Pizza night is a staple in many American homes — but most chain-restaurant pizza is heavy and made with mediocre ingredients. That’s why having a good homemade pizza recipe is a game changer. Making it yourself means serving a lighter, healthier, and tastier version — and it’s fun too. Plus, you can use chemical-free Italian or French flour — you can read more about flour here.
Once you master homemade pizza, it’s hard to stop yourself.
The trickiest part is the dough. There are countless ways to make it, but after testing many variations, I’ve landed on this technique because it’s fast, easy, and — once you get the hang of it — foolproof.
As with all the recipes I share, the goal isn’t perfection. It’s to help you make something impressive, delicious, and simple enough to become a regular part of your routine.
Print
With this recipe, you can make pizza dough in about 3 minutes using a stand mixer with a dough hook, and roll it out just as quickly with a simple technique.
Once you get the hang of homemade pizza, you might find yourself skipping the takeout menu. Plus, you can always keep some in the freezer for a quick dinner or school lunch — I do!
This recipe makes enough dough for two thin-crust pizzas, each ready to roll out on a full-sized cookie sheet (18 x 26 inches).
550 g (4 cups) of type 00 flour (see notes below)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 packet active dry yeast, or about 2 teaspoons
1 1/2 cups water, warm but not hot
1-2 tbsp olive oil
Equipment:
A stand mixer with a dough hook
A full-sized cookie sheet - or two halves
2 pieces of parchment paper to fit the cookie sheet
A rolling pin (or wine bottle)
Rolling out the dough:
I use Italian 00 flour, grown and milled in Italy, to avoid glyphosate. It creates a light, airy, and easy-to-digest dough. You can read more about flour and where to buy it here.
If the dough doesn’t rise, bake it anyway. It will be like a flatbread — and still delicious!
You can freeze the dough before or after it rises. If you're freezing it before the rise, it will still rise when thawed. Just take it out of the freezer in the morning, let it sit at room temperature during the day, and it will be ready by dinnertime.
Leftover pizza also freezes well. Reheat at 350° F for a quick and easy meal.
Make the dough in the morning or early afternoon and let it rise while you go about your day. When it’s time for dinner, it takes just a few minutes to roll out and bake. You’ll have the best pizza dinner!
Dellalo is a brand of flour that is available in many grocery stores.
It really takes about three minutes to make with a stand mixer.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap, then a towel.
After about 2 1/2 hours, it's ready to roll!
Slice and serve.
Leftovers are great for school lunches.
For the flour, I like to use the brand DeLallo. You can find it in many grocery stores. If you don't see this brand, look for any brand of 00-type flour. You can substitute it with all-purpose, but you may need more water.
If your pizza dough does not rise, fret not. This can happen because the yeast is not active. It will turn out like a flatbread and still be delicious.
You can freeze leftover pizza and warm it at 350° F for an easy dinner. You can also freeze the dough. I have frozen the dough before and after it rises. If you freeze it before it rises, it should rise when it thaws. Take the dough out of the freezer in the morning and let it thaw during the day, and you will have a fantastic family dinner.
