Easy Homemade Italian Pizza Dough Recipe
The biggest request I get for dinner is “Can we have homemade pizza tonight?” Especially when an unexpected number of teens pop over at the house after school or sports! This Easy Homemade Italian Pizza Dough Recipe is so quick, cheap and oh so YUM!
From this one Pizza Dough Recipe I can make any kind of Pizza recipes I want!
Whether I’m making a pizza with Red Sauce ~ recipe below ~ or a Garlic White Sauce, this basic Italian Pizza Dough is the BEST!
What you’ll love about this recipe:
Homemade Italian Pizza Dough
This yummy Italian Pizza Crust Recipe Can be used for lots of other yummy recipes too! Check out my hot pocket recipes for some fun ideas OR check out this post for even MORE Easy Recipes With Pizza Dough That’s Not Pizza!
Ingredients for two large pizza’s:
There are 3 parts to making dough. Getting the “wet ingredients” ready for the “dry ingredients” then knead and rise your dough mixture.
Step 1 Mix Wet Ingredients:
- 2 Cups warm water
- 2 T brown sugar or white sugar (either is fine)
- 2 T yeast
Whisk together and let the yeast proof…this means you let it sit and get foamy/bubbly (about 10 minutes)
Step 2 ~ Add Dry Ingredients to Wet Ingredients:
- 2 T olive oil ~ this is a wet ingredient but don’t add until your yeast is proofed
- 1 1/2 t salt
- 5 Cups White flour (I use unbleached white flour) If you use wheat…be sure and mix only 1/2 wheat with 1/2 white or your dough will be too dry.
Making pizza dough is crazy easy, but can take a little practice until you feel comfortable with your dough mixture. Don’t give up because this is going to save you so much money and tastes so good!
Step 3 Kneading Directions:
Mix wet and dry ingredients thoroughly and then knead for 5 minutes. Don’t feel intimidated by the term “knead” your dough? See the picture below. All you do is fold the dough toward you then push down and away.
Turn the dough then repeat. Do this over and over for 5 minutes until your pizza dough has a nice smooth elastic feel to it.
After kneading for 5 minutes, put your pizza dough back into your bowl and cover with a cloth. No, I do not oil my bowl, yes it sticks a little when taking the dough out of the bowl but it’s not a problem.
Now let your dough rest and rise for about an hour. When done, split pizza dough in half and roll out 2 pizzas.
Easy Homemade Red Pizza Sauce
You can use your favorite canned spaghetti sauce on top of your pizza…then add Mozzarella cheese and then anything else you want. OR If you would like to make your own pizza sauce here is my deelish recipe:
- 1 small can Tomato Paste
- 1 t olive oil
- 1 t oregano
- 1 t basil
- 1 t salt..I don’t use hardly any of this
- 1/8 to 1/4 cayenne pepper
- 1/2 t. garlic powder
This is a really deelish sauce!
By the way…you don’t have to make your pizza perfectly round..it takes the fun out of cooking.
Helpful Essential Tools for making Homemade Pizza
These are not “must haves” but “nice to haves”
How to Freeze Homemade Pizza Dough
There are two things you can do to freeze your pizza dough.
How to freeze BEFORE making your whole pizza:
Freezing homemade pizza dough is super easy and a total time-saver if you freeze ahead of time. Here’s what I do: after the dough rises, I portion it into balls (about the size you’d need for one pizza),
Then lightly coat each with olive oil, and pop them into resealable freezer bags or any air-tight container. Don’t forget to squeeze out the extra air before sealing!
How to freeze AFTER making your whole pizza:
I roll out the dough on parchment paper (this makes it easier to transfer to baking stone, add pizza sauce and toppings, and then flash-freeze it on a baking sheet or your pizza stone for 1 hour… until it’s firm.
Once it’s set, I wrap the pizza tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and store it flat in the freezer! Just like if you had bought one at the store! When you’re ready to cook your pizza, just thaw the dough overnight in the fridge or bake the frozen pizza straight in the oven. Easy peasy!
Don’t forget to come back and leave a comment to let me know how your Pizza turned out and what else you made with the dough!
Easy Basic Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Cups warm water
- 2 T brown sugar or white sugar
- 2 T yeast
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 1/2 t salt
- 5 Cups flour you can use any kind of flour If you use wheat..be sure and mix only 1/2 wheat with 1/2 white or it will be too dry.
Instructions
- Whisk together and let the yeast proof…this means you let it sit and get foamy/bubbly (about 10 minutes)
- Mix wet and dry ingredients thoroughly and then knead for 5 minutes. Don’t feel intimidated by the term “knead” your dough? All you do is fold the dough toward you then push down and away.
- Turn the dough then repeat. Do this over and over for 5 minutes until your pizza dough has a nice smooth elastic feel to it.
- After kneading for 5 minutes, put your pizza dough back into your bowl and cover with a cloth. You don't have to oil your bowl
- Now let your dough rest and rise for about an hour. When done, split pizza dough in half and roll out 2 pizzas.
- Add your Sauce and whatever toppings you’d like
- Bake your Pizza at 425 for 20 minutes if you have a lot of toppings. If just cheese bake for 15. Always check to make sure you are not burning your pizza.
This is an absolutely AMAZING Italian pizza dough recipe! It’s easy and cheap too! My family LOVES it and I know yours will too!
Hi! Can’t wait to make these…we usually have boys over after church on Sundays…and this would be perfect for them!!!
Yay! These are perfect for an after church lunch. What’s even more fun is to let the boys make their own pizza (roll out and top) Enjoy Robin and thank you for stopping by!
How big is a “small can” of tomato sauce? 8oz or 16 oz?
Hi Brianna! Thank you for asking and good point for sure 🙂 It would be the small 8oz can. I’ll have to fix that in the recipe. Thanks for stopping by and blessings to you!
Looks easy and tasty! My mouth starts watering when I look at the photos of your pizza =) Thanks for the recipe!
Thank You Shari for sharing your ideas with us! God Bless You!
Awww you are so welcome Tony! Thank YOU for stopping by and taking the time to comment! Have a blessed rest of the week!
I don’t have olive oil on hand (today) do you think vegetable oil would taste ok?
Yes you could use vegetable oil. It’s a bit heavy for this recipe but it would work.
Yes you could use Vegetable Oil! It’s a heavier oil but you could use it.
I can’t wait to try the hot pockets with homemade pizza dough! I make homemade bread, homemade cinnamon rolls and homemade coffee bread (same recipe for the last 2 just fix differently at the end! Family recipe! And it takes ALL day- but so worth it!). Do you cook your pizza sauce or just mix it up and pour? On regular bread I knead till it isn’t sticky and can pat it like a baby’s bottom (trick grandma taught me). Do you do the same with pizza dough?! God bless you and I love your site!
Hi Susan..thank you so much for all of your sweet messages! Well let’s see..for my hot pockets I use the same pizza dough and it doesn’t take long at all. Mix up the dough, let it rise and then that’s it..ready to roll!
As far as spanking it…LOL
I have heard of this many times..but I don’t actually do that. I think probably because I wouldn’t actually spank a baby’s behind. LOL But it is definitely the old fashion term 🙂 And yes I know that they wouldn’t spank a baby either LOL I can tell it’s ready when it doesn’t stick to the counter.
Sometimes I will put the pizza sauce into the microwave and heat it for about 1 minute..just enough to mix the flavors together..then I let it sit while my dough is rising..YUM it makes a great sauce 🙂 If I forget the sauce until the last minute..I still heat it for a minute and it’s still good 🙂
Enjoy the Pizza and Hot Pockets! And thank you sooo much for stopping by and blessing me!
My dough is rising as I write this 😉 I found you google-ing homemade hot pockets. Great recipe! I am going to fill mine with chicken, bacon, cheddar and low fat ranch. I also used agave nectar in my dough and half whole wheat flour. Thanks for posting this recipe!
Yum, Yum, Yum Annette…that sounds like a deeelish combination! Feel free to share the recipe to hearts content! Thanks so much for stopping by and blessings to you!
HI Shari, I’ve never tried homemade pizza crust. This looks yummy, I will have to give it a try. Thanks 🙂
And it’s soooo easy too Tammy 🙂 BLessings!
Hi Sheri, This looks wondreful! I am into freezing meals for easier dinners. Would you put this in the oven frozen or let it thaw first? Thank you.
Hi Carrie! You could do it either way 🙂 Just cook a little longer for frozen..I LOVE freezer meals too!! Thanks so much for stopping by.
Blessings to you!
We did 400 for 15 min and it was scrumpdiddlyumpcious!!!
Yay! So happy you LOVED it 🙂 It will be a must in your meal planning now! LOL for some other ideas of what to do with that deelish dough you can go here and make some more yummy stuff that your son will also LOVE! Many blessings Kathleen and thank for letting my know the results of your pizza adventure! You blessed my day! 🙂
What temp and how long? We’re gonna try 400 and start checking after ten minutes. My 13 yrs old son is making this and we’re about to toss it in the oven. He was in heaven smelling the dough!!’
Hi Kathleen! Perfect temp and timing…unless you like a crispier crust then up the temp to 425 🙂 Yay for your son..and you of course since you get to eat his creation! 🙂 Blessings!!
Hi there! I just stumbled upon your site by looking for homemade hot pockets; my kids know I don’t buy them and keep begging for me to find out how to make them. 🙂
Anywhoo, your pizza dough recipe says to use half and half, wheat and white. If I’m using white whole wheat flour would I still need to mix wheat and white? (I’m terribly uniformed on what all this means, and just thought I’d ask you!)
Thanks for any help!
Hi Beth Ann! So happy you stumbled by! 🙂 No you wouldn’t need to mix half and half 🙂 Especially since you are used to using a white whole wheat flour anyway. Hope this helps and hope your kids LOVE the hot pockets..mine do..AND you can put anything in them you like 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and blessings to you and your kiddos!
Now that’s a good recipe. I bake breads and have made homemade pizzas before. The family does enjoy them. What I like about them, is you can put whatever toppings you want on them and you know it’s healthier than ordering one in.
Mmmm I love homemade bread too DM..the problem is that I love to eat it just as much LOL! It is much healthier to make your own for sure. Thanks for stopping by! Blessings!
Oh, this looks so good! I usually use Jiffy pizza crust mix, because it’s so fast. But I’ve always wanted to make the dough from scratch! It’s interesting that you use brown sugar. I’ve never tried that. Does it tasted different from using white?
Hi Ginny! Yay for those Jiffy mixes..I use them for lot’s of things too 🙂 I hope you’ll try the dough sometime though..it’s so easy!! Sunday I will have some other suggestions on how to use the dough that I think you and your family will like…especially the girls 🙂 Brown sugar is just a tiny bit more healthy..only because of the molasses in it 🙂 White sugar is a bit more sweet and more refined.
Love it: “Give up on making your pizza perfectly round” lol When my son was younger, we used to make pizza often and it always came out an octagon shape.
For sure Marie! Who cares as long as it tastes good right!? Thanks for stopping by! Blessings!
Looks yummy! Pizza is my favorite! I tried making it at home- but being a New Yorker- it never lives up to the pizzaria around the corner!
Yes I think some of those pizzaria’s have their secret ingredients! LOL..but this is pretty close and you can do some experimenting with it too. Hope you will try it 🙂 Thanks for stopping by! Blessings!
This looks great! I stumbled & pinned it! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much Erika!!
Blessings!
Do you deliver? Just kidding 🙂 It looks so good and of course I am already hungry so now I am craving pizza. I have never made pizza with homemade crust before, I will have to try this! Thank you for sharing.
It really is soooo easy Dawn..I hope you will try it! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
That sounds and looks amazing!
It’s deeelish Kristen! AND easy! Thanks for stopping by! Blessings!
Oh wow, now I want some pizza! I have never made bread, but I want to try to someday.
Hi Kecia! I hope you will try it..because it really is soooo easy! It’s not as mysterious as it seems..all this breadmaking stuff 🙂 Thanks for stopping by! Blessings!
Yum! Looks delicious! I think I might just have to try this recipe 😉
It is deelish Trish! Hope you give it a go! Let me know if you do and how you like it. Thanks for stopping by! Blessings to you!
This looks great. I pinned it to share and save. Thanks!
Yay! Thanks Danielle! You’ll love it..and it’s so easy 🙂 Thanks for stopping by! Blessings!
This really looks delicious! Yum!
Hi JDaniel4’s Mom! It is deelish and sooo easy! Hope you will try it 🙂 Thanks for stopping by! Blessings!
Thanks for sharing Shari! I found your blog through the Saved by Grace Blog Hop. As a working Mom, I don’t do a great job of cooking but I’m trying to start! I just started a cooking challenge for myself, so I’m sure your blog will help me to find easy and delicious recipes to make for my family!
Hi Katherine! I’m so glad you “hopped” over from the Saved By Grace Blog Hop!! It’s so hard when you are a working Mom to have the energy every night to fix a healthy meal..I know..I did it for YEARS 🙂 I have some great Chicken and Ground Beef freezer meals you could try that are REALLY EASY! I hope these help and look forward to seeing you around! Blessings!
That looks delicious!
It is and sooo easy Danielle! I hope you will try it 🙂 Thanks for stopping by! Blessings to you!
mmm that looks so good. I can’t wait to make this.
Hi Mellissa! Thanks for stopping by! This is soooo easy to make..I hope you enjoy!
Blessings!
Thank you Shari!! It sounds like a great recipe! I can’t wait to try it!!
And sooo easy Debbie! Hope you enjoy..and thanks so much for stopping by!
Blessings!
Our house was always like that too. We had but two kids, but that isn’t how many hung out at our place. I was always glad to have the extras. From the time the kids were small, I’d much rather have had them at our house than someone’s whose parents I didn’t know.
Hi Sandy! Yes I would totally rather have the kids at our house..I feel blessed that the Lord recently moved us right by the High School. Thank you so much for stopping by! You are one busy lady and a great example to me 🙂 Blessings!