Soft and Chewy Homemade Pizza Dough
By Rebecca St.Clair
This easy homemade pizza dough makes a golden, soft, and perfectly chewy pizza crust. The ultimate base for all of your favourite toppings.
The dough is tender yet holds its shape, making a satisfying pizza that’s crispy on the outside and delightfully soft on the inside. With the perfect flavour and a pillowy texture, you’ll want to save this recipe to make again and again.
How to store homemade pizza dough
Fridge
- Place the dough in a large freezer bag or an airtight container at least double the size of the dough.
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- The dough will slowly rise in the cold temperature.
Freezer
- Place the dough in a large freezer bag or an airtight container.
- Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Remove the dough the day before you want to use it to allow it to defrost in the fridge.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Simple ingredients – Made with only a handful of simple ingredients.
Taste and texture – Deliciously soft and tender with the perfect chewy crust.
Make ahead – Perfect for meal prepping. Keep this dough on hand and you’ll have a quick and easy dinner ready to go any day of the week.
Tips and tricks for the perfect homemade pizza dough
Room temperature dough – Cold dough is much harder to shape and form into a flat round pizza. If you have made the dough in advance and is stored in the fridge, make sure to pull it out 1 hour before you want to use it.
Use your hands – No need to break out the rolling pin for this dough. Use your hands to gently stretch and form the dough.
Cold rise – While you can make this dough and bake your pizza in the same day, making this pizza dough in advance and letting it cold ferment in the fridge overnight improves the flavour and texture of the finished dough.
High temperatures – If you notice that store bought pizza always looks and tastes better than home made, it’s probably because their oven is hotter than yours! Higher temperatures will lead to a better oven-spring of the dough. This makes a crust that is airy and full of holes. It will also make a crisper outside crust.
Type of flour – While all-purpose flour is perfect for this recipe, if you want a superior crust opt for a more protein rich bread flour.
Pizza Stone or steel – While not necessary to cook your pizza, using a pizza stone or pizza steel will help a home oven get that restaurant quality pizza crust. Preheat the baking stone or steel in the oven, they will soak up all of the heat energy. When you place the pizza on top of the red hot stone it will quickly release the heat into the pizza as it bakes. This makes for a crisper crust and better oven spring.
Ingredients
Water – Hydrates the dough and makes a crispy chewy crust instead of using something like milk.
Yeast – Makes the dough rise.
Salt – Flavour.
Oil – Helps the dough stretch and form easily. It also adds flavour and prevents the crust from drying out.
Flour – For a softer chewier crust opt for bread flour in place of all-purpose.
How to Make Easy Homemade Pizza Dough
Method
To make the dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the dough hook attachment or in a large bowl by hand, add 1 ½ cups warm water, 1 teaspoon yeast, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/3 cup olive oil. Mix.
- Add in half of the flour and turn the mixer to a loose batter.
3. Add the rest of the flour. If using a stand mixer, knead for 5 to 8 minutes. It will be more tacky than a typical bread dough but should hold its shape. If by hand, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed for 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Place the dough in large bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. (If you are making this dough in advance, it can be placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge now to cold ferment for up to 4 days)
5. Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour, after that the dough is ready to use for your favourite pizza.
To bake the pizza
- Preheat oven to 475 °F (245 °C). If using a pizza stone or steel, place this in the oven to preheat for 15 minutes.
- Prepare all of your pizza toppings, grated cheese, sauce, meat, veggies, etc.
- Shape the dough with your hands and top the pizza.
- Grease the top of the pizza stone or steel with a little bit of oil.
- Using a floured pizza peel, move the pizza to the stone or steel.
- Bake for 9 – 12 minutes or until the top is golden brown
- Remove from the oven, slice, and serve.
Note: If you do not have a pizza stone, you can make the pizza on a greased baking sheet.
Homemade Soft and Chewy Pizza Dough
This dough makes a golden crust that is tender and holds its shape, making a chewy crust that’s crispy on the outside and delightfully soft on the inside.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups room temperature water 375 ml
- 1 teaspoon dry active yeast 5 g
- 2 teaspoons salt 10 g
- 1/3 cup oil (I use olive oil) 80 ml
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 490 g
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the dough hook attachment or in a large bowl by hand, add the water, yeast, salt, oil. Mix.
- Add half of the flour. Mix to a loose batter.
- Add the rest of the flour. If using a stand mixer, knead for 5 to 8 minutes. It will be more tacky than a typical bread dough but should hold its shape. If by hand, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Place the dough in large bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. (If you are making this dough in advance, it can be placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge now to cold ferment)
- Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour, after that the dough is ready to use for your favourite pizza.
To bake the pizza
- Preheat oven to 475 °F (245 °C). If using a pizza stone or steel, place this in the oven to preheat for 15 minutes.
- Prepare all of your pizza toppings, grated cheese, sauce, meat, veggies, etc.
- Shape the dough with your hands and top the pizza.
- Grease the top of the pizza stone or steel with a little bit of oil.
- Using a floured pizza peel, move the pizza to the stone or steel.
- Bake for 9 - 12 minutes or until the top is golden brown
- Remove from the oven, slice, and serve.
Notes
If you do not have a pizza stone, you can make the pizza on a greased baking sheet.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 150Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 648mgCarbohydrates 31gFiber 1gSugar 0gProtein 4g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Looking for some more delicious homemade bread recipes? These are some of my favourite!
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