Pizza dough
A forgiving hand stretched dough that bakes crisp underneath and chewy at the edge, with a slow overnight option for better flavour.
Make this once, then cook it into 40 different dishes.
- Time2 hr 30
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £0.55 a head
- Makes4 dough balls of about 270 g, each enough for a 30 cm pizza
- Oven250°C (230°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Stir the salt into the flour in a large bowl. Mix the yeast and olive oil into the water, then pour into the flour.
- 2
Mix with your hand to a rough, shaggy dough with no dry flour left. Cover and leave for 15 minutes, which makes kneading easier.
15 min - 3
Knead on a lightly oiled worktop for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and springy and a poked finger leaves a dent that slowly springs back.
10 min - 4
Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Leave at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours until doubled, or put it in the fridge for 18 to 24 hours for the best flavour.
90 min - 5
Tip the dough out and cut into 4 equal pieces of about 270 g. Roll each into a tight ball, place on a floured tray and cover. Rest for 30 minutes (1 hour if the dough came from the fridge).
30 min - 6
To use, press each ball flat from the middle outwards, leaving the rim, then stretch over your knuckles to about 30 cm. Top, then bake on a tray preheated in the oven at 250°C (230°C fan), or its highest setting, for 8 to 10 minutes until the edge is blistered and golden.
10 min
About pizza dough
Pizza dough is a yeasted dough of flour, water, salt and a little yeast, stretched thin by hand and baked very hot to make a pizza base. This recipe makes four dough balls of about 270 g, each enough for a 30 cm pizza, and follows the Neapolitan idea of a wet, well rested dough that is stretched rather than rolled.
At about 62 per cent hydration (400 ml of water to 650 g of flour) it is soft enough to give an airy edge but still easy for a beginner to handle. It bakes with a crisp underside, a chewy middle and a puffy rim. The same dough makes calzone, garlic flatbreads, stromboli and thick tray pizzas.
Time and heat do most of the work. A slow rise in the fridge for 18 to 24 hours gives more flavour than a quick rise, and the hottest oven you have, with a preheated tray, stone or steel, gives the crisp base. Strong white bread flour suits a home oven best, and Italian 00 flour also works well.
Tips
- Weigh the flour and water rather than using cups. A dough that is too dry will not stretch and one that is too wet will stick to everything.
- Heat a heavy baking tray, pizza stone or steel for at least 30 minutes at the highest setting. A very hot base is what gives the crisp underside.
- If the dough springs back when you stretch it, cover it and rest it for 10 minutes. The gluten needs time to relax.
- Handle the risen balls gently and leave the rim untouched when pressing out, so the edge puffs up instead of going flat.
- For gluten free pizza do not swap the flour one for one. Use a tested gluten free bread flour blend with psyllium husk, a wetter dough, and shape it with oiled hands on baking paper.
- Slide the pizza onto the hot tray with a dusting of semolina or flour rather than oil, which smokes at high heat.
Storing and freezing
Dough balls keep in the fridge, lightly oiled and covered, for up to 3 days, and the flavour gets stronger each day. Freeze the balls in oiled bags for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge, then leave at room temperature for 1 hour before shaping. Leftover baked pizza keeps 2 days in the fridge and should be reheated until steaming hot.
Dishes you can make with pizza dough
Chicken Korma Flatbread Pizza
EFNFButter Chicken Pizza
EFNFTandoori Chicken Pizza
EFNFKarahi Chicken Pizza
EFNFThai Green Curry Chicken Pizza
NFEFBulgogi Pizza
NFEFKimchi and Bacon Pizza
NFEFCalzone di Pollo e Spinaci (Chicken and Spinach Calzone)
EFNFPepperoni and Sausage Stromboli
NFPizza Bolognese (Ragu and Mozzarella Pizza)
EFNFRagu Stromboli (Italian American Pizza Roll)
EFNFPesto, Tomato and Mozzarella Pizza
EFQuestions
Can I make pizza dough the day before?
Yes. After kneading, leave the dough in an oiled, covered bowl in the fridge for 18 to 24 hours, then divide, rest it at room temperature for an hour and shape. The slow cold rise gives better flavour and a more blistered crust than a quick rise.
Can I freeze pizza dough?
Yes. Freeze the shaped dough balls in oiled bags for up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, then let them come to room temperature for about an hour before you stretch them.
Which flour is best for pizza dough?
Strong white bread flour is the best all round choice for a home oven, and Italian 00 flour also works well. Plain flour makes a softer, less chewy base. You can swap up to a third of the flour for wholemeal.
Is this pizza dough vegan, dairy free and egg free?
Yes. It contains only flour, salt, yeast, olive oil and water, so it is vegan, dairy free, egg free and nut free. It does contain wheat gluten, so it is not suitable for coeliacs. Always check the flour pack for allergen warnings.
Why is my pizza dough not rising?
The usual causes are water that was too hot (above about 45 C can kill yeast), out of date yeast, or a cold room. Check the date on the yeast, use cool to lukewarm water, and give a cold dough extra time somewhere warmer.
How long should pizza dough rest before stretching?
Rest the shaped balls for 30 minutes at room temperature, or an hour if they came from the fridge. A rested dough stretches easily instead of springing back and tearing.
More base recipes
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
