitely try it out!
We preheat our cast iron skillets and bake in them! It’s fantastic!,,
Sounds deliciouos, great suggestion Jane!
Can this dough be made in bread machine?
Hi Angie, I have only tried this recipe as written, but I am sure it could be easily adapted for a bread machine!
I made it in the bread machine and it was great! Great recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it Laura!
Laura, what order did you put ingredients into bread machine? Did you mix wet ingredients w yeast first or not? Getting ready to make it with bread machine. Thanks for your help!!!!
Does this dough freeze well?
Hi Jill, this dough freezes super well. I like to make it in batches and freeze it for quick dinners. Enjoy!
This is the best crust recipe I have tried, I give it 5 stars
So glad you love it Bev!
I love this recipe and use it all the time! Thank you so much!
I’m so glad it’s a regular recipe!
Hello! I would like to prepare the dough ahead of time for dinner tonight. Do i just leave it on the counter after the rising hour is up? Or put it refrigerator?
Thanks!! Excited to try this recipe.
Hi, it should only sit out for a couple of hours. If you would like to make it ahead of time, a covered bowl in the fridge will do the trick!
Hi Nelly, the recipe has been updated with cooking instructions. Enjoy!
At the beginning do you mix the water oil and sugar first before sprinkling on the yeast or just layer the ingredients in order? And what happens if it doesn’t get frothy?
Hi Jennifer, I add everything in order then give it a quick stir to get rid of any lumps. If it doesn’t get frothy it shouldn’t matter too much, but with the right temperature water you should get some frothing from the yeast.
Love this recipe, so easy and tasty. I always have the ingredients to make it on hand. Thanks for sharing! ?
Yummy home goodness!
So glad you love it Brunella!
I make it once a week
So glad you love it Bev!
I thank you for the recipe I’ve made it a few times and love it
So glad you enjoy it Effie!
I have been a baker all my life and this is by far the best pizza crust recipe I have ever made. Thanks for sharing.
I am so glad you loved it Deborah!
My family loves this pizza crust! Sooo good and easy! Thanks for sharing.
So glad you love it Doris!
I put it in my big mixer to knead it, it came out perfectly, I made one giant pizza with one dough ball
Hi Trey, giant pizzas are the best! Admittedly, we use a stand mixer for the kneading some days too!