Pizza Dough – The Best Pizza Crust (VIDEO)
This is hands down the best pizza dough! It makes a New York-style pizza crust that is a thin crust pizza in the center with beautifully puffed edges. You will love this crust – it’s crisp, chewy and so satisfying. Make this and you will never want a store-bought crust again. And, you’ll be known for your pizza!
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Why We Love This Pizza Dough:
This is a make-ahead pizza dough recipe that just gets better with time and it keeps really well refrigerated for at least a week. Here’s more good news: our classic red pizza sauce and creamy white pizza sauce also keep really well in the fridge so you can fire up a pizza whenever the craving strikes. An overnight crust also makes throwing a pizza party stress-free and everyone will be super impressed by your pizza-making skills.
The #1 Secret to the Best Pizza Dough:
Since most pizza dough recipes have the same ingredients: flour, salt, water, yeast, it’s the process that makes all the difference. This pizza dough seriously tastes like it came out of a high-end pizzeria and in fact, most New York pizza doughs are fermented for at least 24 hours.
The pizza bosses of the world know the secret to an incredible dough is to let it rest and give it time. This process makes the dough much easier to work with and forms the coveted texture, rise, and bubbles at the edges.
The #2 Secret to the Perfect Crust:
Do not use too much yeast! Many of the quick pizza doughs out there use way too much yeast which makes the crust doughy and makes the center of the pizza rise while baking. If you use too much yeast, you will never achieve that thin crisp crust in the center.
The Takeaway: use less yeast and let the dough rest.
How to Make Pizza Dough Video Tutorial:
Watch the pizza dough video tutorial once and you will be a pro in no time. Here is a quick overview of the process for easy reference:
- Mix together water, salt and honey. Sprinkle with yeast and set aside 5 min then stir.
- Pour water mixture over your flour and stir to combine with a spatula then knead by hand 2 minutes. Cover and let rise 4-5 hours at room temperature.
- Transfer dough onto a floured surface and divide in half. Fold each piece of dough 8 times (rotating book fold) and form a ball. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 7 days. Your dough is done.
Why Fold the Pizza Dough?
Folding the dough balls 8 times with that book fold, and turning the dough between each fold, makes the gluten threads stronger and traps carbon dioxide created by the yeast to help form those beautiful bubbles in the dough.
How to Form and Bake Pizza Crust:
- Remove dough from the fridge 1 hour before using then preheat the oven with a pizza stone in the center to 550˚F.
- When the oven is preheated, place room temperature dough onto a floured surface, dust lightly with flour.
- Gently press dough down in the center with fingertips then place the dough over the back of your knuckles with both hands together and roll over your knuckles rotating around the dough as you go, keeping a 1″ thicker border. Place 10-12″ diameter crust onto a floured pizza peel.
- Add white sauce or red sauce then cheese and toppings. Give the pizza a shake over your pizza peel to make sure it’s not sticking then immediately slide it from your pizza peel onto the preheated pizza stone and bake at 550˚F for 8-10 minutes.
Tools for Making Pizza:
The right tools will make the pizza dough making the process even easier. It will also make you look like a pizza ninja to transfer your pizza from a pizza peel onto your hot pizza stone.
- Pizza Peels (a set of 2 makes the process easier).
- Flexible Food Scraper – to scrape the dough out of bowls and cut the dough in half
- Round Pizza Stone – to bake your pizza on in the oven
- Pizza Cutter – the easiest way to slice a pizza
- Instant Read Thermometer – to check water temperature
What is the Best Flour for Pizza Dough?
You don’t need any fancy flours to develop a gorgeous crust. We used organic all-purpose flour for making pizza. Bread flour will work equally well if that is what you have on hand and it will give you a slightly chewier crust. You can substitute bread flour for all-purpose flour in equal parts.
Note: We haven’t tried making a gluten-free version or any other flour, so let me know if you experiment.
Can I Freeze Pizza Dough?
Yes! It’s very easy to freeze this dough and once it’s thawed, it tastes just as good as freshly made. See our tutorial for How to Freeze Pizza Dough.
What to Serve with Pizza:
Once you have your pizza-making skills down, you will want to throw a pizza party. Pizza pairs really well with these easy sides.
- Avocado Ranch – because everyone loves a great dipping sauce
- Caesar Salad – a fresh green salad with light homemade dressing
- Avocado Corn Salad – so vibrant and satisfying
- Cobb Salad – beautiful and delicious
- Instant Pot Corn on the Cob – the juiciest way to cook corn
Pizza Dough Recipe - The Best Pizza Crust!
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups warm water, 105-110˚F
- 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/2 Tbsp fine sea salt
- 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, (measured correctly) plus more to dust*
Instructions
How to Make Pizza Dough:
- In a small bowl, stir together water, honey, and salt then sprinkle the top with 1/2 tsp yeast and let sit 5 minutes then stir.
- Measure 3 1/3 cups flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Pour yeast mixture into the center then stir with a firm spatula until the dough comes together. Knead by hand 2 minutes (dough will be sticky). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 4-5 hours or until doubled in size.
- Transfer dough to a floured surface, turn to coat lightly in flour so it isn’t sticky then divide in half. Fold each piece of dough in half 8 times, gently pulling the sides over the center like closing a book, turning the dough each time and repeating for 8 folds. Form a ball in your hands and transfer each piece of dough to a lightly oiled bowl seam-side-down, cover and refrigerate overnight (18 hours) or up to 1 week.
How to Form a Pizza Crust:
- PREP: Remove the dough 1 hour before using to let it relax and come to room temperature. Before forming the pizza crust, fully preheat your oven so pizza can be baked right away. Place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet onto the center rack of the oven and preheat to 550˚F. Also, lightly flour a pizza peel and prep toppings.
- When dough is about room temperature and oven is preheated, transfer 1 piece of dough to a floured surface, turning to lightly coat in flour. Pat the center of the dough gently with fingertips. DO NOT pop any bubbles present.
- Lift the dough over both knuckles and roll your knuckles under the center of the dough, working outward as you rotate the dough along your knuckles and leaving a thicker crust at the edge. Continue working the dough until a 10-12” pizza has formed. It will shrink slightly so make it a little bigger than you think. Place the dough down on a lightly floured pizza peel. Give the pizza peel a little shake to make sure the pizza slides over it and is not sticking.
- Spread on desired pizza sauce and toppings. Give the pizza another jolt to make sure it slides on the pizza peel (you don’t want it to stick while transferring it into the oven). Slide pizza onto the preheated pizza stone and bake at 550˚F for 8-10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and some of the larger bubbles on the crust are lightly scorched to ensure a crisp crust.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hi Natasha. I’m currently in the process of making your pizza dough recipe. I’m curious, why no olive oil. Most of the recipes I’ve made to date call for oil of some kind. I added 1 tbs of olive oil while in the mixing process and coated the dough ball for the room temperature rise. I’ll post my results.
Hi Russell, we believe we found the perfect balance without it. I hope you love this recipe.
Is the dough supposed to rip when I do the folding? Also, I find that the dough, especially the centre, has a hard crunch. Am I doing something wrong?
HI Mary, it sounds like too much flour may have been added or not enough water. See our tutorial for how to measure ingredients (it could simply have been due to mis-counting when adding flour – that’s happened to me before!)
Hi, my oven doesn’t even heat up to 550, only to 500. So what temperature would you suggest?
Hi April, 500 will still work, but yes, it will require slightly more time in the oven.
Hi Natasha, can I bake in advance and store the crusts for a day or two
Hi Janet, we prefer it fresh once we bake it. But you can store it for longer before baking. The dough can be stored in the fridge anywhere from overnight or up to 7 days,
Made it. Love it. Question – can roll the pizza dough with a rolling pin instead of over the knuckles?
Hi Tammy! You just want to be sure not to overwork the dough, it will affect the texture.
Thank you for the recipe with great directions. I’ve made it twice now, last week calzones with half and pizza with the rest, tonight 2 pizzas. My man said it was the best crust he’s ever had. I agree. Love that you can pick up your piece of pizza and it doesn’t sag down and all of the toppings fall off.
That’s wonderful! So glad you enjoy the recipe.
Hi
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I tried making it but it didn’t turn out out well, I think there was too much flour despite measuring properly. Could you confirm how many ml for the flour cup? I noticed every cup has a different ml so it makes easier to add the ml for the cup.
I was excited to try but I was left disappointed.
Thanks
Hi Livie. Dry ingredients should not be measured in ML as you would measure liquid ingredients. For best results, you should use a food scale and measure in grams. You can click on “metric” in the recipe card and the ingredient list will be converted for you.
Watch my tutorial for How to measure ingredients as well for additional information. You can look for a conversion table online as well to have one on hand.
I used metric this time and the dough is SO dry. The auto metric conversion says 420 g of flour, however, the King Arthur conversion chart says 116 g = 1 C of flour, therefore, it should only be 386.67 g. Am I missing something? i think it would be so much more helpful, please, to put the metric amounts along side US customary and not rely on the auto conversion, which seems inaccurate.
Hi Heather! 420 grams is correct, for all-purpose flour it’s 120g per cup which is what is reflected in the King Arthur conversion chart that I viewed as well. Measurements can differ based on what type of flour you’re using. The feature for metric is computer generated but we check them beforehand and make sure things look accurate, sometimes there are errors but we try to catch them. Unfortunately we’re limited to what features/tools are available. We are always trying to improve the website, thanks for the feedback.
Then why don’t you use grams in the recipe? All ingredients should be in grams except for tiny amounts of spices like 1/8 or 1/4 tsp.
Okay, for ALL of you asking if you can make this pizza same day, YES YOU CAN! I came here looking at all the comments to see if anyone did and if it comes out, well I tried it and it works perfectly! If you already made the dough without realizing you have to refrigerate it, you don’t have to! It comes out just fine after it rises the first time. YOU’RE WELCOME!
Great recipe!
Thank you! I came to the comments as well for this reason 🙂
Natasha!! Your dough recipe is a winner !! I have done quite a few different recipes, played with different ratios , etc; but yours is a winner!! Thank you for sharing!!
I’m so glad to hear that, Lena! Thank you for sharing.
Made a huge amount of this for a large family gathering we hosted, and was a big hit!! I’ve always done a quick easy pizza crust recipe (not sure where I found it) that only takes an hour max and the crust usually comes out good, but not always. Plus, when you’re making 8+ pizzas, it’s way easier to prep the dough ahead of time. This recipe let me enjoy the gathering because I wasn’t in the kitchen making pizza dough the whole time. Just plop in on the counter, shape it, top it, and bake it for a few minutes and it’s ready! Plus, everyone loved it!!
That’s wonderful! I’m glad it was a hit!
I am wondering if I could make this pizza dough, form it like I am going to make a pizza but bake it without sauce and toppings? I want to use it later like a prepared pizza crust.
Hi Janice! That should be fine.
I made the dough last week, let it sit it fridge overnight. I found it was not very malleable to stretch. Ended up w tears (that were still easy to fix) and the dough was snapping back into smaller size. Is there smtg I could do differently next time?
Hi Michelle, did you let the dough come to room temp before stretching after it was in the fridge?
Wow, it was so delicious!!!! I made it for my husband and our dinner. We love it!
I struggled to make dough pizza many time and I almost give up but I noticed that your recipe. I decided I made it. Finally, I made it and look better!!!!! I’m so glad and it was so delicious!
Thank you!!!!!!
I’m so glad it was a hit! Thank you for the wonderful feedback.
May I freeze the dough? And if so, when in the process and then how to bring it to room temperature? Thank you!!
Hi Barbara, you sure can! We address that question in the recipe under the “Can I Freeze Pizza Dough?” section. I hope this helps.
Made this pizza dough last night and it was generally very good. It would have worked out better if I had a peel instead of trying to use a sheet of parchment paper in its place. I say this mostly in jest, but I think there is a special place in hell for people who put a 1/2 tablespoon measurement in a recipe. How do you get that right?
It’s 1 1/2 teaspoons. My set doesn’t have a 1/2 Tbsp either but I think most sets have a 1 tsp and a 1/2 tsp.
My husband and I have a Halo pizza oven and have been experimenting with lots of different pizza doughs. We made this and had it yesterday and it is the winner after about 5-6 mediocre tries. Easy to make, I used 00 flour, and boy the crust was both crispy and puffy. Winner!
Wow! That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Kate!
Hands down the best pizza crust I have made! So good I also tried with the calzones recipe. Thanks!
So glad you loved it, Laurie! Thank you for the feedback.
Thanks, Laurie. So glad that you loved it a lot!
Heya Natasha,
I’m making this recipe for use with your calzones recipe. As the recipe for the calzones calls for 2 lbs of dough, do you know how much dough this recipe makes?
Hi Sorcha! This is the dough that we use in our Easy Calzone Recipe and it makes 2 lbs.
Making this dough today. So excited. Love your videos. I like to measure in metric for accuracy. The recipe calls for half tsp yeast or 2 grams. They are not equal. Can you please clarify?
Thanks
Angela
Hi Angela, 2 grams of yeast equals 0.43 (~ 1/2) teaspoon. Or precisely 0.42712449728644 teaspoon. Some values are approximate so we use 1/2 teaspoon. I hope that helps.
Hi Natasha, Can I make Gluten-Free pizza with this recipe using King Arthur GF Measure to Measure Flour? Thanks!
Hi Isha, I have not tested this with gluten-free flour to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I followed the recipe and used King Arthur’s gluten-free Measure for Measure (1:1) flour. The dough was cracking and lacking gluten, but I folded the dough balls eight times. Even though it wasn’t all that horrible, the flavor was alright. My daughter loved Pan pizza (she also enjoyed Dominos and Pizza Hut’s pizza), so I’ve been attempting several recipes but haven’t had much success :(Anyway, I love your recipes, and my younger daughter is very fascinated with your videos. The way you display the pictures is also quite useful. I want to thank you for your incredible work and sense of humor:)
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Isha!
I keep coming back to this same recipe over and over. I am obsessed.
I’m so glad you found a favorite on my blog, Andi! Thank you for your awesome review!
Hi Natasha, I would like to use this recipe for calzones. Do I need to split the dough in two still, or can I do the stretches and folds with the whole dough ball and put it in the fridge as one? Thank you!
Hi Kim, I recommend checking out the comments section at the bottom of the recipe I remember seeing others try this recipe for calzones and shared their experience there.
I have tried this pizza crust recipe several times and love it!
However, I have had problems with getting the pizza off the peel. I have tried using flour and cornmeal separately and both at the same time. I have even tried freezing the pizza on the peel for about 15 min before baking and still sometimes will not slide off easily. Any suggestions? Thanks !
Hi Donna! There are a few things that could be causing that. You may find this article helpful.
I spread the dough on parchment paper and then slide the peel under the paper and place it on an inverted cookie sheet that has been heating for at least 15 minutes. Works great.
Hi, your pizza dough recipe looks delicious. Can I use the 00 flour instead of white flour? Im looking forward to making it.
Thank you,
Theresa
Hi Theresa! I haven’t tested it myself, so I’m not sure if the substitution is exactly straight across, but I have had one reader report good results using 00 flour.
What if you don’t have a pizza stone? Does the time and temp make a change on a cookie sheet?
Many of my readers have made this on a baking sheet too with good results. It could effect the time just a bit so keep your eye on it.
Omg ! This pizza recipe looks so good! I will definitely try it. Thank you for sharing !
I hope you love it!
Can we use the dough after it has risen or do we need to let it set overnight
You’ll see in the instructions above to cover and refrigerate the dough overnight (18 hours). This dough really needs the overnight cold fermentation process to rise properly since it doesn’t have a ton of yeast. This is what differentiates it from a quick dough recipe such as my Individual Pizza Crust recipe which uses more yeast. You may try using the individual pizza crust recipe instead if you want a quicker dough.
I LOVE this recipe!! Do you think I could substitute bread flour for all purpose flour?
Hi Emily, we address that option in the recipe. See the “What is the Best Flour for Pizza Dough?” Section. I hope that helps.
I will probably never order pizza again! My family loved the dough and said it tasted like authentic Italian pizza and we’ve been to the mecca of pizza (Naples, Italy). Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi Lori! That’s amazing. I’m so glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for the feedback.
Hi Natasha I love your recipes and I have tried your pizza dough recipe however when I tried to open the dough on my knuckles as you demonstrated in the video the dough started to tear.
Do you know what may have caused that I followed your recipe precisely?
Thankyou
Hi Analise, it’s hard to say without being there, but it’s possible the gluten hasn’t developed enough causing it to tear – that’s the most likely culprit. Improper kneading or not letting the dough rest for enough time could also be the culprit, I’ve also found not measuring flour properly and ending up with too much flour has lead to issues. I know this is a few possibilities to consider, but I hope they’re helpful!
I love this crust. Have been making it for a couple years and I recommend it to everyone when the subject of pizza comes up. Can you tell me if you can make up the pizza crusts ahead then remove them from the fridge an hour before cooking and add the toppings before cooking? I have people over for pizza and it would be convenient if I could do this portion ahead of time.
Hi Yvonne, while the dough can be stored in the fridge anywhere from overnight or up to 7 days, I haven’t tried forming it before storing to advise on the outcome. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Dear Natasha, I’ve been fan of your recipies, since long , i just seen your Pizza Dough recepie,i would Appreciate if you could let me know the measurements of 1 KG flours. thanks 🙏
I’m so glad you love my recipes! If you click on the “metric” button in the recipe card, it will convert the ingredient list for you.
Natasha, your recipe for pizza is awesome. White sauce super, I was looking for good sauce. Pizza dough wow!!!Love Ela
I’m glad that you liked it!
The best pizza dough I’ve ever had. It was super easy to make. Simply amazed! Thanks for this wonderful recipe. 10/10!!
That’s wonderful, Michael! So glad you loved the recipe.
I have been making pizza dough, wrong, for the last 10 years. I just tried your pizza dough recipe and WOW!!!! It turned out so professional and tasty and crunchy and chewy!! I love my new pizza stone too. Thank you thank you for this recipe. I also made your white sauce & red sauce. My company loved it!! You made me into a chef. Thanks for everything.
That’s wonderful, Michael! So glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for the feedback.
Really amazing. I doubled the recipe and made the first pizza after dough was refrigerated for only about 5 hours…it was good and there were some small bubbles but after 2 full days in the fridge….amazing! The dough puffed up beautifully and is light and tasty. Most impressive is the ease of working with the dough to make a nice thin crust. Thank you Natasha for your great recipes. I am a big fan!
Is it possible to make two or three smaller pizzas with this recipe instead of the one large if I weigh out the dough? I usually make your other pizza recipe and it works out perfectly as everyone in my family of three gets their own pizza but I’d like to try this one.
Hi Jordann! Yes, you can. Just watch them in the oven because they will bake quicker.
I love this recipe, but one of the ads is very inconveniently placed over the instructions!
Hi Arielle, Thank you for sharing your concerns and feedback. The only way we can continue providing free recipes is by having ads on our site, so we are not able to remove those at this time. We find that most people would rather see the ads than pay to see the recipes. But we will definitely take note of your feedback and use it to improve our website.
I appreciate your feedback, and I hope you love every recipe you try.
Hi Natasha
I took up cooking during the pandemic and you have made me into a chef. I now have a great love for cooking and have you to thank for that as you make it so simple. Just wanted you to know and thank you!!!
That’s amazing, Cathy! Thank you for sharing that with me. I’m so glad you are learning a lot from my channel.
Advice for us poor guys who don’t own an oven that goes to 500 degrees or have a pizza stone and only occasionally make pizza? Thank you for your efforts and taking time to share with others
Hi C! I would set it to the highest temperature you can and use a regular metal baking pan. It may need to cook a while longer, but it should still turn out great!
Hi Donna,
I also had the sticking issue with the peel.
I solved it but cutting parchment paper to fit the peel and dusting the top of the parchment with organic semolina. Or, you could also use fine cornmeal instead if you want. Place and shape directly onto the prepared parchment & peel.
I just transfer the whole shebang onto the preheated pizzastone and bake! As long as the oven & stone are very hot the pizza should come out perfect. Put the hot pizza directly onto a wire rack for a couple of minutes to ensure the bottom remains crisp.
Hope this helps.
🙏 🫶 🙏
Not sure if I should post this under the dough recipe or the calzone recipe, but I noticed several people asking about using instant yeast (rapid rise) rather than active dry, so I posted it here. I made this dough for calzones. I have not made pizza with it. Made the dough on Monday morning, using bread flour. Used instant yeast, but at 75% of what the recipe calls for, because the internet told me to do that for long, cold ferments. That means I put in 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp instant yeast, mixed directly into the flour, along with the salt. Added warm water mixed with honey. After the countertop rise, I split the dough in half, and put each into 64 oz storage containers and refrigerated them. I had to “burp” the containers twice a day. They slowly rose to almost fill those containers by Thursday, when I used one container of dough to make 4 calzones, and I froze the other container. To make the calzones, I had to roll out the dough, and thus squished out all the bubbles. But oh man! The best calzones, ever, because of the dough! It tasted great, and was so light, soft, chewy, and crispy. Perfect! Can’t wait to use the other half to make a pizza, when I don’t have to squish all the bubbles out. But even with squishing all the bubbles out, I can tell that this is THE recipe! Next, I’ll try subbing out some flour and water to use up some sourdough discard. My plan is to use 200g discard, 320g bread flour, 195g water, all else the same (with 75% adjustment for instant yeast).
Thanks a lot for sharing this with us in detail, we appreciate it! I hope you’ll enjoy all the other recipes that you will try too.
Hi Natasha,
Is it possible to freeze this dough without compromising the quality?
Hi Maureen! Yes, you sure can. See my note above “Can I freeze Pizza Dough” and you can read the tutorial that I linked in the notes.
This is THE pizza dough recipe I have been searching for, for decades! Thank you for sharing it! It is the softest dough to work with and the flavor and texture after baking is perfect!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Maureen! Thank you so much for sharing your excellent review with me!
Delicious!! This pizza dough is amazing. Thank you for sharing your recipe.😋
You’re welcome, Melissa! I’m glad you loved the recipe.
I would love to try this but i don’t have the stone. I have one of those pizza pans with the holes. Can I use that? Not sure if it was mentioned before.
Thank you!!
Hi Dana! That should work, some of my readers also just make this in a regular pan or large baking sheet. You’ll just have to keep an eye on it in the oven so the crust doesn’t burn.
Hi, just wondering if you need to grease the pan? Or put cornmeal down?
Hi Beth, since the stone (or pan) is preheated, we do not oil or put cornmeal down. We transfer the pizza from a floured pizza peel to the preheated stone, and it does not stick. I hope this helps.
I do love this pizza dough. I was wondering if you can freeze it? If so do I let it ferment in the fridge first or put it directly in the freezer? Also sometimes I cannot get the pizza off the peel even though I flour it. Would cornmeal work better?
Hi Mary Ann! I have a blog post on how to freeze pizza dough with instructions. You can definitely try cornmeal, it may work better. I’m glad you love this recipe!
I let the dough rise for five hours and then accidentally put it directly in the refrigerator overnight before doing the folding step. Is it ruined?
Hi Erin, it’s best to follow all the steps in order. I hope you were able to salvage it this morning!
I just made this dough but I totally forgot to add the salt! Is this ruined now or will it still work?
Thank you!
Hi Laura, I’m not so sure. I haven’t tested this recipe without salt yet to advise. Let me know how it turned out!
It tasted pretty good, but not my best work so I’m trying it again! I made the dough last night and making the pizzas tonight. Doing a white pizza with goat cheese, Procuitto, arugula and roasted garlic and a meat lovers with sausage, pepperoni, onions and hot peppers on a red sauce. Fingers crossed! The dough tastes really good regardless. I will always use this recipe. Thank you!
That sounds amazing! Thank you for the wonderful feedback, Laura! 🙂
I just made this dough but forgot the salt also 🙁
I am going to add a little when I find it 8 times. Good or bad idea?
This dough is so delicious! So easy and worth the timing involved! I just made a second batch and made a cheeseburger pizza complete with half tater tots and half onion rings on top. Sesame seeds on the crust, too. Sooo yummy!
I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you for the feedback.
Your recipe and all the positive comments won me over but…when I put the water-yeast mixture into the flour I ended up with too much flour. I redid it excluding the 1/3 cup and still too much flour….not sure what to think. I’m continuing with the recipe, proofing is almost done.
Hi Suzanne, Be sure to measure by fluffing the flour first with a spoon then spoon it into a dry ingredient measuring cup and scrape off the top. If you push your measuring cup into a flour bin, you will get up to 25% too much flour. Also, do not tap the flour down in the measuring cup.
Guilty as charged…I dipped into the bag! Thank you for your reply. I used to have an antique sifter. Looks like I’ll be looking to re-lace it. Made the pizza today, it was harder to manipulate the dough but my guests still enjoyed it.
Thank you for this recipe, I’ve been making it every week for pizza Friday! No more pizza delivery for us. It does take a while to figure out how to shape the crust but so with it!!
Hi Sonja! That’s wonderful. I’m glad you found this recipe.
Best pizza crust ever. I made it the other day and fell asleep during the 1st rise. The dough sat on the counter for about 16 hours. I went ahead and folded it 8 times and put it in the fridge. It didnt seem to rise again, is it ruined?
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us. Dave! I recommend making the recipe as written and watching the video again to ensure no steps were missed. Any adjustments could result in the rise being affected.
I’ve been making your pizza all winter on Wednesdaysand love it so much had to get a paddle wooden and steel paddle reovel equipment for the process. Makes it so much better.
Everything I’ve be tried on your kitchen website is great.
A happy Me’Mere.Even at 77 never to old to ask for help in my old Kitchen.
Thanks so much Natasha!
Hi Marie! That’s amazing. Thank you for your continued support. I am so glad you love my recipes.
Made this crust yesterday for dinner next day and it was amazingly delicious. Highly recommended I used regular all purpose flour and it was delicious. Crispy crust just the way I like it!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Jill! Thank you for your awesome review!
just made this and it’s delicious! the crust is just like at a pizza placer better! I made the white sauce and topped it with mozzarella and a little sausage I need to use up. Fabulous
Sounds delicious, Chris! Thank you for the feedback! 🙂
I want to make this pizza, but my stones can only take a temperature of 400 degrees. suggestions
Hi Gail, a few of my readers mentioned great results using a standard pan.
I use pizza flour. 00 king arthur. Do think the amounts would be the same with that flour. Want to try your recipe. Thanks
Hi Patricia. I have not tested that. Based on some research online, 00 pizza flour absorbs less water than all-purpose flour so I am not sure what adjustments would be necessary. Please let us know how it turns out if you experiment.
Hi Natasha quick question for you can I substitute whole wheat flour for the all purpose flour. Thanks Judy
Hi Judy! I have not tested that. You could experiment with it. Whole wheat tends to absorb more moisture so you may need to make adjustments as needed.
Would this recipe work with a 14” cast iron pizza pan lightly oiled with olive oil?
Hi Kathy! I think that could work. Some of my readers also just make this in a regular pan or large baking sheet.
Hi Natasha, LOVE your recipes!
Quick question, can I skip the cold fermentation?
I accidentally started this recipe instead of the quicker version.
Thanx
Trish
Hi Trish! I do not recommend skipping it because cold fermentation is what will yield the best results. One of my readers has reported using the dough faster and he enjoyed the recipe, but I am not sure about the details of his process or how long he let the dough ferment. You can experiment with it if you’d like.
Hi natasha, I am making the pizza dough for the first time and I don’t have a pizza stone just a round pizza pan that is perforated. Will that work and sould I use the same temperature?
Hi Mary Ann, Several of my readers have reported making this successfully in a regular pan so it should be fine.
I have tried this dough at least 6 times now plus the pizza sauce
It’s very delicious
However it sticks every
I have watch your video at least a hundred times
Mine sticks every time
I’ve tried flour cornmeal three different types of pizza slides and nothing helps
Any thoughts
Hi Laura! I’m so glad you enjoy the flavor of this dough! The dough is sticky but it shouldn’t be that difficult to work with. See step 3 for tips to help. Also, be sure you are measuring your ingredients correctly, by viewing our tutorial, how to measure ingredients to ensure you’re using the correct amount of flour.
I find the more toppings I use the more it sticks to the peel. (Example …cheese, sausage, mushrooms, onion and pepperoni). So I do not preheat my pizza stone. I prep the pizza on the stone.
If I’m just making a cheese pizza pizza it slides off much easier.
Hi Mary! The most common cause for pizza sticking to a stone is because the stone was not preheated. Adding too much sauce, cheese, and toppings can create too much moisture and cause the dough to be too wet which has the potential to stick even more.
Hi Natasha
Absolutely love this recipe. I have been making this pizza dough for awhile now and it’s delicious!
I would like to make mini pizzas with the dough. Just wondering about cooking time. Can I roll it out to make the mini pizzas?
Hi Diane, I imagine that would work for mini pizzas. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Does this make the 2lbs needed to make your calzone recipe. I want to make your calzone recipe and it calls for 2lbs of dough.
Hi Nancy, yes, one recipe for pizza dough will work for this recipe.
I’m going to be making this today, but can I use fresh (wet) yeast? My son works in a bagel shop and was going to bring some home to use to make the dough… thoughts?
Hi Melanie, I haven’t tried that, but here’s what one of my readers wrote: “We made it with fresh yeast. Used double the amount of yeast that you asked for and it turned out amazing! My kiddos love this pizza and want it everyday. My oldest loves following your recipes. You are our go to. Will get a pizza stone as we made it on a baking sheet, but still the best recipe.” I hope this helps!
Hi Natasha would the outcome be better if i use bread flour instead of ap flour? Thanks
Hi David, we used organic all-purpose flour for making pizza. Bread flour will work equally well if that is what you have on hand and it will give you a slightly chewier crust. You can substitute bread flour for all-purpose flour in equal parts.
I thought I read somewhere that you could put this in the fridge up to seven days but I can’t find where I read it is that correct? Thank you Natasha
Hi Dorene! Yes, it’s in step 3 on the recipe card for “how to make pizza crust.” 🙂
I doubled the recipe as I am having a lot of people over.
When I kneaded it for the 2 minutes, you mentioned it should be sticky. Mine is not sticky. Did I screw up?
Appreciate your reply. i have 4-5 hours to go & hope all is OK?
Hi Diana! It sounds like you could have used too much flour. You can watch the tutorial on how I measure my flour HERE. Also, I am not sure if you read the instructions ahead of time but this recipe requires an overnight (18 hours) cold fermentation in the refrigerator prior to using the dough.
For a quick dough, I recommend this recipe HERE.
I’m excited to try this! Question: I’m considering taking a pizza to a friend who lives about 45min away. If I assemble everything at my house and have her get her oven ready, do you think it’d be okay for her to cook the pizza at her house? I’m not sure if anything would happen with the crust if it sat out a bit.
I’m sure that would be fine, enjoy!
I would give this more than 5 stars if I could. Not only is this the best pizza dough recipe it’s so easy and it cooks so fast that I now include my 2 and 3 year old boys in the pizza making. We use this recipe about once a week now and they call it pizza party night and it’s one night where they actually eat. Thanks for not only a great recipe but some great family memories.
Thank you, it’s my pleasure! I’m happy to know that you love this recipe a lot, Megan!
Finally…a recipe that makes an awesome pizza crust! I know this video is a few years old but I just found it! This is my go-to recipe now for pizza crust. It came out PERFECT! It takes patience to wait for the dough to rise and ferment… but it is worth it! Thank you Natasha for sharing this recipe!
Hi Kim! I’m so glad you found this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m happy you loved it.
Kinda scared to set the old oven to 550 and I dont belive I can even do this high. Can I bake at 450 and just increase the baking time?
Hi Kiarka, 450 will still work, but yes, it will require slightly more time in the oven.
Best video on the internet in how to make the dough & form the dough platter.
A couple of things:
1) If u add the flour to the water with dry ingredients already in, mixing is a lot easier for effort is only needed at the end
2) If u wet your hands before kneading the dough doesn`t stick to hands
3) If u baste the dough with oil & flash cook it 4 a bit to start forming the crust without toppings it will prevent the sauce and toppings turning the dough platter soggy in the middle
4) If u pull out the 2nd oven rack before preheat u can use it to let the cooked pizza to rest and cool without stem given off reducing the crispness of its bottom
Hi Natasha,
Any adjustments for high altitude? We live at 7,000 feet. Also, can I use kosher salt instead of sea salt?
Hi Jessica! Kosher salt will be fine, they are used interchangeably.I don’t have experience with high-altitude baking to advise, but you may find this article from King Arthur baking helpful.
Do you think you could make bread sticks out of this recipe
Have one granddaughter that doesn’t like pizza only breadsticks
Hi laura, that sounds yummy but I haven’t tried making breadsticks out of it. I’ll have to try that. If you experiment, let me know how it goes!
Thank you for this recipe! I have been searching for a good thin crust pizza dough, and this recipe more then meets the challenge. I use bread flour and cake flour, and it turns out great! I finally can just use my hands to make it fit in the pan. I love your video it helped me immensely.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Debbie!
WoW! Thank you Natasha and hubby! This truely is the BEST pizza crust I’ve ever had! I believe your 8 fold method and cold fermentation process is what makes the magic happen! The dough was a dream to work with and out of this world flavor! I used your garlic white sauce which was so easy, quick, and delicious and topped it with freshly sliced mushrooms and rotisserie chicken chunks. I’m 68 years old and have been making pizza for nearly 50 of that, and hands down this beats them all! Thanks again! Hugs.
Hi Pam! I’m so glad you loved this recipe. Thank you for sharing your feedback.
Hi Natasha,
The recipe worked like a charm, but I did have issues stretching the dough and had to use a rolling pin to get it started. Any reason why it may have given me trouble stretching out?
Hi Jamie, I suggest watching the video tutorial to see the process from start to finish. It sounds like it could also be too much flour added if you are seeing it shrink back too much. Be sure to measure the flour correctly since too much will make the dough difficult to work with.
Can I substitute white sugar for the honey? Table salt or kosher salt for fine sea salt?
I make pizza once a week and loved this dough!
Thanks!!
Hi Barbara, yes, the honey in the recipe can be substituted with 1 tsp of sugar. I hope this helps!
Excellent crust! Easy to make just takes a little planning. I used instant yeast and just added it to the dry ingredients and omitted the honey. No need to proof. I let it raise 4 hours then in the fridge for 18 hours. Just in time for dinner! Thanks, it’s a keeper! If you’re ever in Nashville come stay at The Opal House, our vacation rental here!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Debi & for the invite! That’s so thoughtful!
I just tried this recipe and my dough was not light and crispy. I measured everything to the letter but did not take the temp of my water. Do you they no that could be the issue? It was kind of dry while kneading so maybe I needed more water. I will try it again.
Hi Michelle! It sounds like it could have been too much flour. Check out my tutorial on how to measure your ingredients HERE. I hope that helps!
Hands down the best pizza dough recipe around. We have made 10 pizzas so far using this recipe! I bloom the yeast and add the flour and salt into my kitchen aid and let it do most of the work for me. Once it’s smooth I follow all the instructions listed. So easy! Chewy dough and tastes amazing.
That’s wonderful! I’m so glad you love the recipe. Thank you for the feedback.
I’ve made my own pizza dough for almost 40 years. I love to try new things, and tried the pizza dough recipe. It was so delicious!! I loved the fact that I can make it the day before, come home from work and the dough is done! Easy to have homemade pizza on a busy work night!
That’s wonderful, Barbara! Thank you for your feedback.
My dough was so dry when I was mixing it, and yes I spooned and leveled…measured ingredients correctly….I finally added a bit of water and some OO to the dough to salvage it..it turned out just OK, nothing special. I have been baking yeast doughs for over 50 yrs…my suggestion is to add the flour to the liquid until you have the right amount for a good dough.
Hi Carol, did you possibly use a different kind of flour? Also, make sure to measure the liquids in a liquid measuring cup which can help with accuracy. Also, when you click on ‘metric’, you can see measurements in grams which may help.
Excited to try this! Can I let the dough rise longer than 4-5 hours the first time, like overnight?
Hi Stacy, the cold fermention period is important in this recipe rather than letting it sit longer on the counter. If it’s a cooler environment and the dough isn’t proofing as quickly then its probably ok overnight, but if you let it proof at room temperature overnight it may exhaust the yeast and the results won’t be as good.
Do you have to let the dough sit overnight? Or can you let it rise for an hour or so then use it that same day?
Hi Marisol! You’ll see in the instructions above to cover and refrigerate the dough overnight (18 hours). This dough really needs the overnight cold fermentation process to rise properly since it doesn’t have a ton of yeast. This is what differentiates it from a quick dough recipe such as my individual pizza crust recipe HERE which uses more yeast. You may try using the individual pizza crust recipe instead if you want a quicker dough.
Best dough ever! Forms like a dream and holds lots of toppings-easiest and best pizza dough recipe I have ever used-will make again and again-thanks so much Natasha
You’re welcome, Jim! Thank you for the feedback. I’m glad you love the recipe.
I’ve made this pizza dough twice now, and my family loves it. This was the first time I ever attempted making my own dough, I was nervous, but it was easy and fun to do. 😋
Great job, I’m so glad that it was successful!
Hi Natasha,
I love all your recipes .Your vanilla cake recipe is my go to vanilla cake recipe .I’m planning to make this for tomorrow brunch. Should I prepare the dough now and leave it at room temperature until tomorrow morning or would you recommend refrigerate it ? Thanks
Hi! I’m glad you love my recipes. You’ll see in the instructions above to cover and refrigerate the dough overnight (18 hours). This dough really needs the overnight cold fermentation process to rise properly since it doesn’t have a ton of yeast. This is what differentiates it from a quick dough recipe such as my individual pizza crust recipe HERE
which uses more yeast.
Thank you Natasha! I tried as you mentioned in the instructions and it came out soo good .My family loved it.
Happy New Year 🙂
I’m glad it was loved! Thank you for sharing.
I have used a lot of different recipes and both myself and family agree this is our favorite! I use this recipe to make stuffed crusted and cheesy bread too!! So delicious 🤤
Yum! I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Nannette!
Hi again Natasha,
Would you advise for/against using a food processor for this pizza dough recipe?
Also, my Ninja food processor comes with a sharp blade and a dull stubby blade (I think specifically for dough). Would you recommend one or the other?
Thanks again.
Hi John, using a food processor isn’t necessary, and you would risk over-mixing the dough.
Cant wait to try this recipe on my own. My brother made it and it was absolutely delicious. However I don’t own a pizza stone. For past recipes I have used the bottom of a baking sheet thats lightly buttered. Do you think the baking sheet could work if I pre heat it in the oven (no butter) but sprinkle some corn meal on before placing the dough on it? Thank you!
Hi Nicole! Yes, this works on a baking sheet. I hope you love the recipe!
Hi Natasha,
Just to clarify, when your recipe says to use 1/2 teaspoons of active dry yeast, that’s going to be approximately 1/4th of a typical packet of “Fleischmanns Active Dry Yeast,” right?
I ask because other recipes I’ve seen (from other chefs) will simply use the whole packet, as if the quantity doesn’t ever need to be measured. Yeast (like baking powder and soda) is one of those ingredients that’s not obvious to me in terms of determining how much is too little or too much.
Thanks, and I loved the video and I’m looking forward to making this.
Hi John, we measure out 1/2 teaspoon. Some of those packets have About 2-¼ teaspoons in there, so I would measure for accuracy.
We don’t have a pizza steel anymore….would this dough work in a jelly roll pan?
Hi Kristy! Several of my readers have reported making this successfully in a regular pan so it should be fine.
Hey, has anyone replaced the honey with sugar and it worked out? I have a 11 month old so can’t make this with honey yet
It worked amazing! I made it for dinner that night so I didn’t refrigerate it, but it turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Kelly! I’m glad it worked out for you. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve been making my own pizza dough for years. Your recipe has taken my pizzas to a new level. My boys love this crust!!!
Thank you for the great recipe and instructions.
Hi Scott! You’re very welcome! I’m so glad you loved this recipe.
So grateful for you, Natasha, and all your amazing recipes. I’m on my third time making this pizza crust. It’s become impossible to justify the cost of a store bought crust. I have a jumbo amount of instant yeast on hand, and it’s worked perfectly fine. I haven’t mastered the technique yet for shaping the crust, but that doesn’t matter at all. Still tastes amazing.
Isn’t it so great that we can make something so tasty & cheaper right out of our homes?! I’m happy you loved this recipe, Wendy!
Very clear instructions! My wife’s Italian tutor spoke of “folding” the dough eight times, and I could never grasp exactly what he meant until I saw your video. We just finished our first pizza made by using your method. It was great! Many Thanks!!!
I’m so glad this video was helpful, Jim! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Hi Natasha, will this dough freeze well? Can it go from fridge to freezer before being baked? If you can freeze the dough, how long will keep for in the freezer? Thanks
Hi Vicki! Yes, it can be. See my blog on how to freeze pizza dough HERE for instructions.
Hey! I didn’t realize this needed a day to rise! Ahhhh! What will happen if I bake it after the four hour rise period without the overnight refrigeration?
This dough really needs the overnight cold fermentation process to rise properly since it doesn’t have a ton of yeast. This is what differentiates it from a quick dough recipe such as my individual pizza recipewhich uses more yeast.
J’ai essayé plusieurs recettes et celle-ci est la meilleure, merci .
You’re welcome, happy to know that you’re enjoying our recipes!
My dough was not very sticky when I kneaded it prior to letting it rise 4-5 hours. It was a little sticky and all stuck together but hands definitely didn’t stick to the dough. I used 3 1/3 cups of all purpose flour and the exact measurements of wet ingredients. Will this still turn out ok?
Hi Alyssa, without being there, it’s hard to gauge what the dough is like. I recommend checking out our post on how to measure ingredients and definitely follow the exact proportions in the recipe until you feel confident to venture out and experiment.
Hi Natashia, my pizza dough was not at all sticky and I used your exact measurements.
Hi Pat, without being there, it’s hard to gauge what the dough is like. I recommend checking out our post on how to measure ingredients and definitely follow the exact proportions in the recipe until you feel confident to venture out and experiment.
Hi Natasha
I adjusted the recipe by %50 hopping to get 2 15” pizza. I get about 13-13.5 inch? I added 3/4 teaspoon yeast. The dough more than doubled in the first phase. It also doubled after 18 hours in the fridge. The crust still comes out awesome and tastes great. But should the dough rise that much after being in the fridge for 18 hours?
Hi Farrah, it should rise quickly like that. Make sure to adjust the whole recipe properly. Here are the measurements that should be with 3/4 tsp of yeast. Also make sure you are using the correct type of yeast.
1.88 cups warm water, 105-110˚F
0.75 tsp active dry yeast
1.5 tsp honey
0.75 Tbsp fine sea salt
5 cups all-purpose flour,
Thanks very much. I think that’s how I got the adjustment to the measurements. But I do not see that any more.
Can I replace honey with sugar one to one measurement? Allergic to honey.
Hi Farrah, you can click Jump to recipe then click Servings. I haven’t tested that but I think that will work. Let us know how it goes if you test that out.
Hi Natasha,
Your pizza recipe is out of this world. However I have two questions
1- what adjustments to make to the measurements for 2-15” pizza
2- what size containers to store the individual dough balls in. My current one is a Pyrex 8.5” W and 4” H. Too big?
Thank you very much – Farrah
Hi Farrah, If you click on the serving size, you can adjust the size of the recipe up or down and it will adjust the list of ingredients. That is probably a little larger than necessary but it won’t hurt the dough to have a larger container.
Is it okay if the dough rises a bit in the fridge? Mine did.
Yes that’s alright. Let us know how it goes, we’d love to hear!
Hi Natasha,
I just put together this dough to di its first rise for 4-5 hours. I read some reviews and see none for making a deep dish.
My husband found your recipe and wants me to try it. We di ricotta the mozzarella cheese on the bottom covered with toppings then sauce in top. Any suggestions? Pre bake crust at all? We have a very well seasoned pizza pan we will bake in 14 inch. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Angela
Hi Angela, I haven’t tried this to make a deep dish specifically to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I do not have a pizza stone. They’re a little expensive. I do have a metal pizza pan I’ve never used. What are your thoughts?
Love your channel and your wit!
Hi Carla! Several of my readers have reported making this successfully in a regular pan. I’m glad you love my recipes. 🙂
This is the perfect pizza crust! I’ve tried lots of recipes but this is the best and it freezes well. Thanks for sharing Natasha
Wonderful to hear, Kathy! Thanks for sharing.
This is good to know, that you just use All Purpose . I will try this next time. I always use the 00. if it works out that will be great! Thanks Judy
Hi Judy! Let us know how it turns out! 🙂
I’ve been using the recipe with KAF bread flour and it’s down right perfect.
Glad to hear that! 🙂
I can’t wait to try this recipe! Can the recipe be doubled?
Hi Cindy, I have made a double batch before without issues. I doubled all ingredients. I preferred to keep them in the smaller bowls, it was easier to separate them beforehand.
The best recipe I’ve tried in many years! A keeper. I appreciate the detail and skill in your recipes, Natasha. Thank you so much!
I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you!
hi Natasha, quick question. why the discrepancy on your Flour to Dry Yeast ratios in this recipe versus your individual pizza recipe doughs. One has 1/2 TSP of Yeast for 3 1/3 flour… the other 1 TBSP for only 2 cups of flour. Shouldn’t the ratio be the same?
Hi John! This dough really needs the overnight cold fermentation process to rise properly since it doesn’t have a ton of yeast. This is what differentiates it from a quick dough recipe such as my individual pizza recipe which uses more yeast.
I made this recipe yesterday and baked the best Pizza I ever had, using your Pizza homemade Sauce (I used Pomi brand chopped tomatoes because they taste delicious and they have no salt and zero added sugar). Thank you for helping us enjoy pizza without the 2000 mg of sodium and lots of fat. Your crust was also beautifully crusty
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Antoinee!
Tried this pizza crust recipe and it did not disappoint. Made it with the white sauce and added pesto sauce to the white sauce. Added mushrooms, red onion, roasted red peppers, tomato slices, fresh basil and topped it with mozzarella cheese. It was so good.
Thank you for sharing, Michelle! That sounds amazing. 🙂
Your site is very inspiring and informative. Could you please tell me if your dough receipe is good for pan pizza?
Thank-you
Michael
Canadian Pizza Addict..lol
Thanks Michael and yes, that will work too!
Hi Natasha, thank you for the amazing recipe! When I spread out the dough and put it in the pizza pan, it shrinks back up. Do you have any idea on why that might be?
Thank you for your response!
Hi Darya, I suggest watching the video tutorial to see the process from start to finish. It sounds like it could also be too much flour added if you see it shrink back too much. Be sure to measure the flour correctly since too much will make the dough difficult to work with.
Hello! I made a mistake and used 3 1/2 Cups flour instead of 3 1/3 cups flour. Can I still use it? Will it just be a denser pizza? or worst cass scenario? Should I throw away and start over?
Hi Rachelle, I hope it still works out for you. It’s a bit more flour than called for so the dough may be a bit more dense.
Is there a reason why you don’t add oil??
Thanks for your response!
Hi Marie, that’s right, none. We do oil the bowls that we put the dough into but it isn’t necessary to put it into the dough itself and the texture is perfect!
You are awesome and so are your recipes. Your videos are so helpful. Keep doing what your doing. I have made many of your recipes that have become family favourites. Thank you🥰
🍕 turned out awesome and I now make my own pizza sauce
Hi Julia! Thank you so much. I’m glad you love my recipe.
How would you adjust this recipe using sourdough discard rather than dry yeast?
Hi Matt, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Delicious! I made this last night, in the middle of a hurricane. I used a whole packet of yeast and let it rise for 1 hour. Turned it out on a baking sheet and made 1 large rectangle Mexican pizza. We loaded it with ground beef (mixed with taco seasoning) cheddar cheese and baked for about 30 minutes at 425. When it came out, we topped it with diced tomatoes,
shredded lettuce and sour cream. It was sooooo good! I can’t wait to try this as a regular pizza with tomato sauce and mozzerella cheese.
Perfect time to try this recipe and I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Natasha!
This recipe is fantastic! I followed it to the T and my grew-up-on-the-east-coast-with-great-pizza husband absolutely loved it! 🙂
I do have two questions – (1) If I double or triple the recipe for a party, is it better to make one big batch, or two/three different smaller batches? (2) do you recommend keeping the small balls of dough in their own bowls to ferment, or will they be okay if I use a big container to store them all in one?
Thanks in advance for the advice and happy Fall Equinox!
Hi Crystal, I have made a double batch before without issues. I doubled all ingredients. I preferred to keep them in the smaller bowls, it was easier to separate them beforehand.
This is excellent. However, I highly recommend weighing flour with a scale in grams. I’ve made it both ways and get MUCH better results when weighing.
Thank you so much for that suggestion, Katie! If you scroll down to our printable recipe card, most of our recipes have a metric conversion option where you can see weight measurements 🙂 You can also check out our post on measuring which should help.
just my partner and myself…..can I freeze this dough after 2nd rising in fridge? Or should I bake it without toppings then freeze?
Love your recipes!
Hi Carol, see this blog post for reference, “how to freeze pizza dough.”
Hi regarding my previous post back in March. I learned the secret to the nice stretchy, flavorful cheese like in fancy pizza parlors. It’s using whole milk mozzarella instead of part skim. It makes a huge difference. Unfortunately, shredded whole milk mozzarella is hard to find. I only find it at Sam’s club in 5lb bags. Price is same as part skim. Thanks
Hi Luke! Thank you for sharing that with us. 🙂
I accidentally used 2 1/4 tsp of instant yeast , will that effect the dough?
Hi Judy, I haven’t tried this with instant yeast, so I’m not sure how that will affect the rise in the fridge.
After many fails at making pizza dough, I have finally figured out how to make a good crust by following your excellent video. Discovered I wasn’t treating my yeast properly or measuring flour correctly which threw everything off balance. Can’t tell you how happy I was when I turned out that nice silky dough onto my board. Success finally! I also made your white sauce recipe and it turned out excellent. Lots left over so I might use it as a layer in lasagne. Thank you so very much. I learned a lot. Quite happy with the results.
Hi Lita! That’s wonderful! I’m so glad that it turned out for you. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I’m getting rid of all my other pizza crust recipes. This is perfection. I’ve made it before and it was great so I thought I’d give it another go. I had it in the fridge for just shy of 24 hours before using it, and divided it for 3 personal pizzas. This time I added a brush of garlic butter over the crust and pre-cooked it for just 2-3 minutes before putting the toppings on. Can you say DROOL?!? It was perfect! Thank you for bringing my search to an end!!
Love it! Thanks so much for your awesome feedback and review, we’re so glad you love it!
I have made this a few times now. I really like using bread flour over AP if anyone wants to try it that way. It turned out really good. Great recipe!
Thank you for sharing, Cheryl! I’m glad it turned out great!
Nice recipe.
Can I use 00 flour?
If so, same measurements?
Hi John, I haven’t tested it myself, so I’m not sure if the substitution is exact straight across, but I have had one reader report good results using 00 flour.
Very good pizza dough and I’ve tried so many over the years! The only downside is that the dough is so sticky that when kneading by hand, I feel I lose a good chunk of it and feel it is a bit wasteful. Instead of kneading by hand (not the second book folds), I could use a stand mixer with a dough hook? Thank you for sharing your delicious recipes with us!
Feel free to try that if it will make the process easier for you. Thank you for your good comments and feedback, Sophie!
I’ve tried many pizza dough recipes and this is my favorite by far!
So glad you love this recipe, Monique!
hi! i just made the dough and waiting for the first rise. i would like to use the dough for dinner tonight, so about 8 hours from now, and NOT putting in the fridge over night, is that ok?
thanks!
Hi Morgan, this dough really needs the overnight cold fermentation process to rise properly since it doesn’t have a ton of yeast. This is what differentiates it from a quick dough, it’s well worth the wait. Check out this homemade individual pizzas recipe instead.
This is a good recipe, as I prefer the thin crust pizza myself. I’ve made the dough exactly as the directions state and refrigerated only one half overnight, while I baked the other half immediately after the first rise. I honestly could not tell a difference and nobody else in my family could either. Unless you make/eat a lot of homemade pizza dough, I don’t believe you will either.
I’m an idiot. Let the dough rise and forgot to put in the fridge overnight.. think it’ll still be good?
Hi Sara, I’m not sure. Please update us on how it goes!
My oven only goes to 500F. How long should I bake it for?
I love using this recipe and your tutorial video is so helpful!
Hi Rebecca! I’m glad it’s helpful! It may require a few more minutes. You’ll have to watch it in the oven.
I am a junior is college and I made this recipe for a “make your own pizza night.” I had 8 people there but they tend to eat a lot so I doubled the recipe and had some left overs. I was nervous with how little yeast there was but I always follow the recipe at least once before changing it and despite my nerves it worked great. This recipe was requested by my friends and I promptly sent them the link. Highly recommend.
Hi Michelle! Thank you for sharing my recipe. I’m so glad it was enjoyed. 🙂
Taste great but how can I add more bubbles? Fold dough more?
Hi Marie, make sure you’re not pressing all of the air out of the dough as you roll it out.
Could this crust be made Gluten Free and how would I change it? Would GF flour work?
I have not tested this with gluten-free flour. You might also want to check the comments section if someone else already tried it.
I have been searching for the best pizza dough recipe for several years and I do believe yours is the one. At what point can the dough be frozen? Immediately after the first rise, or after the overnight in the refrigerator? Also, what would the thawing and use directions be for dough that has been frozen?
Hi Sheri! I’m glad you found this recipe. I have a blog post on the freezing and thawing process. Click on my recipe link here, how to freeze pizza dough.