Here you get a quick and super easy recipe for pizza dough for homemade pizza. I’ve been testing for six months now to hit on the perfect basic recipe for homemade pizza dough, which you can go back to every time you want pizza because it’s absolutely right in the cupboard now! I have made a complete guide for you so that you can learn much more about all the parameters that are important in relation to a good Italian pizza! You know, the one with a crispy crust, good air bubbles and chewiness.
This recipe for pizza dough is for those of you who have an urgent desire for pizza because you can make the dough in under two hours. The recipe is also for those of you who want to be on time – that’s why you can also read more about how to make a cold-risen pizza dough that needs to rise in the fridge. It is much better because the dough can develop flavour.
I hope you would like to learn more about the perfect pizza dough and read all my tips for choosing flour, amount of yeast, rising time and baking. I also come to the bottom with inspiration for filling.
ATTENTION! It is important for me to emphasize that the absolutely perfect pizza base that you buy from the local pizzeria always has a particularly good crispy crust. There is a natural explanation for this, and it is due to their pizza ovens. They can draw a much higher heat, which ordinary ovens do not come close to. But good news – there are several good solutions so that you can get close to the perfect pizza base, for example, a baking steel or pizza oven. Read along with the recipe.
Homemade pizza – a guide to the best basic recipe for easy pizza dough
You can find many recipes for pizza everywhere. I have tried several myself, and have been both pleasantly surprised and disappointed. I have taken the experience with me to create my own pizza dough – exactly the way I like it best. And a pizza dough that I can slap together on a normal weekday when the pizza hunger strikes.
At home, we have gradually tested so many pizza bases to ensure a good basic recipe for pizza dough, including types of flour, rising time, amount of yeast, baking, crumb etc. Because when you have to make pizza there are some important parameters you have to keep an eye on – below I have collected all my experiences.
Recipe for easy and quick dough for a crispy pizza base
It’s easy enough to make pizza dough, but a good pizza dough requires a little extra. You must not compromise on these three parameters:
Choice of flour type: Go for flour with a high protein content, preferably pizza flour such as Tipo 00 – minimum 10 g of protein per 100 g or more. Regular wheat flour can also be used but is nowhere near as good. I always use Caputo brand flour, it has a high protein content and great baking ability (I share a link in the recipe to where you can buy it). You can also add a little durum wheat flour, which gives a good structure to the pizza.
Amount of yeast and rising time: A good pizza dough does not need large amounts of yeast. It is a misunderstood concept. Too much yeast can both be difficult to control, but also make the pizza taste too much of it. It is an unfortunate experience!
Heat:
The heat is insanely important for a good crumb and crust! The temperature is important during baking, and you must finally bake at full heat. But the substrate for the pizza base also plays a role. Feel free to use baking steel or even better, a pizza oven if you have one! I am super happy with our outdoor pizza oven that gives the perfect crust and crumb EVERY TIME. A third option is to put a baking sheet in the oven and let it heat up with the oven – that way the baking pan acts as a “baking steel”.
Great tips for the best Italian pizza!
Cold proofing: You can easily make a cold proofed pizza dough, read below how and read the recipe for the exact procedure. Unrolling: Be careful when rolling out – use your hands rather than a rolling pin to preserve the air bubbles. The rolling pin is a no-go! Baking steel: I recommend baking steel or baking stone for your oven. I myself only use a pizza oven or baking steel.
Baking tray: When you have baked your pizza, put it on a baking tray so that you retain the crispiness.
Whole wheat pizza or coarse pizza dough: You can replace 10% of the flour weight with whole wheat flour. For example, if you have 500 g of flour, then the 50 g must be wholemeal flour. You can also check out my whole wheat pizza recipe.
Cheese on pizza: Many kinds of cheese go well with pizza, there is of course the classic mozzarella, which with its mild taste and good melting ability is perfect for most pizzas. In addition, blue cheese and goat’s cheese are really good for giving a pizza character. Parmesan also works really well but is best when added freshly after the pizza has come out of the oven.
How to make cold-risen pizza dough:
Why cold-proof the pizza dough? Exclusively for the sake of taste and suppleness. But it is also smart if you want to prepare your pizza dough the day before.
Ingredients
Classic pizza dough in a few hours!
195 g of water
6 g of yeast
300 g Tipo 00 wheat flour
6 g flake salt
Cold-risen pizza dough
195 g of water
3 g of yeast
300 g Tipo 00 wheat flour
6 g flake salt*
Kitchen equipment
baking steel*
Condi buckets*
Notes
Hint! If you want an even more elastic dough that is easier to work with, you can do an autolyse. This is done by mixing water and flour together, leaving it for 1 hour. Stir yeast together with 1 tablespoon of water and then add. Continue as described above.
Mel: Try Blue Caputo! I can really recommend using this blue Caputo flour, which is quality wheat flour directly from Naples, Italy 🇮🇹 It makes the most beautiful pizzas because the flour has a lot of protein (13%), which makes the gluten elastic and stretchable. It makes the dough extremely good to work with, and it is said that it helps the Italians to be able to swing their pizza dough on their fingers without it breaking through TRY IT!
Course of action
- Classic pizza dough in a few hours!
- Bring water, approx. 22 degrees, in a mixing bowl and stir the yeast into the water. Add the flour and knead the dough for 8 minutes on medium speed. In the last minute, the speed is increased, and in the last 20 seconds, the salt is added.
- Turn the dough out onto a table and divide it in half. Form each dough into a ball, sprinkle flour on top and cover with a cloth.
- Let the dough rise at room temperature for approx. 1-2 hours, depending on the temperature in the room.
Cold-risen pizza dough
- Put cold water in a mixing bowl and stir the yeast into the water. Add the flour and knead the dough for 8 minutes on medium speed. In the last minute, the speed is increased, and in the last 20 seconds, the salt is added.
- Put the dough in a plastic bucket, e.g. a condi bucket*, and put it in the fridge until the next day. Let the dough rise for a minimum of 12 hours, preferably 24 hours.
- Approx. 1 hour before the pizza is to be made, the dough is poured onto a table, divided in half and each dough is shaped into a ball. Sprinkle flour on top and cover with a cloth.
Homemade pizza with optional toppings
Form each ball into a round pizza with your hands, on a floured table. Approx. 25 cm in diameter. It is important that you do not use a rolling pin as this will break the air bubbles. In the video below, you can see how to work with the dough, from the centre to the edge. That way, you don’t knock the air out of the edges of the dough, but preserve it. It gives a delicious crust that is also airy!
Now add the desired filling. Tip: This pizza sauce is super good as a base!
In a regular oven
- Turn on the oven on hot air at the highest number of degrees that the oven can draw and let it get smoking hot – takes approx. 30-45 minutes. Leave a roasting pan in the oven so that it also gets piping hot.
- Put the pizza on a piece of baking paper and then put it on the hot baking pan and bake it until it is done, between 5-10 minutes on the highest heat of the oven. The minutes depending on your oven’s distribution of heat and how much it can rise in degrees, so keep an eye on your pizza!
In a regular oven with a baking steel
- Turn the oven on hot air at the highest number of degrees the oven can pull and put the baking steel in – I use this*. Let the baking steel heat up completely, it takes approx. 30-45 minutes.
- Put the pizza on the baking sheet and bake until the pizza is done, between 5-10 minutes at the oven’s highest heat.. The minutes depend on the distribution of heat in your oven and how much it can rise in degrees, so keep an eye on your pizza!
In the pizza oven
- If you have a small pizza oven on e.g. gas, this is the absolute best solution! These can usually rise to higher degrees and this means that you get better baking than in a regular oven – a bit like at your local pizzeria
- Turn on the pizza oven and let it heat up for approx. 20-30 minutes. Put the pizza in the oven and bake it for 2-3 minutes. You know your pizza oven best!
Questions and answers for the recipe for a good homemade pizza dough
How many grams of pizza dough do you need for one pizza?
A pizza dough corresponds to about 250 g in my recipe. This means you get a pizza with a rolling diameter of 25-30 cm.
Can the recipe be multiplied if there are several people?
Yes, if you need more than two pizza doughs, you can simply multiply the recipe up so that it fits the number of people you are.
Can you freeze pizza dough?
You can do that. However, I recommend that you bake your pizza bases (either with tomato sauce or without), let them cool and then throw them in the freezer.
When you feel like pizza, take out the pizza dough at least 2 hours before and make your pizza the way you like it best! Bake it at 180 degrees, hot air for 5-8 minutes. Then you have a delicious homemade frozen pizza!
Can I put sourdough in my pizza dough?
You can easily add sourdough to your pizza dough. Add the equivalent of 10% of the total weight of flour to sourdough. For example, if you have 300 g of flour, then 30 g of sourdough must be added. Stir in the sourdough together with flour, water and yeast. You can also indulge in a sourdough pizza baked 100% on sourdough. Sourdough pizza gives a deeper flavor, and it’s the pizza dough I make the most.