Friday pizza delivery adds up fast once you count the delivery fee, the tip and the extra pie someone always wants. Making it at home sounds harder than it is: pizza dough is flour, water, yeast, salt and a little oil, mixed in a bowl and left alone for an hour.
This dough uses regular all-purpose flour, needs no mixer, and makes enough for two 12-inch pizzas or one large sheet pan pizza. We bake it on a plain sheet pan, no pizza stone needed. Below you will also find a no-cook sauce, topping ideas that use up leftovers, and how to freeze dough for future pizza nights.
Serves: 4 to 6 (two 12-inch pizzas) · Prep: 20 min + 1–1.5 hr rise · Cook: 12–15 min per pizza · Keeps: 3–4 days in the fridge (baked pizza)
🍕 What makes a good, simple pizza dough?
Only a few things really matter for home pizza:
- Enough water. A slightly sticky dough bakes up lighter and crisper than a stiff one. Resist adding lots of flour while kneading.
- Salt. It seasons the crust and controls the yeast. Bland homemade pizza is usually under-salted dough.
- Time. An hour's rise works. A slow rise in the fridge over a day or two gives more flavor and better browning, for no extra work.
- A very hot oven. Home ovens do not reach pizzeria temperatures, so preheat at the highest setting, usually 475°F to 500°F, for a full 30 minutes.
All-purpose flour gives a tender crust with a good chew. Bread flour, which has more protein, gives a chewier, more blistered crust if you happen to have it.
🧾 Ingredients
Dough (two 12-inch pizzas)
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, plus a little for shaping
- 2 1/4 tsp (one 1/4-oz packet) instant or active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 tsp salt (use 2 tsp if using kosher salt)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp (265 ml) warm water, about 105 to 110°F (warm, not hot, to the touch)
- 2 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil, plus more for the bowl and pan
No-cook sauce
- 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried oregano or Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt and a pinch of sugar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Topping per pizza
- 1 to 1 1/4 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella (4 to 5 oz)
- Any toppings from the list below
👩🍳 Step by step
- Activate the yeast if needed. With active dry yeast, stir it and the sugar into the warm water and let it sit 5 to 10 minutes until foamy. With instant yeast you can skip this and add the yeast straight to the flour. If the water is too hot, above roughly 130°F, it can kill the yeast.
- Mix. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt (and instant yeast, if using). Add the water mixture and oil and stir with a spoon until a shaggy dough forms with no dry flour left.
- Knead. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead 5 to 7 minutes, pushing it away with the heel of your hand, folding it back and turning it, until it is smooth and springs back when poked. It will be slightly tacky. Add flour only a tablespoon at a time if it truly sticks to everything.
- First rise. Oil the bowl, put the dough in and turn to coat. Cover with a plate or plastic wrap and leave in a warm spot for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled.
- Heat the oven. Place a rack in the lowest position and heat the oven to 475°F (or 500°F if your oven goes that high) for at least 30 minutes. Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl.
- Divide and shape. Punch the dough down and cut it in half. On an oiled sheet pan, press and stretch one half into a 12-inch round or a rough rectangle with your fingertips, leaving a slightly thicker edge. If it shrinks back, cover it and wait 10 minutes; the gluten relaxes and it will stretch easily.
- Top lightly. Spread about 1/2 cup of sauce, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Add cheese and toppings. Too many wet toppings make a soggy center.
- Bake. Bake on the lowest rack 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges are deep golden, the cheese is bubbling and browned in spots, and the bottom is crisp when you lift it with a spatula. Let it rest 3 minutes before slicing. Repeat with the second dough, or save it.
Tip: For a crisper bottom, bake the pizza on the sheet pan for 10 minutes on the lowest rack, then slide it straight onto the bare oven rack for the last 2 to 3 minutes. Direct heat crisps the underside without a pizza stone.
🧀 Which toppings stretch a pizza night further?
Pizza is one of the best ways to use up small leftovers. Cheap combinations we like:
- Leftover roast chicken, barbecue sauce and red onion
- Sautéed onions, peppers and mushrooms from the bottom of the crisper drawer
- Spinach, garlic and ricotta for a white pizza (brush the dough with oil instead of sauce)
- Thin-sliced potatoes, rosemary and parmesan, a classic Roman-style topping
- Leftover chili or taco meat with cheddar and a handful of shredded lettuce after baking
Cook raw meats before they go on the pizza, and pre-cook watery vegetables like mushrooms and zucchini so the crust stays crisp.
🔄 What substitutions can you make?
| Instead of | Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | Bread flour, or half whole wheat flour | Add 1 to 2 tbsp extra water with whole wheat |
| Instant yeast | Active dry yeast | Proof it in the water first, then add a little rise time |
| Olive oil | Any neutral vegetable oil | Flavor is a little milder |
| Mozzarella | Provolone, Monterey Jack, a mix of leftover cheese | Low-moisture cheeses melt without making puddles |
| Canned sauce | Leftover marinara, pesto, or oil and garlic | Use less sauce than you think |
No time for yeast? For a same-day emergency crust, mix 2 cups self-rising flour with 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, knead briefly, and roll thin. It is not the same as yeast dough, but it bakes into a decent flatbread-style pizza in about 15 minutes at 450°F.
Why is homemade pizza so much cheaper?
The dough itself is mostly flour, the least expensive item in the kitchen, plus a packet of yeast. Buying yeast in a jar or a vacuum-packed pound instead of individual packets brings the cost down further; keep opened yeast in the fridge or freezer so it stays active.
Cheese is usually the biggest expense, so it pays to buy a block of low-moisture mozzarella and shred it yourself, since blocks are often less per ounce than pre-shredded bags. Check the unit price on the shelf tag to compare.
To find your cost per pizza, add up a share of the flour bag, the yeast, half the can of sauce, the cheese and toppings. Compare that number with the full cost of delivery, including fees and tip. Most families find the savings large enough to make it a weekly habit.
🧊 How do you store dough and leftover pizza?
Dough: After kneading, the dough can go straight into the fridge in an oiled, covered container for up to 3 days. It rises slowly and gains flavor. Let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before shaping. To freeze, divide the dough into balls after the first rise, coat lightly with oil, and freeze in separate bags for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Raw dough is not a snack. The FDA's guide to handling flour safely warns that raw flour can carry harmful bacteria, and advises against tasting raw dough or letting kids play with it. Wash hands, bowls and counters after shaping.
Baked pizza: Per the FDA's safe food handling guidance, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, so the pizza box should not sit on the counter overnight. Wrap slices or store them in a container and eat within 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a hot skillet with a lid for 4 to 5 minutes, or in a 400°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese bubbles. The FDA's minimum for reheated leftovers is 165°F.
🏁 The short version
Mix 3 cups flour, a packet of yeast, salt, a little sugar, warm water and oil, knead for a few minutes, and let it double. Stretch it on an oiled sheet pan, top lightly and bake on the lowest rack of a fully preheated 475°F oven. One batch makes two pizzas, and the dough freezes for later pizza nights.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my homemade crust pale and soft?
The oven was probably not hot enough, or the pizza baked too high in the oven. Preheat at the highest temperature for a full 30 minutes, bake on the lowest rack, and do not overload the pizza with sauce and wet toppings.
Can I make the dough without kneading?
Yes. Mix everything until no dry flour remains, cover, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. The long, slow rise builds structure on its own. The dough will be sticky, so oil your hands when shaping.
How do I know my yeast is still good?
Stir a teaspoon of yeast and a pinch of sugar into 1/4 cup warm water. If it does not bubble and foam within 10 minutes, the yeast is no longer active and the dough will not rise.
Can I use this dough for other things?
Absolutely. It makes good garlic knots, calzones, breadsticks and flatbreads. Calzones bake at 425°F for about 18 to 20 minutes, until golden and hot inside.