The foundation of any great pizza is fluffy pizza dough. The perfect dough should be soft, chewy and airy, creating a base for all your favorite toppings. The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity, as it only requires a handful of basic ingredients that are likely already in your pantry.
Note: This recipe was updated with clearer instructions, but the recipe stays the same.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced home cook, this recipe for fluffy pizza dough is easy to follow, and the end result never disappoints.
I have a small batch version of this recipe, that is also a same-day pizza dough recipe, so if you're a smaller gang you might like to make that recipe instead.
Do you prefer a classic Margherita with fresh mozzarella and basil, a meat lover's pizza with pepperoni and sausage, or a veggie-packed pie with bell peppers and mushrooms? The options are endless, and this pizza dough recipe is the perfect base for your favorite toppings.
And if you're a fan of stromboli or enjoy mini bite-sized pizzas, you'll be happy to know that this dough can be used for those recipes as well.
My favorite sauces for this pizza are my homemade pizza sauce without tomato paste, and my recipe for pizza sauce with cherry tomatoes. Or maybe try my recipe for pizza sauce made from tomato paste, if tomato paste is all you have on hand.
Roll up your sleeves, dust off your countertop, and get ready to make the best homemade fluffy pizza.
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Ingredients Needed for Fluffy Pizza Dough
- water
- sugar
- active dry yeast
- all-purpose flour
- kosher salt
- extra-virgin olive oil
See the recipe below for specific quantities and details.
Instructions
Prepare yeast: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm water (100-110 degrees Fahrenheit or 38-43 degrees Celsius) and sugar, making sure to fully dissolve the sugar. Next, add the packet of yeast. Stir to combine and let rest until the mixture begins to foam, 5-7 minutes.
Prepare the flour. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, add the flour and whisk in the salt.
Add olive oil. When the yeast mixture has become foamy, add the olive oil and stir.
Add flour to the yeast mixture. Set the bowl with the yeast mixture onto your stand mixer. Attach the dough hook and set the speed to low and begin adding spoonfuls of the flour mixture to the yeast mixture until fully incorporated. Next, increase the speed of the stand mixer to medium and let the machine knead the dough for 5-10 minutes.
Check for the right consistency. When the dough is ready, it should be soft and not sticky. A good gauge for readiness is when the bowl of your stand mixer is "clean" with no residual flour in it, as pictured below.
Remove from bowl. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and knead for 5 minutes by hand. This step is not necessary as the stand mixer already did most of the work, but it's a step I enjoy because I can adjust the consistency if a bit more flour is needed.
Shape the dough. Once kneaded, shape the dough into a ball, drizzle with olive oil and put it back into the oiled bowl of the stand mixer. Cover with parchment paper (so that the dough does not stick) and a damp tea towel over that and let rise in a warm corner of your kitchen for 2 hours or until doubled in size. I like to let it rise in the oven with the oven light on or in the microwave.
After rising. Once doubled in size, as pictured below, it's time to prepare the pizza.
Prepare the pizza. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. After the dough has risen, divide it in two. Oil the pans and begin by stretching the dough onto the pan with your hands. This is an exercise in patience! If the dough is not spreading easily, let it sit for 5-10 minutes to relax the gluten in the flour and try again. Never use a rolling pin to spread and stretch the dough because you will deflate all the bubbles in the dough and your pizza will be dense rather than light and fluffy.
Add your toppings. Add the toppings of your choice to create your pizza. Once you've dressed the pizza, let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. This will give the dough one last chance to rise slightly so that the pizza will be thick and fluffy. Then bake the pizza on the lower rack of the oven for 13-15 minutes or until the bottom is lightly golden brown.
Secrets for Success
- Ensure that the yeast you are using is alive and not expired. If you notice that the yeast does not foam up when you begin the recipe, it could be that it has expired or that the water temperature used was not ideal. The water should be between 100-110 degrees Fahrenheit or 38-43 degrees Celsius.
- Do not use a rolling pin to stretch the dough as this will deflate the dough and your pizza will not bake up nice and fluffy.
- If you have a kitchen scale, use it! It is always more accurate when baking to weigh the ingredients. This recipe was tested by weight. But as a very rough estimate, I have also included the volume measure in the recipe card below.
Substitutions
- A large mixing bowl and a wooden spoon can easily replace a stand mixer. If you don't have one, you will need a little bit more elbow grease! Follow the recipe instructions above, except add the wet ingredients to a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir to incorporate. Then add a bit of flour to your hands and knead the dough on a clean counter until a smooth ball of dough has formed and continue with the recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can definitely use quick-rise/instant yeast, you'll just tweak the method a little. Mix the yeast directly into the dry ingredients and skip the sugar entirely. Use warmer water, around 120-130 degrees Fahrenheit, and add the olive oil as you pour in the water. Since the hotter water makes the flour soak up more moisture, you'll need a touch more flour than the original 570 grams to get a smooth, manageable dough. Once it comes together, give it a quick knead, let it rest for about 15 minutes, and you're good to stretch it onto your pan.
You can make the dough earlier in the day and refridgerate it for a slow rise. When you're ready to continue, pull it out and let it sit at room temperature until it doubles in size. Once it's puffed and relaxed, move on with the recipe.
Yes, you can freeze this dough, however, based on my testing, it did not yield the same fluffy results had you made the dough and baked on the same day. If you wish to freeze it, let the dough rise, then wrap it in parchment paper and plastic wrap and freeze it for up to three months. When ready to use, unwrap the dough, let it thaw at room temperature for 4 hours on an oiled sheet pan, covered with parchment paper and a tea towel so the dough does not dry out. After 4 hours stretch the dough onto your pizza pan and continue with the recipe.
Let the dough thaw at room temperature for about 4 hours on a lightly oiled sheet pan. Cover it with parchment and a tea towel so it doesn't dry out. Once it's soft and relaxed, stretch it onto your pizza pan and carry on with the recipe.
If you prefer the slow-and-steady method, thaw it overnight in the fridge. The next day, move it to an oiled sheet pan, cover again with parchment and a tea towel, let it sit for about 1 hour, and then proceed with the recipe.
Storage Instructions
- The pizza will keep in the refrigerator for 5 days. For best results, reheat on the middle rack of a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for 10-15 minutes.
Recipe
Fluffy Pizza Dough Recipe
Equipment
- small mixing bowl
- measuring cups and spoons
- kitchen thermometer
- kitchen scale
- whisk
- stand mixer with a dough hook, or large mixing bowl
- wooden spoon, if making by hand
- 2 9 inch by 13 inch pizza pans, or two 12 inch round pizza pans
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups water 100-110°F, or 38-43°C
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast , or 8 grams
- 570 grams all-purpose flour, or roughly 4⅛ cups
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to oil the ball of dough when rising
Instructions
- Prepare yeast. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm water (100-110 degrees Fahrenheit or 38-43 degrees Celsius) and sugar making sure to fully dissolve the sugar. Next, add the packet of yeast. Stir to combine and let rest until the mixture begins to foam, 5-7 minutes.1 ½ cups water 100-110°F, 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar
- Prepare the flour. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl add the flour and whisk in the salt.570 grams all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- Add olive oil. When the yeast mixture has become foamy, add the olive oil and stir.2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Add flour to the yeast mixture. Set the bowl with the yeast mixture onto your stand mixer. Attach the dough hook and set the speed to low and begin adding spoonfuls of the flour mixture to the yeast mixture until fully incorporated. Next, increase the speed of the stand mixer to medium and let the machine knead the dough for 5-10 minutes.
- Check for the right consistency. When the dough is ready, it should be soft and not sticky. A good gauge for readiness is when the bowl of your stand mixer is "clean" with no residual flour in it.
- Remove from bowl. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and knead for 5 minutes by hand. This step is not necessary as the stand mixer already did most of the work, but it's a step I enjoy because I can adjust the consistency if a bit more flour is needed.
- Shape the dough. Once kneaded, shape the dough into a ball, drizzle with olive oil and put it back into the oiled bowl of the stand mixer. Cover with parchment paper (so that the dough does not stick) and a damp tea towel and let rise in a warm corner of your kitchen for 2 hours or until doubled in size. I like to let it rise in the oven with the oven light on or in the microwave.
- After rising. Once doubled in size, it's time to prepare the pizza.
- Prepare the pizza. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. After the dough has risen, divide it in two. Oil the pans and begin by stretching the dough onto the pan with your hands. This is an exercise in patience! If the dough is not spreading easily, let it sit for 5-10 minutes to relax the gluten in the flour and try again. Never use a rolling pin to spread and stretch the dough because you will deflate all the bubbles in the dough and your pizza will be dense rather than light and fluffy.
- Add your toppings. Add the toppings of your choice to create your pizza. Once you've dressed the pizza, let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. This will give the dough one last chance to rise slightly so that the pizza will be thick and fluffy. Then bake the pizza on the lower rack of the oven for 13-15 minutes or until the bottom is lightly golden brown.
Dave says
Dave from Pittsburgh Pa
I made this dough recipe! It was exactly what I have been looking for ! Excellent , excellent! One tip follow the recipe instructions on baking the pizza . I pre baked the dough one time, mistake. lol do not pre bake.
I’ve made this quit a few times the family really like the dough , airy, fluffy and crispy bottom!
It’s a keeper the only one I’ll use.
Donna Poirier says
Hi Dave! You made my day with your wonderful review. I am so happy to hear that you like this recipe and that has become a keeper-woo hoo!!!
Donna says
This was a really delicious recipe. I made one with just your tomato paste pizza sauce and mozzarella and the second one with veggies on top. I baked it for 15 min but next time I will try 13 min. I baked one in a PC stoneware cookie sheet and the other in a commercial grade cookie sheet I bought from Sam’s club.
Both were equally delicious. I could never get the dough all the way to the corners in either pan but that’s ok.
Both came out crispy on the bottom while staying soft and fluffy on top but the stoneware had a better crunch.
I will definitely make this again.
On the second pizza I put fresh mushroom, onions, green peppers, black olives and garlic powder. We ate every bite!!!
Donna Poirier says
Hi Donna! I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe 😊 I love that you put fresh veggies on the second pizza-that’s right up my alley! Thanks for leaving your review I appreciate it.
Tammy says
Can I freeze 1/2 for another day?
Donna Poirier says
Hi Tammy, great question! The short answer is yes you can freeze the other half for another day but in my testing, the dough is its fluffiest used fresh. In the ‘frequently asked questions’ section of the blog post I go more in depth with the answer if you would like to read more 😊