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A simple basic pizza dough that’s ready the same day. This recipe will show you how to make two large oven tray pizzas for sharing.
The base of a pizza is a pretty big deal, some like it thin and crispy and others thick and fluffy. With this easy basic pizza dough, you can adjust the thickness of your pizza to your liking and it will come out perfect every time, all you need is some simple pantry ingredients.
I’ve been making homemade pizzas since I met my boyfriend (10 years ago) and I’ve been hooked ever since. I never never never buy store bought pizzas, the bases are dry and very unappealing to me plus the fact that there are almost always some nasty ingredients thrown in for good measure.
Making homemade pizza dough is so easy and fun, who doesn’t like decorating their own pizza and choosing their favourite toppings? It’s just as fun for me as I’m sure it is for kids and it makes pizza night so much more entertaining.
How To Store Pizza Dough?
At room temperature – When making pizza dough to use on the same day it’s best to leave it in a warm dry place for it to rise. Leaving it in a bowl wrapped with lightly oiled cling film or a damp tea towel at room temperature is perfect.
In the fridge – If you plan to make your pizza dough the day before it’s best to store it in the fridge. Don’t worry about it being cold, the dough will still rise it will only take longer. If you are leaving your dough for 24 hours then that is plenty time for it to rise into a light and airy dough.
Can pizza dough be frozen? You can freeze homemade pizza dough no problem. Once you have let the dough rise, knock the air out and divide it into portion sizes. I normally make 2 large pizzas at home to share so I divide it in 2. You can divide it into single portion sizes then wrap it in a ziplock freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Tip- You can also freeze any leftover pizza that has been cooked with all its toppings. Simply defrost the pizza either in the fridge or a room temperature and reheat it in the oven.
What Is The Best Flour To Use To Make Pizza?
I always used to use type 00 flour to make pizza dough until I moved to Italy and found out that the best type of flour to use is type 0. I now always use type 0, it’s the best type of flour to use for this best basic pizza dough.
Type 0 flour is a soft wheat flour, richer in gluten than type 00 it creates a more elastic and robust dough making it perfect for pizzas. Type 00 is a great alternative although will result in a softer dough.
If you can get your hands on type 0 always use it, if not the second option would be type 00 and if you’re unlucky enough to not find any of them then normal all-purpose flour will have to do. It’s not the end of the world, you’ll still have great pizzas.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItIdeas for homemade pizza toppings;
- Pizza Napoli
- Basil pesto pizza with mozzarella and roasted cherry tomatoes
- Quattro stagioni – four seasons pizza
- Prosciutto cotto (ham) and artichoke heart pizza
- Burrata with salami, olives and capers
- Cheesy speck and mushroom pizza
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The Best Basic Pizza Dough Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 grams type 0 flour, (4 cups or 1.1 lbs) can also use type 00 flour
- 2 tsp fast action dried yeast, (7g)
- 320 ml lukewarm water, ( 1 and 1/3 cups)
- 1 pinch pinch salt
Instructions
- Add the yeast to the lukewarm water and set aside for 5 minutes.
- Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the yeast and water and start to mix it together until a rough dough forms. If it's too sticky you can gradually add a little more flour.
- Dust a clean work surface with a little flour and knead the dough for 10 minutes until it's smooth and soft. If you lightly press your finger on the ball of dough it should spring back up easily.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large bowl. Cover with cling film or a damp tea towel and leave at room temperature to prove for at least 4-6 hours.
- About 1-2 hours before you plan on using the dough split it in half and shape it in to two balls (make sure to keep it covered).
- Dust a clean work surface with flour and roll each piece of dough out to fit your baking tray (dust your trays with flour too). Top with your desired toppings and bake your pizza at the highest setting your oven will go for about 10 minutes or until the crust is crispy and slightly golden.
Notes
- Type 0 flour can be replaced with type 00 or all-purpose flour.
- This dough make enough to make 2 large pizzas that serve 4-6 people
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Great recipe, dough was delicious. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong though, everytime I make pizza the middle is always soggy and not cooked properly. Should I be cooking it for a few minutes first? The oven was the hottest it could be 250°C and I even went sparingly with the toppings.
Thanks!
Hi Caitlin, it could be that you need a hotter base to cook the pizzas on. I’ve switched from using baking trays to a pizza stone (they don’t cost too much) and pre-heat the stone in the oven for 45 mins so it gets extra hot. It give the pizzas a delicious crispy base and I’ve never had an issue with them not cooking right through. Alternatively, you could pre-heat your baking tray, just be careful when you’re assembling the pizzas. It’ll help to use large trays. Emily.
Hi Emily, I wonder if this crust can be made gluten free? All your recipes look so wonderful and delicious, thanks for your hard work in publishing them. In my youth, my grandmother who was from northern Italy made the most incredible meals and yours reminds me of those days. I look forward to each and every one of your emails. Thank you!
Ciao Michele, I’m not familiar with gluten free dough so can’t advise you on that one but I don’t think it’s as simple as using gluten-free flour. I think you’d also need to add xanthan gum or something similar. So happy to have you following along, I hope you enjoy the recipes!
Can I leave the proving longer than 4-6 hours as I started it too early. I’ll be using it about 2 hours later than the 6 hours. Do I leave it out or put it in the fridge? Thanks!
Hi Beverly, you should be fine to leave it for that long out of the fridge just make sure it’s in a cool place if you’re ambient temperature is quite warm.