This is the fastest and easiest way I know to make homemade pizza dough at home! Mix a few ingredients with a wooden spoon, let it rest for 10 minutes, roll out the dough, add toppings, bake and you’re done!
When pizza night arrives, you have choices: wait for a delivery, buy a frozen crust, or make your own dough quickly and easily. Delivery can take a long time, especially on busy nights, and frozen crusts are convenient but often underwhelming. This fast and simple pizza dough requires only a few pantry ingredients and minimal effort. You mix with a wooden spoon, briefly knead by hand, let the dough rest for ten minutes, then roll it out and bake. In about 35 minutes from start to finish you’ll have a fresh, homemade pizza your family will enjoy.
This method avoids overnight chilling, long rises, and complicated kneading techniques. It’s ideal for weeknights and casual gatherings, offering a tender, crisp crust without a lot of fuss. Because the recipe is straightforward and forgiving, it’s easy to customize — try different sauces, cheeses, and toppings to suit the mood. Barbecue chicken and Mexican-style toppings are both great variations, but feel free to use classic tomato sauce and mozzarella or build your own combination.
Fast & Easy Pizza Dough
This is the fastest and easiest way I know to make homemade pizza dough at home! Mix a few ingredients with a wooden spoon, let it rest for 10 minutes, roll out the dough, add toppings, bake and you’re done!
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 2 1/2 tsp rapid rise yeast (one packet)
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Pizza Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil (for brushing)
- 3/4 tsp Italian seasoning (or 1/8 tsp each basil, oregano, garlic powder)
- Mozzarella cheese, as desired
- Pizza sauce, as desired
- Toppings of your choice
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the warm water and the rapid rise yeast. Stir until the yeast dissolves completely.
- Add the flour, honey, salt, and olive oil. Use a wooden spoon to mix until the ingredients come together and form a shaggy dough.
- Once the mixture is combined, use your hands to knead it briefly for a few minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- Shape the dough into a ball and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes. This short rest relaxes the gluten and makes the dough easier to roll out.
- Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Spray a 16-inch pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray or lightly brush with oil.
- Roll the dough into a 16-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to the prepared pan and roll the edges slightly to form a rim.
- Whisk together 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the Italian seasoning, then brush the entire crust with this mixture. This adds flavor to the crust and helps it brown.
- Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. This par-bake step keeps the crust crisp under the toppings.
- Remove the partially baked crust, spread pizza sauce over the surface, add shredded mozzarella, and arrange your chosen toppings.
- Return the pizza to the oven and bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the crust is golden and crisp and the cheese is bubbling and melted.
- Remove the pizza, let it rest a few minutes, slice, and serve hot. Enjoy!
Notes and Tips
This recipe is intentionally simple so you can make fresh pizza quickly. If you prefer a chewier crust, you can substitute part of the all-purpose flour with bread flour. For a slightly sweeter dough, increase the honey by a half teaspoon. The brief rest and par-bake step help produce a consistent, crisp crust even without a long rise. Feel free to experiment with sauces and toppings: barbecue chicken, Mexican-inspired toppings, or classic Margherita all work beautifully with this dough.
If you want to scale the recipe, increase ingredients proportionally. For best results, use warm (not hot) water to activate the yeast—about 105–115°F (40–46°C) is ideal for rapid-rise yeast. Store any leftover dough wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours or freeze for longer storage.
Mention @CenterCutCook and tag #CenterCutCook when sharing your finished pizza photos.
Recipe from CenterCutCook