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Easy Fluffy Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe Perfect for Beginners

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This easy fluffy homemade pizza dough recipe is beginner-friendly, quick, and delivers a soft, pillowy crust with a chewy center. Perfect for casual dinners, parties, and customizable for various dietary needs.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour (about 440g)
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast (one packet)
  • 1 ¼ cups warm water (around 105°F / 40°C)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for coating
  • Optional: semolina flour for dusting
  • Optional: herbs or garlic powder for flavor twist

Instructions

  1. Activate the yeast (5 minutes): In a large bowl, combine warm water (about 105°F/40°C) with sugar and yeast. Stir gently and let it sit until frothy and bubbly on top.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients (2 minutes): Whisk together the flour and salt in another bowl or directly in your mixing bowl if large enough.
  3. Combine wet and dry (3 minutes): Pour the yeast mixture and olive oil into the flour mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or dough whisk until it forms a shaggy dough.
  4. Knead the dough (8-10 minutes): Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by hand until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky.
  5. First rise (1 to 1.5 hours): Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the dough inside, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size.
  6. Divide and shape (5 minutes): Punch down the dough, divide into two equal portions for two medium pizzas or keep whole for a larger one. Shape each portion into a tight ball.
  7. Second rise (30 minutes): Place dough balls on a floured surface, cover, and let rest for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.
  8. Stretch or roll out (5-10 minutes): Shape the dough into desired pizza size and thickness by hand or rolling pin.
  9. Bake with toppings (10-15 minutes): Transfer dough to a pizza stone or baking sheet dusted with semolina flour. Add toppings and bake in a preheated oven at 475°F (245°C) until crust is golden and toppings bubbly.

Notes

Use water at about 105°F to activate yeast without killing it. Let dough rise fully until doubled for best texture. If dough is sticky, add flour sparingly. For a crispy crust, preheat oven and pizza stone well and dust with semolina flour. Dough can be refrigerated up to 24 hours or frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: pizza dough, homemade pizza, easy pizza dough, fluffy pizza crust, beginner pizza recipe, yeast dough, pizza night

Find it online: https://fizzlefork.com/easy-fluffy-homemade-pizza-dough-recipe-perfect-for-beginners/