Quick Homemade Recipe For Pizza Dough (15 Minutes)

This homemade recipe for pizza dough is a staple in our house on Friday nights. Not only will it save you money but you’ll have delicious pizza on the table in relatively the same amount of time it takes to order out. Plus, it’s much healthier.

My kids love to customize what is usually their half of the pizza. And even more, you can turn this one recipe into seven individual pizza dough pieces. Perfect for a night in together with friends or when your kids have their friends over.

YOU’LL HAVE PIZZA DOUGH READY TO BAKE IN AS LITTLE AS 15 MINUTES

Did I mention? You only need six ingredients all of which you probably have in your house right now. So let’s get baking! 

Main Ingredients In This Homemade Recipe For Pizza Dough

You’ll be pleasantly surprised how easy this recipe comes together and with ingredients you likely have stocked in your kitchen.

Yeast: You’ll need a packet of active dry yeast which amounts to 2 1/4 teaspoons.

Honey: The sugar in the honey provides yeast with energy needed to grow. You’ll use about a scant (a little less than full) teaspoon of honey.   

Warm Water: You can use hot water from the tap. The temperature you are shooting for is between 90-110℉. Any hotter and you’ll kill the yeast. I’ve never had to check the temperature of the water with a food thermometer but you can if you’d like. You mainly want it to be warm to the touch but not scorching hot. The recipe calls for 1 1/4 cups.

Flour: You can use a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat, or all whole wheat, or entirely all-purpose. For this recipe, I used 2 cups of all-purpose and 1 cup of whole wheat.

Sea Salt: You’ll need one teaspoon of sea salt. 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: You’ll add about two tablespoons to the mix. 

These six ingredients come together easily to form a nice dough that becomes a delicious pizza crust.

How To Create Homemade Pizza Dough

In as little as, three easy steps you’ll have made the perfect pizza crust that’s ready for your favorite toppings.

PROOF THE YEAST:

In a stand mixer, add the yeast, water, and sugar. With either a dough hook or paddle attachment, mix the ingredients together for a few seconds. Allow the yeast to proof for about 5 minutes. You’ll notice it will slightly foam. If it doesn’t, the yeast may be too old or the water was too hot or possibly too cold.

MIX ALL THE INGREDIENTS:

Next, you’ll add the flour, salt, and olive oil. Again with either a dough hook or paddle attachment, mix the ingredients on medium speed until a nice dough forms and pulls away form the bowl. You can also use your hands to scrape any remnants off the sides of the bowl with the dough ball itself.

Note: If you you find the dough is a bit dry, add more water about one tablespoon at a time. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour about one tablespoon at a time. You want the dough to form a nice ball with all the ingredients coming together and not too sticky to handle. Make adjustments where necessary.   

ALLOW DOUGH TO RISE:

In the same bowl you used to mix, cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm place for about 15 minutes. The dough will not double in size but should be slightly bigger and a little more pliable as the gluten will have had time to relax. 

If you have more time, you can always let the dough rise longer. The dough will eventually double and be more pliable with time. However, I find it doesn’t make a difference in terms of the end result and my kids are always ready to eat as soon as they see me making the dough.

Ready To Bake?

Once you’ve made the pizza dough and it’s ready to go, you can then move on to rolling and pre-baking.

ROLL:  On a lightly floured surface use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to fit the dimensions of a baking sheet, pizza pan, or baking stone, whatever you intend to use for baking. At our house, I use our baking sheet and make a large rectangle. You’ll then finish the edges by hand, slightly rolling the dough over as much as it will go.

Tip: I find that rolling the dough out a couple of times allows it to fill the pan better. I’ll roll it out into a large rectangle, about the length of the baking sheet and roll out the width a little bit. Then walk away and give it about 5 more minutes to relax before rolling to the final size. With an all whole-wheat flour pizza, this is definitely the way to go.

PRE-BAKE: I find this step helpful to avoid a doughy center. You’ll pre-bake for 10 minutes in a 425℉ oven. You’ll want to lightly coat your baking sheet, pizza pan, or baking stone with cornmeal and then place the rolled out dough on top.

ASSEMBLE: Once the dough is pre-baked, you can assemble your toppings. Here is the order I’ve found to be most helpful:

1. Sauce (12 ounces or 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups)
2. Meat (if using)
3. Vegetables
4. Additional herbs and spices (e.g. fresh basil and dried oregano)
5. Cheese (e.g. mozzarella, provolone, romano, and parmesan)

 

BAKE: Once you’ve assembled your toppings, it’s time to bake to pizza perfection. With the oven still preheated to 425℉ you’ll bake the pizza for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has melted. 

This pizza dough recipes makes about 12 slices. 

Topping Ideas

You can create a pizza of your liking based on personal preference. Here are just a few topping ideas to consider:

• Pepperoni
• Chicken
• Ham
• Hamburger
• Sausage
• Bell peppers
• Spinach
• Zucchini
• Mushrooms
• Onion- yellow, red, or green
• Artichokes
• Sliced olives
• Pineapple
• Kale
• Rosemary
• Fresh Basil
• Oregano
• Garlic
• Cheese- mozzarella, provolone, romano, parmesan all work well. 

A 12 ounce jar of pizza sauce or pasta sauce is about the right amount for this pizza dough recipe. This equates to 1 1/4 cups. You can always add more if you’d like. 

How to Freeze Pizza Dough

You always have the option to make this pizza dough recipe ahead of time and freeze for future use. If you choose to go this route, simply follow the three steps above- proof, mix, and rise. You’ll want to make sure the dough has had at least the 15 minutes or more to rise before placing in the freezer. 

After the dough has risen, place it in a freezer safe bag being sure to let out all of the air. The dough will keep for 3-4 months in the freezer. 

How To Thaw Pizza Dough

You can thaw the pizza dough in the fridge 12 hours before you plan to bake it. You’ll also want to give it about 30 minutes to sit out on the counter at room temperature before rolling out. 

Finally, you’ll follow the same steps as above in terms of pre-baking, assembling, and the final bake. 

Want More Healthy Dinner Recipes?

Check out these other healthy, quick meal ideas:

• Flavorful Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers
• Honey Lime Vegetarian Taco Recipe (Sweet Potatoes, Beans, and Corn)
• Turkey Burger Recipe- The Best {Healthy & Flavorful}
• Baked Meatballs (Greek Style)