Homemade Pizza, Your Way: A Flexible Dough Recipe and Topping Guide

Homemade pizza as a hands-on meal

Homemade pizza is one of those meals that can be both practical and memorable. It’s also a surprisingly good activity when you have an extra pair of hands in the kitchen—especially if those hands belong to someone who wants to choose their own toppings. The process is tactile and forgiving: mix, knead, let time do its work, then stretch and bake. Even if the dough feels a little “slimy and gross” at first, the payoff at the end can be, in one enthusiastic review, “awesome.”

This article lays out a classic method for making pizza at home, built around a straightforward yeasted dough and a hot oven. The dough recipe yields about 2 pounds of dough—enough for two pizzas in the 10 to 12-inch range. Along the way, you’ll find practical notes on flour selection, yeast activity, fermentation timing, topping prep, and how to bake on a stone (or what to do if you don’t have one).

Why this dough works: flour, yeast, and time

At its core, pizza dough is a yeasted dough. That means the quality of your yeast and the way you let the dough ferment matter as much as the ingredient list. Active dry yeast is used here, and it’s worth taking a moment to confirm it’s still alive: check the expiration date, and watch for foaming when it meets warm water. If it doesn’t bloom within about 10 minutes, it’s likely dead and the dough won’t rise as intended.

Flour choice also changes the final crust. Bread flour is considered the best option for homemade pizza dough because it’s higher in gluten than all-purpose flour. More gluten generally translates to a crust that bakes up crispier. All-purpose flour can still be used, but if your goal is a crisper crust, bread flour is the preferred pick.

Then there’s time. You don’t have to let the dough rise overnight in the refrigerator, but longer fermentation develops more flavor and can create air bubbles that puff in the oven. Some people even seek out those bubbled slices. If you do refrigerate the dough, plan to bring it back toward room temperature before shaping—taking it out about an hour ahead helps.

Ingredients for two 10–12 inch pizzas

• 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) warm water (105°F–115°F)
• 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (omit if cooking pizza in a wood-fired pizza oven)
• Cornmeal (to help slide the pizza onto the pizza stone)

Topping ideas mentioned in the method (use as inspiration and adjust to taste): fresh soft mozzarella in small clumps; mushrooms (very thinly sliced if raw, otherwise sautéed first); bell peppers (very thinly sliced); Italian sausage (cooked ahead and crumbled); baby arugula tossed in a little olive oil (added when the pizza comes out of the oven); onions (thinly sliced raw or caramelized).

Measuring flour: why a scale helps

One of the most common reasons dough feels unexpectedly wet or dry is inconsistent flour measurement. Cup measurements can vary depending on how you scoop. A consistent approach is to fluff the flour, lightly scoop it, and level with a knife. For the most reliable results, use a kitchen scale and measure by weight. It’s the simplest way to get repeatable dough from one batch to the next.

Step-by-step: making the dough

1) Proof the yeast. Put the warm water into the large bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it sit for 5 minutes to dissolve. Stir after 5 minutes if needed. The yeast should begin to foam or bloom, which indicates it’s active.

If you’re using instant yeast instead of active dry yeast, proofing isn’t required; it can be added directly with the dry ingredients in the next step.

2) Mix and knead. Add the flour, salt, sugar, and olive oil. Mix on low speed for about a minute using the paddle attachment, then switch to the dough hook. Knead on low to medium speed for 7 to 10 minutes. If you don’t have a mixer, you can combine the ingredients and knead by hand.

The dough should be a little sticky or tacky to the touch. If it feels too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour.

3) Oil the bowl and coat the dough. Spread a thin layer of olive oil inside a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it so it’s lightly coated. This helps prevent sticking and supports a smooth rise.

Fermentation options: quick, medium, or slow

This dough can be timed to your schedule. The main difference is flavor development: longer fermentation generally produces a crust with more complex flavor (up to a point).

• Quick rise: 1 1/2 hours in a warm place (75°F to 85°F).
• Medium rise: about 8 hours at room temperature (a kitchen counter works).
• Long rise: 24 hours in the refrigerator (no more than 48 hours).

If you choose a refrigerated rise, remember to take the dough out about an hour before using it so it can come closer to room temperature and stretch more easily.

Preheating the oven and choosing a baking surface

A very hot oven and a stable baking surface help mimic the high heat of professional pizza ovens. Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat to 475°F for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour. The goal is to thoroughly heat the stone so it can deliver strong bottom heat to the crust.

No pizza stone? A pizza pan or thick baking sheet can work, as long as it won’t warp at high temperatures.

Divide and rest: setting up for easier stretching

Once the dough has risen, remove any plastic cover, dust your hands with flour, and gently push the dough down to deflate it slightly. Divide it in half to create two portions. Form each portion into a round ball, place each in its own bowl, cover with plastic, and let sit for 15 minutes (or up to 2 hours). This rest period makes the dough easier to stretch without springing back.

Toppings: what to prep ahead (and why)

Pizza bakes quickly—often 10 to 15 minutes—so some toppings need attention before they ever touch the dough. Anything that won’t cook through in that time should be cooked first.

• Raw meat: Cook fully before adding as a topping.
• Vegetables you don’t want raw: Sauté items like onions, peppers, broccoli, or mushrooms first.

There’s also a structural reason to stay restrained: too many toppings can prevent the crust from crisping and can make the pizza soggy. As a general guide, about a third of a cup each of tomato sauce and cheese is sufficient for one pizza. Even a small amount of sliced mushrooms—one to two mushrooms, thinly sliced—can cover a pizza.

Shaping the dough: stretching without tearing

Work with one ball of dough at a time. On a lightly floured work surface, flatten the dough with your hands. Starting at the center and working outward, press with your fingertips until the dough is about 1/2-inch thick, then turn and stretch it until it resists.

If the dough tightens and won’t stretch further, let it relax for 5 minutes, then continue stretching until you reach 10 to 12 inches in diameter. You can also lift the edges with your fingers and let gravity help the dough stretch as you work around the perimeter.

If a hole appears, place the dough back on a floured surface and push it back together to seal. If the edge is thicker than you want, use your palm to flatten it. Pinch the edges if you’d like to form a lip.

To reduce bubbling, press down with your fingertips to make dents along the surface. Then brush the top with olive oil, which helps prevent the crust from getting soggy under the toppings. Let the shaped dough rest another 10 to 15 minutes.

Building the pizza: sauce, cheese, and balance

Lightly sprinkle a pizza peel (or the back of a flat baking sheet) with cornmeal. Cornmeal acts like tiny ball bearings, helping the dough slide from the peel onto the hot stone.

Transfer the prepared dough onto the peel. If it loses shape during the move, gently reshape it. Spoon on tomato sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and add toppings. Keep the overall load light so the crust can bake crisp rather than steaming under excess moisture.

Launching and baking: the hot-stone method

When you’re ready to bake, sprinkle a little cornmeal on the baking stone in the oven (carefully—the oven is hot). Gently shake the peel to confirm the pizza can slide. If it sticks, lift the edges and add a bit more cornmeal underneath.

Slide the pizza onto the stone and bake at 475°F, one at a time, until the crust is browned and the cheese is golden—about 10 to 15 minutes. If you like, you can sprinkle on a little more cheese toward the end of the cooking time.

For a finishing touch mentioned in the topping list, baby arugula can be tossed in a little olive oil and added right as the pizza comes out of the oven.

Freezing pizza dough for later

Once the dough has risen, it can be frozen for future pizza nights. Divide the dough into the portion sizes you plan to use (this recipe commonly becomes two 1-pound balls). Place each portion on parchment paper or a lightly floured dish and freeze uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes. Then transfer to individual freezer bags, pressing out as much air as possible. Store for up to 3 months.

To thaw, place the dough in the refrigerator overnight or for 5 to 6 hours. Before stretching, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Practical notes for better results next time

• Be patient with stretching: letting the dough relax between stretches can help you get it thinner and more even.
• Watch the yeast: blooming in warm water is your early indicator that the dough will rise properly.
• Preheat thoroughly: giving the stone 30–60 minutes at 475°F supports better browning and a crisper base.
• Prep toppings with bake time in mind: cook meats and sauté vegetables that you don’t want raw.
• Don’t overload: a restrained layer of sauce, cheese, and toppings helps avoid sogginess.

A customizable template, not a strict rulebook

The appeal of homemade pizza is that it’s both structured and personal. The structure comes from a dependable dough process—active yeast, a proper knead, a fermentation that fits your schedule, and a very hot oven. The personal part is everything you do after that: how thin you stretch the crust, which toppings you sauté first, whether you add a handful of arugula at the end, and how you balance sauce and cheese.

Make it once and you’ll have a baseline. Make it again and you’ll start adjusting based on what you like: a longer rise for more flavor, a lighter topping hand for more crispness, or a more careful stretch for a thinner center. Either way, the result is pizza made to your taste—one bake at a time.