Go Back
What your homemade pizza recipes need! Just follow a few steps, and you will be well on your way to having the BES… | Easy homemade pizza, Homemade recipes, Recipes

Homemade Pizza with The Easiest Crust

This homemade pizza dough recipe creates the perfect crispy exterior with a soft, chewy interior that rivals wood-fired pizzeria quality. Using simple ingredients and straightforward techniques, it yields enough dough for two 12-inch pizzas that can be customized with your favorite toppings. The recipe is versatile and freezer-friendly, allowing you to enjoy homemade pizza any night of the week.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 350
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • 1 and 1/3 cups (320ml) warm water (about 110°F/43°C)
  • 1 Tablespoon (13g) granulated sugar
  • 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant yeast (1 standard packet)
  • 3 and 1/2 to 4 cups (438-500g) unbleached all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed
  • 2 Tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • sprinkle of cornmeal, for dusting the pan
  • extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
  • 1 cup (250g) store-bought pizza sauce
  • 4 cups (1lb/454g) shredded mozzarella cheese

Equipment

  • stand mixer with dough hook
  • mixing bowl
  • wooden spoon
  • pizza stone (optional)
  • baking sheets

Method
 

Instructions
  1. Whisk the warm water, granulated sugar, and yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes. If you don't have a stand mixer, simply use a large mixing bowl and mix the dough with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula in the next step.
  2. Add the flour, olive oil, and salt. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
  3. Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 5 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 full minutes. If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise.
  4. Let the dough rise in a greased bowl covered with plastic wrap until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours at room temperature.
  5. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Punch down each portion and shape into pizza crusts on cornmeal-dusted pans.
  6. Brush with olive oil, add minced garlic (optional), spread pizza sauce, and top with mozzarella cheese.
  7. Bake in a preheated hot oven (preferably with a pizza stone) at 475-500°F (245-260°C) for 12-15 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.

Notes

The dough can be frozen after the first rise for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight before using. Use the windowpane test to check if dough is kneaded sufficiently - stretch a small piece until thin enough to see light through without tearing.