With the cost of dining out on the rise, we’ve discovered that Homemade Pizza with Pizza Dough can taste just as good as your favorite pizzeria. Don’t spend hours waiting for your home made pizza dough to be ready- stock up on pre-made dough from your local grocery store. These dough balls make it possible to feel like you are eating a homemade pizza, without the wait!
After years of trying to perfect our homemade pizzas we have found the best store bought pizza dough is from Trader Joes. You can freeze trader joes pizza dough for 2-3 months making it always available to you when a pizza craving hits! However, many grocery stores also carry pre-made dough balls- look in the deli section or the refrigerated dairy section.
If you can’t find store-bought pizza dough try making your own! Our favorite is Sourdough Pizza Dough.
Content Covered Here
Why We Love Pizza From Store Bought Dough
- Feels home made- it looks home made, feels home made and tastes exactly how you want it to! Using pre-made dough saves you time and effort, but still tastes like you’ve made the dough yourself. I used to exclusively make our pizza dough from scratch, but having the convenience of picking up pizza dough balls from Trader Joes has saved me so much time.
- Pizza anytime you want- we have incorporated pizza dough balls into our weekly grocery trip so we can have pizza whenever we are craving it! It stores well in the freezer as well, so feel free to stock up!
- Perfect for parties, events, or a fun dinner- I’ve always gotten compliments when I have hosted pizza bar parties. Everyone loves the novelty of being able to create their own pizzas from scratch.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Olive Oil– Can substitute with melted butter or garlic-infused oil for extra flavor.
- Cheese-Freshly shredded mozzarella, provolone, fontina, or a blend of Italian cheeses all work well. To use fresh mozzarella, press the slices with paper towels to remove the excess moisture. For a sharper flavor, increase the amount of Parmesan.
- Marinara– use our home made marinara sauce recipe or your favorite store bought brand. You can also use white sauce, we recommend using our Alfredo sauce, but store bought will work as well.
- Pizza dough– Any brand of store-bought dough works. Look for it in the refrigerated section near the dairy or the deli department. You can also use our homemade pizza dough recipe, frozen pizza dough (thaw completely first), or even naan bread for mini pizzas.
Recipe Variations
- Mozarella Basil Pizza: Use fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, fresh basil, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze after baking.
- White Pizza: Skip the red sauce and brush with garlic olive oil. Top with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and fresh herbs.
- Chicken Bacon BBQ Pizza: Use our home made BBQ sauce. Use the BBQ sauce instead of pizza sauce. Top with cooked shredded chicken, red onion, crumbled bacon, and a blend of mozzarella and cheddar.
- Veggie Supreme: Load up with bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, olives, spinach, and artichoke hearts.
- Meat Lovers: Pepperoni, Italian sausage, bacon, and ham with extra cheese.
- Breakfast Pizza: Top with scrambled eggs, cooked bacon or sausage, cheddar cheese, and finish with hot sauce after baking.
- Dessert Pizza: Brush dough with melted butter and cinnamon sugar. Bake until golden. Top with Nutella, sliced strawberries, and powdered sugar.
Equipment
- Two large baking sheets or pizza pans
- Pastry brush or spoon for olive oil
- Pizza cutter or sharp knife
Helpful, but optional:
- Pizza stone (instead of the baking sheet or pans)
- Parchment paper
- Pizza peel
- Kitchen scale
How to Make Homemade Pizza With Pizza Dough
- Remove dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 475°F. If using a pizza stone allow it to preheat with the oven.
- On a lightly floured surface stretch and dimple the dough into a 10-12 inch circle. Avoid pressing down on the outer rim (the crust) to allow for airy, bubbly crust.
- Brush the dough lightly with olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup of pizza sauce over the surface. Brush the edges with a little sauce for even browning.
- Sprinkle with mozzarella, add your favorite toppings, and finish with parmesan (if you’d like). Bake 12 to 15 minutes, rotating halfway, until the crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.
- Let cool 2 to 3 minutes. Slice and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions for Pizza From Store Bought Dough
Serve this home made pizza with a salad, our sourdough garlic bread recipe, or even a charcuterie platter. You can also set up a pizza station for family or friends. Divide the dough balls into halves (for more of a personal size), flatten them into a pizza shape and place on parchment paper. Then have guests pick toppings- set out bowls of veggies, meats, and cheeses. It is a lot of fun for entertaining or celebrating.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Shred your own cheese! For that classic cheese pull, shred your own cheese. Store bought shredded cheese has anti-caking ingredients that keeps the cheese from clumping up but also keeps it from melting smoothly.
Recipe FAQs
Why does my dough keep shrinking when I’m trying to stretch it?
Likely your dough is still too cold and gluten is too tight. Your dough ball needs to sit out for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to two hours. To speed up this process you can keep the dough in a warm room (75°F) to rest.
How long does store bought dough last in the fridge?
Most store bought dough. balls last 3-5 days in the fridge. Check to see if there is an expiration date on the packaging.
Can I use a rolling pin?
You can but this will make for denser, flatter crust because t releases all the natural air pockets. Try hand stretching or dimpling the dough out with your fingers.
Other Pizza Recipes to Consider
If you tried this pizza from store bought dough recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Easy Homemade Pizza with Store-Bought Dough
Homemade pizza in under 30 minutes! Store-bought dough makes it easy to enjoy crispy, cheesy pizza any night of the week.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Equipment
- two baking sheets - or pizza pans
- pastry brush - or spoon for olive oil
- Pizza Cutter - or sharp knife
- pizza stone - optional (use instead of baking sheet)
- pizza peel - optional
- kitchen scale - optional
Ingredients
For the Pizza
- 2 packages Trader Joe's pizza dough 16 oz each, or any store-bought pizza dough, or homemade pizza dough
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 cup pizza sauce 8 oz, or marinara sauce
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 12 oz
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 oz
- flour or cornmeal for dusting
Optional toppings (choose your favorites)
- pepperoni slices
- italian sausage cooked and crumbled
- sliced mushrooms
- bell peppers thinly sliced
- red onion thinly sliced
- black olives sliced
- fresh basil leaves
- red pepper flakes
- garlic powder or minced fresh garlic
Instructions
- Remove the pizza dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (and up to 2 hours). This allows the gluten to relax and makes the dough much easier to stretch. The dough should feel soft and pliable, not cold and stiff.
- Place your oven rack in the lowest position. Preheat your oven to 475°F. If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven while it preheats for at least 30 minutes.
- Lightly grease two baking sheets with olive oil or line them with parchment paper. If using parchment, lightly dust with flour or cornmeal to prevent sticking.Lightly flour your work surface.
- Working with one dough ball at a time, gently stretch and press the dough into a 10-12 inch round (or oval, or rectangle – whatever shape your pan is). If the dough springs back, let it rest for 5 minutes and try again.
- Try to avoid pressing down on the outer circle where the “crust” is for the best rise. Instead work the inner circle out towards the edge by stretching gently, placing the dough on top of the top of your hands and gently pulling while working your hands around the dough in a circle. You can also lay the dough flat and dimple (with your fingers) the dough out from the center working outwards.
- Carefully transfer the shaped dough to your prepared baking sheet. If using parchment paper, you can shape the dough right on the parchment and transfer the whole thing to the pan.Brush the surface of the dough lightly with olive oil. This helps create a barrier so the sauce doesn't make the crust soggy.
- Spread 1/2 cup of pizza sauce evenly over each dough round. Use your basting brush to lightly brush the dough edges with the pizza sauce. It allows the edges to bake evenly and turns them a nice golden color. Evenly sprinkle the top with mozzarella cheese, then add your desired toppings. Don't overload the pizza or it will be soggy. Finish with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown in spots. If baking both pizzas at once, swap the positions of the pans halfway through for even baking.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes. Slice and serve hot.
Notes
Nutritional facts calculated as a cheese pizza, without any additional toppings.
Recipe tips:
- Shred your own cheese: for that classic cheese pull, shred your own cheese. Store bought shredded cheese has anti-caking ingredients that keeps the cheese from clumping up but also keeps it from melting smoothly.
- Dough handling: Don’t skip letting the dough come to room temperature. Cold dough is nearly impossible to stretch and will keep shrinking back.
- Even stretching: Start from the center and work your way out, rotating the dough as you go. Try to keep the thickness even so it cooks uniformly.
- Prevent soggy pizza: Don’t overload with sauce or wet toppings. Brush the dough with olive oil before adding sauce. Pat any watery vegetables (like mushrooms or tomatoes) dry before adding.
- Crispy crust trick: For an extra crispy bottom, preheat your baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes before adding the dough. Or use a pizza stone if you have one.
- Toppings order: Sauce first, then cheese, then toppings, then a final sprinkle of Parmesan. This helps the toppings stay in place and prevents them from burning.
- Don’t overload: Less is more with pizza toppings. Too many toppings will make the pizza soggy and prevent the crust from crisping up.
- Check the bottom: Lift the pizza with a spatula to check if the bottom is golden brown. If the top is done but the bottom is pale, move the pizza to a lower rack or increase the oven temperature.
- Mozarella Basil Pizza:: Use fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, fresh basil, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze after baking.
- White Pizza: Skip the red sauce and brush with garlic olive oil. Top with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and fresh herbs.
- Chicken Bacon BBQ Pizza: Use our home made BBQ sauce. Use the BBQ sauce instead of pizza sauce. Top with cooked shredded chicken, red onion, crumbled bacon, and a blend of mozzarella and cheddar.
- Veggie Supreme: Load up with bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, olives, spinach, and artichoke hearts.
- Meat Lovers: Pepperoni, Italian sausage, bacon, and ham with extra cheese.
- Breakfast Pizza: Top with scrambled eggs, cooked bacon or sausage, cheddar cheese, and finish with hot sauce after baking.
- Dessert Pizza: Brush dough with melted butter and cinnamon sugar. Bake until golden. Top with Nutella, sliced strawberries, and powdered sugar.
- Room temperature: Pizza is best eaten fresh but can sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
- Refrigerator: Store leftover pizza in an airtight container or wrapped in foil for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.
- Oven method or Air Fryer (best): Preheat oven or air fryer to 375°F. Place pizza on a baking sheet or in basket and heat for 8-10 minutes until warmed through and crispy.
- Skillet method: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add pizza slice, cover with a lid, and heat for 3-5 minutes until the bottom is crispy and cheese is melted.
- Microwave (quickest but less crispy): Microwave on high for 30-60 seconds. Place a cup of water in the microwave alongside the pizza to help keep the crust from getting too chewy.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 613kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 1711mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 591IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 327mg | Iron: 5mg
Save This Recipe!
Enter your email below, and we'll send the recipe straight to your inbox.
Samantha says
This is great! We have a trader joes nearby and I grabbed a thing of dough- the kids love this and so do I!