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Quick pizza dough doesn’t have to mean bland or boring. This one comes together fast, holds its shape like a champ, and bakes up with that proper chewy texture and crisp edges you actually want.
No gimmicks, no mystery ingredients, just dependable dough that’s easy to work with and freezer-friendly, too. Roll it out on a whim or stash a few portions in the freezer for later. Either way, this crust delivers without the wait.
Here is Why This Quick Pizza Dough Recipe Works
Fast rise, real results: Thanks to Quick-Rise yeast (or RapidRise yeast), the dough is ready to shape in about 15 minutes, not 90.
Freezer-friendly: Make a batch, freeze some, and future-you will be glad you did.
Use whatever flour you’ve got: Bread, all-purpose, or pizza flour all work, each one brings a slightly different texture, but you’ll get a great crust either way.
Legit pizza texture: Chewy, crisp-edged, and sturdy enough to hold toppings without turning into a floppy mess.
Recipe Tips
Use warm water: Aim for around 110°F to speed up the activity of the yeast and get a fast rise.
Use a kitchen scale if you’ve got one: Measuring by weight is far more accurate, especially with flour, which can vary a lot by volume.
Start with less flour: It’s easier to fix sticky dough than to rescue a dry brick. Add more only as needed.
Oil your hands: Sticky dough clings to dry hands. A little olive oil makes shaping way easier (and adds a bit of flavor, too).
Warm it up: Cold kitchens slow everything down. Let the dough rise somewhere warm to speed things up and improve texture.
Let the dough rest: Even a 10-minute bench rest helps the gluten relax, so the dough stretches without snapping back.
Skip the rolling pin for bubbly crust: Use your hands to stretch the dough if you want those nice air pockets
Use parchment : Keeps the crust from sticking and makes clean up easier.
Pro tip: If you’re using a baking steel or stone, let it preheat for at least 30 minutes for the best bottom crust.
Don’t overload the toppings: Too much sauce or cheese = soggy crust and sad pizza night.
Answers to Common Dough Dilemmas
It depends on what kind of crust you’re after, but the good news is, most common flours work just fine. Here’s a quick breakdown:
All-purpose flour: Gives you a slightly chewy crust with more crispiness. Great if you want something classic and easy.
Bread flour: Higher protein = more gluten = more chew. It creates a slightly puffier, more elastic crust.
’00’ pizza flour: Super finely milled with high gluten content, but it behaves differently than bread flour. You’ll get that crisp-meets-chewy texture, and the dough is easy to stretch.
No need to overthink it, use what you’ve got. The dough is forgiving, and each flour brings something a little different to the table.
Baking homemade pizza is straightforward, but a few small tweaks can help you get that golden, bubbly finish:
Shape the dough into 10–12″ rounds and place on parchment or press into a greased sheet pan
If you’re using a pizza peel and stone, dust the peel with cornmeal and shape the dough right on top
Add pizza sauce and toppings of choice. (My White Garlic Sauce for Pizza is also a good choice.
Bake at 450°F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted and bubbly
This dough works with just about any pizza. Here are some ideas:
– Mushroom pizza with garlic sauce
– Chicken spinach pizza
– Chicken-mushroom pizza
– Mexican chicken pizza
– Buffalo chicken pizza
– Sausage and onion pizza
Storing Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Extra dough can hang out in the fridge for up to 3 days. Lightly coat it in oil and seal in a container or zip-top bag.
- Freeze: Wrap each dough ball in plastic, then stash in a freezer bag with the air pressed out. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To thaw: Thaw dough in the fridge overnight, then let it rest at room temp for 20–30 minutes before shaping.
For more pizza dough recipes, try my sourdough pizza dough and my whole grain Einkorn pizza crust. I also have an Ooni pizza dough with a lower hydration.
Reliable Homemade Pizza Dough
Quick pizza dough that’s fast, reliable, and actually tastes like real pizza? This one delivers. It’s flexible enough to handle weeknights or freezer prep, and the short rise time doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing texture. Crisp edges, chewy center, no special flour or drama required. Once you see how easy it is, store-bought dough won’t stand a chance.
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Fast Pizza Dough
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Ingredients
- 4 to 4½ cups all-purpose flour, pizza flour, or bread flour (480 to 540 grams)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, (13 grams)
- 2 teaspoons salt, (12 grams)
- 2¼ teaspoons Quick Rise Instant yeast, (7 grams or 1 packet)
- 1½ cups water, warm; (354 grams)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, (39 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F if you plan to bake a pizza (otherwise you can freeze the dough after you make it).
- Combine 4 cups of flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a mixing bowl and whisk together.
- Add the water and olive oil. Mix until blended. If it is too wet, gradually add enough flour to make a soft dough. The dough should be slightly sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes (you can also use your stand mixer with a dough hook).
- Plase the dough in a greased bowl and let it rest on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes if you use Quick Rise instant or for 60 to 90 minutes if you use standard instant yeast. The dough should almost double in size.
- Divide the dough into two balls.
- At this point, you can either freeze the dough or prep it for a pizza.
To freeze the dough:
- Coat each ball of dough in some olive oil. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap then slide it into a zipper-seal bag.
- Squeeze all the air out of the bag then freeze if for up to 3 months.
To Bake the pizza:
- Roll the balls of dough into 10 to 12” circles and place them on a sheet of parchment paper (or press them into a greased sheet pan).
- Form a rim around the pizza dough by rolling the edges in and pinching.
- Spread pizza sauce on the dough and add your desired toppings.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the cheese is bubbly (a thicker crust will need to bake for 20 to 22 minutes).
Notes
- The quick rise time is dependent on using the right type of instant yeast. RapidRise instant yeast or Quick-Rise instant yeast are formulated to activate faster than standard instant yeast. If you use standard instant yeast, give the dough 30 to 50 minutes to rise.
- Optional add-ins: Add 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder to the dry mix and blend it in well.
- If you want to have a longer ferment time to develop more flavor, use standard instant yeast (not the RapidRise) and reduce the amount to 1/4 teaspoon. You can let it rise for 4 to 5 hours at room temperature or for 8 to 24 hours in the fridge.
- To use frozen pizza dough, let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Let the thawed dough sit on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes before rolling it out for pizza.
- Bakers percentages using 4-1/2 cups of flour: flour 100%, sugar 2%, salt 2%,, yeast 0.7%, water 65%, oil 2%
- If you plan to use the pizza dough in an outdoor pizza oven, use the larger amount of flour and add up to 1/4 cup additional flour. Since outdoor pizza ovens cook pizza very quickly, you should use dough with less hydration.
- Pizza flour, all-purpose flour, and bread flour absorb liquid differently. If you find the dough too sticky, sprinkle in a bit more flour.
- All-purpose flour will make a crispier crust, bread flour will make more of a fluffy yet chewy crust, and pizza flour will give a balance of crispy and chewy (and it will also be easier to shape).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!The Process Photos
Fast fast making dough, definitely my favourite
So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the comment.
Making this a fourth time and my family loves this crust!
That makes my day—thank you! I’m so happy to hear it’s become a repeat recipe for your family.
I’ve made this recipe time and time again. At one point in time I made it weekly for family nights. I would split it up between 6 of us for our own mini pizzas and the kids would have fun making their own. I add garlic sunflower oil in place of the olive oil and add a pit of garlic salt and crushed rosemary. So simple to follow and easy to substitute or add extras. Consistently good dough. Thank you!!
Thank you so much for sharing! It’s awesome that it became part of your family night tradition, and your garlic sunflower oil twist sounds so good.
This recipe is awesome- perfect dough… however I have to mention I think the gram measurements are off. I wanted less dishes so I just measured ( mind you this was the second time I made this and the first time I measured in cups) but with the measurements in grams my dough was incredibly dry and not the consistency it was supposed to be. Just wanted to let you know. BUT- with the correct measurements this will be the only recipe I use!!
Thank you. I’m so glad you love the recipe. I appreciate you taking the time to flag the gram measurements. If you happen to remember which ingredient(s) seemed off, feel free to share. I’d love to troubleshoot it further. Thanks again for your feedback.
Great recipe but your grams measurement is off :/
Thanks for the comment. Gram conversions for flour can vary quite a bit depending on the source. I use the King Arthur Baking weight chart for all of my recipes, which lists 1 cup of all-purpose flour as 120 grams. Other sources, like Cook’s Illustrated, use a higher weight per cup, closer to 140 grams, which might be what you’re used to. It’s one of those baking quirks that can definitely cause confusion! I try to be consistent with the KAB standard across all my recipes so everything stays aligned.
Quick, easy and delish. My kids love it! No complaints at all.
So glad to hear that! If the kids approve, that’s a win! Thanks for sharing.
So easy to make! The dough came out delicious and was a hit with my family!
That’s great to hear. I’m glad your family loved it. Thanks for the comment.
A great pizza dough recipe! I added the onion and garlic powder as suggested in the notes. It was fluffy and delicious!
That sounds fantastic! I’m so glad you enjoyed the pizza dough and that the onion and garlic powder worked well for you.
I used honey instead of sugar, whole wheat flour, and baked it in my cast iron for about 25 minutes. It was a hit!!!!
That sounds fantastic! I bet the whole wheat and honey gave it a great flavor. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Amazing dough recipe! I’ve tried many others and this is by far the most successful for me!! Thank you!
That’s fantastic to hear! I’m so glad this one worked well for you. Thanks for giving it a try and for taking the time to share your feedback!