Need a pizza dough recipe you can use the same day? While any good pizza dough recipe will take time, this same day pizza dough recipe only takes a minimum of two hours.
Full disclosure - I am far from a master pizza maker. I love pizza and am well aware of the complexities of the perfect slice. This easy dough recipe is for the home cook who wants to have a fun bite to eat using ingredients they might have on hand. This same day recipe takes at minimum 2 hours to make which is doable for a weekend dinner. If you want to make this dough during the work week, you could mix it the night before and let it proof in the fridge until you're ready to make it (granted it won't be a "same day" recipe).
Jump to:
- Reasons to love this recipe
- Ingredients
- Instructions
- Freezing Pizza Dough
- Defrosting Frozen Pizza Dough
- Get the Recipe
- Same Day Pizza Dough
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Check out our favorite ways to use this pizza dough!
- Homemade Pepperoni Pizza
- Skillet Pizza
- Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls
- Homemade White Pizza
- Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels
- Cubano Pizza Pinwheels
- Vegetarian Spinach Stuffed Pizza
- Comment
Reasons to love this recipe
- It's homemade and uses pantry staples
- It only takes 15 minutes to mix and knead together - the rest of the time is just waiting around for the dough to proof
- It makes two medium pizzas or three smaller pizzas
- It's a great all purpose dough which can be used to make calzones, Stromboli, pizza pinwheels, and even cinnamon rolls!
Ingredients
All-purpose Flour - I use all purpose flour the most for this recipe because that's usually what I have on hand. Bread flour would make an even better, chewy crust because of its higher protein content. If you want to get even fancier you could try 00 bread flour, which is finely ground flour which is the gold standard for pizza makers. I've tried all of these flours and for a pizza made in a standard home oven, all purpose works just fine and saves me the storage space by having multiple types of flours.
Active Dry Yeast - Make sure your yeast is relatively new otherwise you risk your dough not rising.
Water - Yes, I consider water an important ingredient for pizza dough. It needs to be the right temperature for the yeast to be activated but not so hot it kills the yeast. 100 - 110F degrees is the perfect temperature for yeast to proof.
Sugar - This doesn't make the dough sweet, but it does help activate the yeast and give a balanced taste. You can use granulated or cane sugar. I wouldn't recommend substituting honey for this recipe since it's a liquid and could throw off the measurements of the dry ingredients.
Olive oil - Use at least a medium quality olive oil because you do taste the flavor slightly.
Salt - I always use a coarse Kosher salt in my recipes so if you are using regular table salt, you may consider using slightly less than what the recipe calls for.
Instructions
Hand Kneading
Pour warm water in a large bowl and stir in the yeast and sugar. Let the yeast sit in the water for 2-3 minutes until you see some bubbles forming and some slight movement. This ensures your yeast is alive and your dough will rise.
Add the flour, oil and salt and mix everything together. Once the dough is holding together, dump it on a well floured surface and keep kneading it using the palm of your hands. Knead for a good 10 minutes until the dough is soft and elastic. Place it back in the bowl and cover with a clean cloth. Let it proof for 1-1 ½ hours until doubled in size.
Once the dough has finished proofing, punch it down and pour it back onto the floured surface. Cut it in half, and shape two dough balls. Congratulations, you're ready to make your pizzas!
Using a Stand Mixer
Add the warm water, yeast and sugar to the bowl of the mixer and let sit for 3-5 minutes until the yeast blooms. Add the flour, oil and salt then using the dough hook mix at the lowest speed. Once the dough comes together, keep the mixer on the lowest speed and knead it for about 7 minutes. Dump it on a floured surface, divide into two balls and roll or stretch it out to form your pizzas.
Freezing Pizza Dough
Once you have formed your dough balls, rub a little bit of olive oil on them and place them on a parchment lined sheet pan that will fit in your freezer. Freeze for 20 - 30 minutes, then transfer to a plastic bag with all of the air squeezed out. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrosting Frozen Pizza Dough
Wondering how to defrost frozen pizza dough? My favorite method is to leave it in the refrigerator overnight in a large bowl. It will proof again and expand as it defrosts, so make sure it has some room in the bowl. The next day, leave it on the counter for 30 minutes to warm up before rolling it out.
If you need an even faster method, use a cold water bath. Place the sealed bag of frozen dough in a bowl of cold water for 1-2 hours until it has thawed. Transfer to a dry bowl, cover with a towel, and let it warm up another 30 minutes before rolling out.
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW!
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Get the Recipe
Same Day Pizza Dough
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
Need a pizza dough recipe you can use the same day? While any good pizza dough recipe will take time, this same day pizza dough recipe only takes a minimum of two hours. This recipe makes two medium size pizzas or three small ones.
Ingredients
- 1 1 /2 cups warm water
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant dry yeast (equals one package)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 1/2 - 4 cups all-purpose flour*
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Pour the warm water, yeast, and sugar into a large bowl (or a standing mixing bowl if you have one) and let the yeast activate for 2 minutes.
- Add 3 1/2 cups of the flour, olive oil and salt and mix until it's combined. If the dough is too sticky to handle add a little bit of flour.
- Knead the dough on a floured surface or in a mixing bowl for 7 minutes.
- Place the kneaded dough into a clean bowl (or leave it in the mixing bowl), and let it rise for 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
- Punch the dough down, cut it in half, roll each half out into 12 inch circles, and add whatever toppings you like!
- Bake pizzas at 450 degrees for 13 - 15 minutes.
Notes
- Depending on how humid or dry your environment is, more or less flour may be required.
- Freezing instructions, other storage options and defrosting tips are included further up in the post.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
- Category: Pizza
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use your hands to stretch the dough into the desired shape you like or use a rolling pin. Make sure your surface is floured so the dough doesn't stick. If you find the dough springs back and won't hold it's shape, let it rest for 20 minutes and try again.
Storing pizza dough to be used within 24 hours can be done in the refrigerator. If you need longer than 24 hours I would recommend freezing the dough. I include instructions on how to freeze dough further up in the post.
You can knead the pizza dough using your hands or by using a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Instructions on how to do both methods are further up in the post.
Add a little more flour to your dough if it's overly sticky. Be carful not to add too much at a time to prevent the dough from getting dry and tough.
Check out our favorite ways to use this pizza dough!
Homemade Pepperoni Pizza
Easy homemade pepperoni pizza with crispy crust, melty cheese, and classic pepperoni for the perfect family pizza night.
Skillet Pizza
A crispy, golden skillet pizza with a soft, fluffy center, topped with savory Italian sausage, sweet caramelized onions, and melty mozzarella. An easy, family-friendly dinner that feels like a treat.
Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls
Next time your getting groceries, pick up some store bought pizza dough (or make homemade pizza dough) and make these easy Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls for a sweet treat.
Homemade White Pizza
The dough makes enough for two pizzas.
Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels
These pinwheels would make a great appetizer or main dinner. We like to have fun with the fillings, but I'd thought I would share a classic pepperoni version first.
Cubano Pizza Pinwheels
In need of an easy appetizer? These Cubano Pizza Pinwheels are a winner. I know it sounds weird, but trust me they are delicious.
Vegetarian Spinach Stuffed Pizza
This vegetarian pizza is a delicious way to eat your veggies!
Liz says
We make this almost every week!
Nolan says
Reader says
Turned out great. Super fluffy and the family loved every bite!
Kat says
I usually make a 3-day pizza dough, but was looking for a dough that I could use the same day. This was a great dough. I did skip some steps and just put all ingredients in a bowl and mixed well. I put it in the oven on the bread proof setting to speed up the process of proofing.
Jessica says
Just made this recipe for the first time normally i do the sourdough pizza crust but needed something in a flash. I reviewed many recipes on google and came back to this one because i appreciated the info and how it was displayed. I used bread flour and my stand mixer. While i was weighing my flour my scale tared to zero so i had no idea how much flour i was using lol. I just kept adding flour till it formed a good dough consistency only ever so slightly sticky i floured my hands and made a ball and set it to proof. It proofed beautifully it was súper easy to shape and i ended up baking at 475 for 20 min to get a more golden brown crust it was perfect! Great rise great crust great flavor i will save this recipe and share it with friends who want to make a great pizza crust highly recommend!!
Brian says
I dont understand why 7 to 8 cups of flour when you only use 3.5 cups... that was a big waste of flour
Leanna Myers says
Sorry for the confusion, but the recipe states only using 3.5 - 4 cups of flour.
Mickey says
The dough recipe was fine but 475 degrees was too high. My toppings were burnt and the crust was not done.
Reader says
We season the dough with italian seasoning, garlic, red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese! Cook on stove in cast iron skillet, when browned we flip it and then add sauce and toppings! Place under broiler for a few minutes! We freeze some and vacuum seal when frozen! Eat the others! So good, so easy, and good recipe! Thanks!