Best-Ever Pizza Dough Recipe (No Knead)
Save RecipeHi Bold Bakers!
As a professional baker, I naturally have a passion for bread making. And any baker worth their salt has their own tried and tested Pizza Dough recipe that they carry with them from kitchen to kitchen. I am no different and I hold my precious recipes close to my chest.
So how can I call this Pizza Dough the Best Ever? It’s simple: this dough is mixed by hand without the need for a machine. It ferments overnight to give great flavor and texture and best of all the dough lasts up to 4 days in the fridge. At the end you get restuarant quality professional pizza. The results will be the BEST-EVER Pizza you make at home, I promise you that.
Now, even though I normally would be on the sweeter side of baking I do know a thing or two about making pizza. When I lived in San Francisco I turned the sitting room of the old Georgian townhouse I rented into an underground restaurant and fed my friends, friends of friends, and hungry strangers fresh pizzas from my rickety old gas oven! I called it “Knead to Know.” I only invited my friends so you would “knead to know” one of my friends to find out about it. (Get it?)
Those of you who follow my recipes will know that I swear by the “No Knead” technique for bread making. This method uses time to develop a dough, and time equals deeply developed flavor and bubbly texture.
You can pretty much make any type of bread or yeasted dough using this method. Ever want to make soft Pretzels but are intimidated by the method? Here is my No-Knead Pretzel Recipe. They are incredibly easy to make and the results are some of the best soft Pretzels you will taste. I also have made No-Knead Brioche, No-Knead Cinnamon Raisin Bread and even No-Knead Cinnamon Rolls.
My recommendation for successful No-Knead Pizza Dough is read through my method and all of my tips. Print off the recipe and take notes, what temperature you used, how long you bake, etc. Basically what works for you and what doesn’t. This helps you perfect your dough and your skills.
Make sure to check out a few of my other favorite pizza flavors including Mushroom, Mascarpone & Egg and Potato & Mint Pesto along with my 5 minute pizza sauce below.
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- 1⅓ cup (12floz/ 300g) water ( at blood temperature)
- ¼ teaspoon dried yeast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3½ cups /18oz/ 525g unbleached all-purpose flour
- In a large bowl or a plastic container with a lid, add in the flour, salt and yeast. Do not add the yeast and salt directly on each other as this can deactivate the yeast.
- Mix all of your dry ingredients together well
- Mix the oil into the water.
- Pour the blood temperature water oil mix in all at once and stir with a wooden spoon or your hand, which is what I prefer so you can tell by the feel of the dough if you need more water early on. Adjust the water to your flour, do not over-wet it.
- Mix it until all of the flour is incorporated into the dough and is hydrated. You don’t want any lumps of flour left dry. You can see it will be a wet, saggy dough.
- With a spatula scrape the dough off the sides of the container to join the dough. Put the lid on the container tightly or cover your bowl with plastic wrap ensuring that no air gets into your dough as it rests. Air can cause the dough to form a skin which is not good for a dough.
- Allow the dough to sit at room temperature and ferment for about 12-18 hours. Keep out of direct sunlight.
- After the 18 hours if you are not planning on baking off the dough you can refrigerate the dough. The dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days at this stage and baked off any time. While in the fridge the flavor will deepen over that time, developing sourdough characteristics.
- The next day the dough will have more than doubled in size with lots of the bubbles on top. Also it will smell boozy and fermented. This is exactly what you want.
- Dust your hands and the surface of the dough with a little flour, just enough to prevent it from sticking to your hands. Gently turn out the dough onto a floured surface. Don’t knock out the air from the dough.
- Cut the dough into 4 pieces and using extra flour to handle if needed
- Lightly knead each portion of dough just to form a ball. Allow to rest on a floured board covered for 30 minutes. Your pizza dough is ready to use!
- On a flat baking tray or pizza peel, dust it with flour or semolina. With floured hands gently stretch your pizza dough to 10 inches. You can also use a rolling pin to stretch it out. If you find the dough is springing back and is hard to stretch then let it rest for 10 minutes on the board.
- Once you have gotten your desired thickness spread on your sauce and add your topping.
- Important note: Less is more. You don’t want to add too many heavy topping on your pizza otherwise you won’t be able to slide it off the baking tray onto the cast iron tray.
- Bake at 450oF (225oC) for roughly 10 minutes or until the base is crisp and golden brown
- Any dough that does not get used can be refrigerated or even frozen
- NOTE: As with all dough recipes, the amount of flour will vary depending on weather, brand of flour, etc. Use as much flour as you need to handle the dough, but keep in mind that the stickier the dough, the better the texture of your pizza crust will be.
Meet Gemma
Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, and I’m passionate about sharing my years of experience to show you how to make game-changing baking recipes with over-the-top results! Join more than 1 Million other Bold Bakers in the community for new video recipes every week!
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Hi Gemma!
I just found this recipe and I really want to try it but I’m afraid it is way too much dough for me.
Could I half all the ingredients and still follow with the recipe as it is, or do I have to change the times?
Thank you!
Hi Scarlett,
Yes! you certainly may reduce this dough. The law of diminishing returns, if you will, comes in to this. There is only so low you can go with the yeast, so err on the side of a little more, rather than too little. So, a good 1/2 teaspoon to half of the mix, that is about 3 grams.
I hope this helps,
Gemma 🙂
Hi,
How are you? I am addicted to your videos. 🙂
The recipe looks great. I am from the northern part of India and it is almost 42 degrees here. Do you think I should still leave my dough for 12-18 hours or do I need to rest the dough for lesser time considering the heat?
Hi,
Thank you so much :). Great question, I would still proof it for the time I gave but put the dough in a cupboard or the coolest part of the house you can find. And keep it out of direct sun.
Best,
Gemma.
Hi Gemma,
Thank you so much for a great and easy recipe. I tried making the dough yesterday and baked the pizza today. The crust doesn’t have the air bubbles as much as I thought it would have. I left the dough to rise a little longer, like 24 hrs. Do you think that may be the reason why my pizza does not have the air bubble in it?
Also my pizza dough is super sticky. I cannot just slide it on to the baking tray. It got stuck after I used the rolling pin and i have to use the spatula to remove it from the board (that I used), then put it on the baking tray. I am not sure why.
If you could pls advise, I would really appreciate it, Gemma.
Thanks,
Janjaree
Hi Janjaree,
doughs can you funny. You could make it the exact same way again and it would be really bubbly. Check the date on your yeast to make sure it is still fresh.
Yes, this is a sticky dough. However you should be able to move it around. It’s the nature of fermented doughs to be that bit stickier.
I hope you try it again and when you do don’t add in all of the liquid, hold a bit back. Mix until it just forms your dough and once it does don’t add any more liquid.
Everyones flour is different and absorbs liquid differently. It sounds like maybe your dough was a bit wet. With practice your dough will be drier and easier to handle.
Best,
Gemma.
Dear Gemma
Thanks for the recipe. You are an inspiration for beginners like me.
My question is, can i do this pizza dough with wheat flour? Generally, if I had to avoid APF and go for wheat based for bread/ buns/ pizza dough baking – what are the things to keep in mind while doing with wheat flour
i understand wheat flour gives a more denser feel and renders a weird smell. why is that too?
Sincerely
Swetha
Hi there,
I am not sure about the weird smell! I have never found that.
Whole wheat flour has gluten, but it is not as available as in white flour, because of the way it is milled. Many of the yeast recipes can also be used with whole wheat flour, and there are strong whole wheat flours developed for this purpose. I cannot tell where you come from, but in the UK there is a superb Hovis Strong Brown flour, which my Mum used, until she could no longer find it in Ireland. There are some techniques for using this, such as sponging the dough, it would be worth learning this! I will take a look at doing this at some point. This means that you sponge 1/2 of the whole wheat flour with the yeast, and all of the liquids. Allow to stand for an hour or so, then add the remainder of the ingredients/flour. Knead and proof.
Sponging: This means activating the yeast, usually in the liquids to be used in the recipe. Normally you would bring the sponging liquids to blood temperature, that is when you put your finger into the liquid it should feel neither hot nor cold. A touch of sugar. Or honey will speed up the activation. This is really ‘proving’ to you that the yeast is good and active. A foam will form on top of the liquids after 5 mins or so, you stir this through before adding to the flour.
I hope this is of help to you, it is worth learning how to use this. Take it easy with adding the liquids, they will be absorbed quickly by whole wheat,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes.
I wanted to ask, if I could use fresh bakers yeast instead of dry yeast? If so, what quantity should I use and how should I add it to the dough?
Thank you!
hi there,
Yes!
Fresh or Compressed Yeast, should only be bought in amounts that will be used quickly. Fresh Yeast comes in small square cakes and is perishable. If not used right away, it can be stored in the refrigerator up to 3 days. It can also be frozen. One cake of Fresh Yeast equals one envelope of dry yeast.
You should sponge this yeast before adding to the flour. This means activating the yeast, usually in the liquids to be used in the recipe. Normally you would bring the sponging liquids to blood temperature, that is when you put your finger into the liquid it should feel neither hot nor cold. A touch of sugar. Or honey will speed up the activation. This is really ‘proving’ to you that the yeast is good and active. A foam will form on top of the liquids after 5 mins or so, you stir this through before adding to the flour. Add ¾ in one go, then the remainder until the dough comes together in a clean ball.
Using a mixer: If you are using a mixer with a dough hook, you should have a ‘foot’ form, attaching the dough to the bottom of the bowl, this will ensure a good texture to the dough.
If it seems over-wet, add more flour.
I hope this helps with your baking, good luck with it now!
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma. Does this pizza dough need some sugar for the yeast? I don’t see any in the recipe so maybe not. Thanks for your great videos.
Hi there,
Not really, though at home I usualy add a teaspoon of sugar when I sponge the yeast.
Instant, fast acting yeast can be added straight to the flour, if it is not instant then sponge it, a little sugar helps with this. Dry Yeast: It is the most convenient of the two types. It is granulated and comes in little 1/4-ounce packets, 9 g. (approximately 2-1/4 teaspoons) or loose in a jar. Once exposed to the air, it should be stored in the refrigerator.
Instant Dry Yeast: This is the one which can be added directly to flour, and does not need sponging.
Sponging: This means activating the yeast, usually in the liquids to be used in the recipe. Normally you would bring the sponging liquids to blood temperature, that is when you put your finger into the liquid it should feel neither hot nor cold. A touch of sugar. Or honey will speed up the activation. This is really ‘proving’ to you that the yeast is good and active. A foam will form on top of the liquids after 5 mins or so, you stir this through before adding to the flour. Add ¾ in one go, then the remainder until the dough comes together in a clean ball.
This is my little note on this subject, I hope it helps,
Gemma 🙂
Hey Gemma!
First of all, thank you for your recipe, looks great 🙂
I have a question regarding yeast. Would it be possible to use fresh yeast instead of dry, and if yes then in what quantity?
hi there,
Yes, you certainly may. here are the types of yeast; Fresh or Compressed Yeast: Should only be bought in amounts that will be used quickly. Fresh Yeast comes in small square cakes and is perishable. If not used right away, it can be stored in the refrigerator up to 3 days. It can also be frozen. One cake of Fresh Yeast equals one envelope of dry yeast.
Dry Yeast: It is the most convenient of the two types. It is granulated and comes in little 1/4-ounce packets, 9 g. (approximately 2-1/4 teaspoons) or loose in a jar. Once exposed to the air, it should be stored in the refrigerator.
Instant Dry Yeast: This is the one which can be added directly to flour, and does not need sponging.
Sponging: This means activating the yeast, usually in the liquids to be used in the recipe. Normally you would bring the sponging liquids to blood temperature, that is when you put your finger into the liquid it should feel neither hot nor cold. A touch of sugar. Or honey will speed up the activation. This is really ‘proving’ to you that the yeast is good and active. A foam will form on top of the liquids after 5 mins or so, you stir this through before adding to the flour. Add ¾ in one go, then the remainder until the dough comes together in a clean ball.
fresh yeas will always be sponged, it works best that way, and it ‘proves’ that the yeast is active,
Gemma 🙂
Gemma,I was wondering if there’s any other alternative for pizza stone…!?
& if I can use a cookie tray, how long should I keep it in the oven before putting the pizza..!?
& should I dust it with some flour…!?
Btw I’m 13 & love trying your recipes out…☺thanks…
Hi there,
good question!
Yes, you can use a baking tray, two if you have them, one on top of the other.
you do not dust the baking tray, as the flour will burn, but the pizza should be able to slip on to the tray easily. I use a mix 1/2 and 1/2 of flour and semolina, which is gritty and allows the pizza to slip on to the stone/trays. Failing that have one tray in the oven, prepare the pizza on a second tray, and pop that into the oven on top of the hot tray.
I hope this is of help to you,
gemma 🙂
i there,
good question!
Yes, you can use a baking tray, two if you have them, one on top of the other.
you do not dust the baking tray, as the flour will burn, but the pizza should be able to slip on to the tray easily. I use a mix 1/2 and 1/2 of flour and semolina, which is gritty and allows the pizza to slip on to the stone/trays. Failing that have one tray in the oven, prepare the pizza on a second tray, and pop that into the oven on top of the hot tray.
I hope this is of help to you,
gemma 🙂
Hi gemma….I made the dough & was wondering if I’m suppose to leave it out fr 12-18 hrs or am I suppose to leave it out fr few hours & then refrigerate it… (because came to know tat leaving it out fr that long can make it bitter and smell…!)
Hi,
leave it out at room temp for 12-18. Then if you don’t use it after that time then you can keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days 🙂
Gemma.
Thanks for replying…! ☺
Hi gemma….I just made the dough & I was wondering if I’m suppose to leave it out fr 12-18 hrs or am I suppose to leave it out fr few hours & ten refrigerate it…..(because came to know tat leaving it out fr that long can make it bitter & smell….!)
Hi there,
this is a fermented dough, and so as it develops it will indeed develop a sour dough flavor.
I tell you to proof it and then refrigerate for a long slow fermentation, then remove to room temperature, proof for a short time and bake.
It does not need to be 18 hours, overnight will do it too. try it a few ways, it makes a great loaf!
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
I made this lovely dough, lastnight. and let it sit about 23 hours. I was worried if it would still be good.
It was delicious! The taste and crispy crust are amazing. This will be my go to recipe, from now on.
However, I definitely will have to practice on the stretching, of the dough.
I ended up doing the stretching, like you do, for part of the forming of the crust.
I had to break out the rolling pin, for just a bit of it.
Thanks so much, for sharing this yummy recipe.
Hi Karen,
The rolling pin is good for this, chefs do this too. When the dough begins to resist stretching, rest it, for a few minutes, and it will relax.
I am very happy that you like this recipe, I do too!
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
Just want to ask if you can do more than 18 hours for the dough. I made mine, late lastnight, and want to, eat it. tonight.
I still would love a reply even if I have ruined the dough for tonight. March 24, 2018
Hi Karen,
Haha! I think you got there! I am sorry I did not get to you in time, but I know you figured it out. It is forgiving, all will be well,
Gemma 🙂
I’ve never cooked anything ever and I wanted to try this so I did and it was absolutely amazing! I’m so happy about it. Thanks for the great recipe. One very urgent question! I cut the dough into 4 pieces like you did and I only made one pizza. So now I have 3 balls of dough and I want to use it to make more pizza tomorrow. How can I store it? If I put it in a plastic bag and into the fridge I’m worried the bag will stick to the dough??? Please please help!! Do I combine the 3 balls of dough and put them into a plastic bag and put them in the fridge so I can use it tomorrow? Or do I leave them separated into 3 balls in three separate plastic bags or plastic bowls and put them in the fridge? Please answer as soon as you possibly can!! Thanks!!
Hi Mona,
I may be too late! Put a few drops of oil into the bag, and rub it to distribute it. Pop the dough in and away you go.
Do this after the first proofing, that will hold it. For a flat bread you can really proceed to shape and bake as it comes from the fridge, perhaps just a little rest first,
Gemma 🙂
Thank you SO much for responding! This was exactly what I did and I just made the pizzas again they were amazing!!! Another question: I wanna make 3 large-sized pizzas so can I make this dough recipe three times and I won’t cut them into 4 pieces?
Hi Mona,
What do you mean by large?
This recipe should make three large pizzas, 10 inch or so. It will need a very big oven to take much larger than that. This is a lot of dough. You would find three times this dough hard to manage in one lot, it will need a really large bowl or basin. I think I am not understanding you Mona!
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
Love your trick on how to let it sit over time. Does the amount of yeast also play a role in fermenting it? I saw your recipe only use 1/4 tsp of yeast, isn’t it too little? what happen to the dough if I put more yeast into it?
Hi Steven,
Good question!
A sour dough starter uses atmospheric yeast to get it going.
To a point this type of fermented yeast uses the yeasts in the atmosphere, with oxygen and sugar. The little amount of processed yeast gives it a start. The rest is temperature!
Commercial yeast is made with water, sugar and oxygen, the sponge is removed, dried, and packed in various pack. Some of this will have added ingredients to make it fast acting. It is worth doing a little research into this!
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
So basically we let the dough get fermented using atmospheric yeast? I’ve tried this recipe and it worked.. so it amaze me on how little the yeast this recipe needs to activate that much flour.. so I’m wondering what’s going to happen if I add more yeast to it.. does the dough is going to rise more? Or will it rise faster? I realize that other recipe calls for 1 packet of dried yeast using the same amount of flour
Hi Steven,
Really it is the time which does the work, the little yeast gives it a kick start. Some people will routinely add 1 teaspoon of yeast, and it makes little difference really! The yeast eventually gets exhausted and fermentation takes over!
Gemma 🙂
Hi Ms. Gemma!
Can I cook the pizza dough on the stove? like stove top pizza? I don’t have oven but I wanted to try your recipe.Please. Hoping for your answer. Thanks.
Hi there,
Yes, up to a point!
My mum always starts the pizza on a hot cast iron flat griddle, and then pops them under the grill/broiler.
This works well on a BBQ too. The issue then is how to melt the cheese and cook the toppings. The answer is, do not put raw ingredients on the pizza, particularly raw meat.
Use things like chorizo sausage, roast veg, mushrooms, sundried tomato etc. The way to mely these then is to cover the pizza, so that the heat reflects back down on to the pizza. It is not as successful as in an oven, or bbq, but the base will be nicely cooked and puffed up. Keep an eye on it, it will need to be hot but not burning.
You can do it! it is a learning curve, do not expect great results first time, but it is worth the effort!
Gemma 😉
Hi Gemma, this looks fantastic for kids lunches too. If I want to freeze the pizza, is this better to freeze after the final steps ( the pizza cooked with the topping then freeze) or I can make a pizza base, bake it half cooked then freeze? Thanks!
Ahh. I gor the answer already. I didn’t read previous comment before posting. Thanks
Hi there,
Actually this is very forgiving.
I tend to bake and freeze, toppings and all, then it is an easy thing to add to a lunch box, and keeps other things cool too!
You can portion, wrap well and freeze. Remove from the freezer, and unwrap as soon as you can. Then defrost and shape. Flat breads do not really need to be proofed as such a second time.
I hope this helps,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
I love your videos. You’ve turned this not-so-confident cook into a bigger, bolder baker! Quick question about this dough, can it be frozen? If so, for how long? Thank you for sharing all of your wonderful recipes and tips!
Hi Lori,
Good to have you baking with us.
Yes, you can freeze a bread dough readily. Proof it first, then knock it back, portion it as you wish, and freeze.
You can also form it as you wish to bake it before freezing.
Wrap it well, then freeze. When you wish to use it defrost, remove the wrapping as soon as possible, then shape, proof and bake!
Flat breads really just need shaping as soon as possible and baked.
This is a great recipe for a loaf too, really delicious bread. My mum uses this for all sorts of breads, experiment!
Gemma 🙂
Thank you for prompt response. Started proofing early this morning. Pizza Friday, here I come! All thanks to your wonderful recipe and clear instructions. A million thanks, Gemma.
Hi Lori,
Good for you! This is a great recipe to master. You can use this dough for lots of recipes now. It makes a great loaf too, and you can stuff it as you please, sweeten it, add dried fruits etc. You are a Bold Baker!
Gemma 🙂
I made this dough day before yesterday and I used it yesterday for the pizza. My big problem was that my dough wasn’t cooking in the center and it was soggy. I still have enough dough for two more pizzas what should I do? I was feeling upset cause it didn’t work out yesterday and couldn’t serve it for dinner for my friends. Please help me correct it!!
Hi Leanne,
This is an issue with the heat in your oven, and how you baked it.
Pizza cooks really fast, and the dough needs to hit a really hot surface to give it a start. That is how it works in a traditional oven.
So, it is not the recipe, it is what happens in the baking.
There are a number of things you can do:
1. you can use a pizza stone, as I have used, heavy baking trays will help too.
2. If you have an iron griddle/pan you can heat it on the stove top, brown the base and continue to bake in the oven, or even under the grill/broiler.
3. there are pizza pans available, with holes, but they need to hit a hot surface to work.
4. Check in your home for a really heavy pan, make sure the oven, or oven/broiler combination is as high as it will go, and it will make a difference.
It is a learning curve, find a way to do it, all will be well.
Gemma 🙂
Must I wait 14-18 hours or its ok for 3-4 hours
Hi Noor,
This is a fermented dough, the time is important, it cannot develop without this.
You can knead this dough too, this will speed up the process.
Really most people will make this dough overnight, so you should not be standing over it, mix it, proof it, and pop it in the fridge, or leave at cool room temperature, it is trouble free!
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma ,
Can I use this dough for making desert pizza?
Hi Joy,
Here is a recipe for dessert pizza (https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/dessert-pizza/). This is an enriched dough, which is a brioche, so it goes really well with fruits/sweet sauces etc.
Let me know how it works for you,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
Can I use this dough to make pizza rolls as well?
Hi there,
Yes! This is a great basic bread, you can bake it as a loaf, as pizza, stuffed, sweeten it, add butter, cheese etc.
Experiment with this one, it is a good one for your repertoire!
Gemma 🙂