We started making our own pizza dough years ago after getting a pizza oven. We have tried many recipes over the years, some with success and often with very long rise times. Long wait times aren’t always great for last minute pizza nights. I decided to adapt our popular hamburger bun recipe (with a short rise time) and created our quick pizza dough recipe. It’s quick and delicious.
Our quick and easy hamburger bun recipe and hot dog buns recipe have been so popular, we’ve gotten hundreds of comments saying,”I never have to buy buns again!”. It recently occurred to me that I can adapt or fast rise recipes to make a quick pizza dough recipe as well. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
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Why We Love Easy Pizza Crust Recipe
- It’s fast: you can have homemade pizza ready in 35 minutes. The amount of yeast (and adding of sugar) helps this recipe rise faster than others, so it’s ready when a pizza craving hits. And usually faster than ordering in!
- Pantry staples: no special ingredients here, all the ingredients are ones you can usually find in your pantry (and fridge!)
- Perfect pizza crust: soft and airy on the inside, golden and crispy on the outside- just like a pizza crust should be.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- All-purpose flour – Or you can substitute it with bread flour.
- Active dry yeast – This is a necessity! This is what gives the buns their quick rise. If you are wanting to use sourdough instead of commercial yeast, we have a sourdough pizza crust recipe.
- Cooking oil – Use your preferred cooking oil or use melted and cooled butter for a more buttery flavor.
- Egg – Use a room temperature egg. It tends to help keep the dough warmer for a good rise.
- Sugar – This is a must for this recipe (see TFN Pro Tip below for why!).
We recommend using all purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur flour), but you can easily substitute bread flour. Bread flour is important for holding structure, which really isn’t necessary for pizzas.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Don’t skip the sugar! Since this recipe has a very short rise time, the sugar is essential to help the yeast rise.
Equipment
- baking sheet (or pizza stone)
- large bowl
- parchment paper
How to Make Pizza Dough at Home
- In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water.
- Add the oil and sugar and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes until it looks foamy.
- Add beaten egg, salt, and 2 cups of flour. Stir until combined and a shaggy dough forms. Add the remaining flour gradually, the dough should be soft but not sticky.
- Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead (by hand or using a dough hook in a stand mixer) until smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes. The dough should feel soft and springy.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and shape each into a smooth ball.
- Preheat oven to 475°F. If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven now to heat. Cover the dough balls with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 20 minutes.
- On a floured surface, gently stretch each dough ball into a 12-inch round. See recipe notes below for tips on how to stretch pizza dough by hand. Transfer to a greased baking sheet, pizza pan, or piece of parchment paper. Add your favorite pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes on the lowest oven rack until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. If using a pizza stone, slide the pizza (on parchment, if using) directly onto the hot stone.
- Let cool for 2-3 minutes before slicing and serving.
Recipe FAQs
You can use a baking sheet instead of a pizza stone. We recommend that you use parchment paper or grease the baking sheet first. If greasing the baking sheet, you’ll build the pizza toppings right on top of the baking sheet and then put it in the oven. If you are using parchment paper you can build out the pizza on the parchment paper and then simply slide it onto the (cool, not pre-heated) baking sheet.
Starting with a pizza dough ball, use your fingers to start flattening it into a disc shape. I like to avoid touching the outer rim of the disc (where the puffy crust will be), but this isn’t a necessary step. Pick up the dough disc and drape it over your knuckles (make loose fists with both hands). Hold your hands about 2-3 inches apart under the center of the dough and let gravity slowly stretch the dough. Slowly move your hands (one at a time) in a circle under the dough to stretch all sides equally. Finish on the counter by dimpling it with your finger tips to your desired size.
Yes! After shaping into dough balls, wrap each ball tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before using.
Other Pizza Recipes to Consider
If you tried this quick pizza 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!
Quick and Easy Pizza Dough
Equipment
- Baking Sheet - or pizza stone
- parchment paper - optional
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast see notes for instant yeast
- ⅔ cup warm water 95° to 105°F
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature, beaten
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour or bread flour
Instructions
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil and sugar; let stand for 5 minutes until the mixture looks foamy.
- Add beaten egg, salt, and 2 cups (250g) of flour. Stir until combined and a shaggy dough forms. Add the remaining flour gradually, mixing until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
- Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead (by hand or using a dough hook in a stand mixer) until smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes. The dough should feel soft and springy.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and shape each into a smooth ball.
- Preheat oven to 475°F. If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven now to heat.
- Cover the dough balls with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 20 minutes. The dough will puff up slightly but won’t double in size.
- On a floured surface, gently stretch or roll each dough ball into a 12-inch round. See recipe notes below for tips on how to stretch pizza dough by hand. Transfer to a greased baking sheet, pizza pan, or piece of parchment paper.
- Add your favorite pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes on the lowest oven rack until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. If using a pizza stone, slide the pizza (on parchment if using) directly onto the hot stone.
- Let cool for 2-3 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Yeast Options: You can use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast- simply skip adding the yeast to the warm water. Instead, mix it directly with the flour in step 2, then add the warm water, oil, and sugar and continue as directed.
- Don’t Skip the Sugar: The sugar helps activate the yeast for the short rise time. It won’t make your pizza crust taste sweet.
- Rise Time: You can let the dough rest for as little as 10 minutes if you’re in a rush, but 20 minutes gives you the best texture and easier-to-stretch dough.
- The Egg: The egg makes this dough extra tender and gives it a beautiful golden color. It’s what makes this pizza dough unique!
- Start with a disc: Place your dough ball on a lightly floured surface. Use your fingertips to gently press the dough into a flat disc about 6 inches across, leaving a slightly thicker edge around the border for the crust.
- Lift and rotate: Pick up the dough disc and drape it over your knuckles (make loose fists with both hands). Hold your hands about 2-3 inches apart under the center of the dough.
- Stretch gently: Let gravity do most of the work. Slowly move your hands apart while rotating the dough in a circular motion. The dough will naturally stretch as it hangs. Keep your knuckles under the dough, not your fingertips, to avoid poking holes.
- Keep rotating: Continue turning the dough as you gently pull your hands farther apart. Work your way around the circle, always keeping the edge slightly thicker than the center.
- Finish on the counter: Once the dough is about 10-11 inches, lay it back on your floured surface. Use your fingertips to gently press and stretch it to the final 12-inch size.
- Garlic Pizza Crust: Add 1 teaspoon garlic powder to the flour mixture.
- Herb Pizza Crust: Mix in 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning or 2 teaspoons dried basil and oregano.
- Whole Wheat: Replace up to half the bread flour with whole wheat flour for a heartier crust.
- Cheesy Crust: Brush the edges with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese before baking.
- Room Temperature: Store baked pizza covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 5-8 minutes.
- Unbaked Dough: After step 4, wrap dough balls tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let come to room temperature (about 30 minutes) before rolling out.
- Unbaked Dough: After shaping into balls in step 4, wrap each ball tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before using.
- Baked Pizza: Freeze cooled pizza slices in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen in a 375°F oven for 10-12 minutes.
Nutrition
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