Easy pizza dough with plain flour! This recipe makes perfect homemade pizza bases every single time!
Try this simple pizza dough recipe on your next pizza night!
I used to make pizza dough in my bread maker, mainly because making it by hand seemed a little bit overwhelming. But it really is so easy, and this easy pizza dough recipe using plain flour is now my go-to recipe!
Plain flour is a pantry staple here in the UK, and people are more likely to have plain flour in their cupboard or larder than strong bread flour (which is more commonly used to make pizza dough). That's the reason I've developed this recipe with plain flour!
👩🍳 Love pizza? Try my easy pizza bianca - a white pizza with no tomato sauce.
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
Here's why this is the best pizza dough recipe!
- Easy pizza dough recipe
- Makes 1 large pizza or 2 smaller pizzas
- Uses plain flour
- Double the recipe to feed a crowd
- The dough can be frozen
🛒 Ingredient notes
- Plain Flour - regular white plain flour is used in this easy pizza dough. You can substitute with strong white bread flour if you prefer.
- Yeast - 7g sachet of fast action dried yeast.
- Salt
- Caster Sugar
- Olive Oil
- Water - use tepid (lukewarm) water to help activate the yeast.
🔪 Instructions
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Place the plain flour, dried yeast, salt, and sugar in a large bowl and mix with a spoon.
Two: Add the olive oil and tepid water and mix with a spoon, then bring the dough together with your hands.
Three: Knead the dough for 1 minute on a lightly floured work surface before placing it back in the bowl (covered with clingfilm or plastic wrap) to prove for 45 minutes at room temperature (you could speed up proving by putting the bowl in a warm place like an airing cupboard).
💡 Pro Tip - you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment to knead the dough (on a low speed setting), but I like doing it by hand!
Four: Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface or cutting board to roughly 30 cm diameter and place on a pizza stone or baking tray. Leave to rest for 5 minutes whilst you get the toppings ready.
Five: Spread the base with pizza sauce.
Six: Sprinkle over your chosen toppings. I love a meat feast pizza with ham, pepperoni and pancetta!
Seven: Top with grated mozzarella.
Eight: Bake in a hot oven for 8-10 minutes until golden and bubbling.
💭 Expert tips
- Instead of rolling the pizza dough out with a rolling pin, place the dough on your pizza stone or baking tin and stretch it out with your hands.
- For an authentic rustic pizza base, sprinkle a little coarse semolina onto the baking tray or pizza stone before placing the dough on top.
- A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil before baking gives it an extra luxurious feel.
- For an extra crispy base, use a pizza peel (paddle) to transfer the pizza to the oven and place it directly on a preheated pizza stone or baking tray.
- The ingredients quantities in this recipe make 1 large pizza (30cm diameter) or you could make 2 smaller pizzas if you prefer.
- Make sure you bake the pizza immediately, don't leave it sitting on the countertop for too long.
- The pizza dough quantities can easily be doubled.
- Avoid overloading the pizza base with too many toppings. This can lead to a soggy bottom crust!
🍴 Serving suggestions
Top the pizza base with your favourite toppings and serve with sides of dough balls, cheesy chips, and sweet potato fries.
Some of my favourite toppings include;
- Ham and Pineapple
- BBQ Chicken and Bacon
- Garlic Mushrooms
- Ricotta and Pancetta
- Pepperoni
Check out these 45 easy side dishes to serve with pizza!
📖 Variations
You can replace the plain flour with either strong white bread flour or 00 flour.
Vary the toppings to suit your own taste!
🥡 Storage
The pizza dough can be made ahead and frozen until needed. Shape the dough into a round disc and wrap in cling film or plastic wrap.
Freeze for up to 3 months and defrost thoroughly in the fridge before rolling out to make your pizza.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can! Due to the lower protein content of plain flour, the texture of the pizza dough will be slightly different, but still as tasty!
Yes, it is! Plain flour is the term used in the UK, whereas all-purpose flour is the term used in the US.
😋 More recipes you might like
- Pizza Bianca
- Meat Lovers Pizza
- BBQ Chicken Pizza
- Easy Focaccia
- Mini Sausage Rolls
- Cheese and Bacon Turnovers
- Scone Pizza
- Chorizo Mozzarella Pizza
- Naan Bread Pizza
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Recipe
Easy Pizza Dough with Plain Flour
Equipment
- Baking Tray or Pizza Stone
Ingredients
- 270 g Plain Flour
- 7 g Fast Action Dried Yeast
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Caster Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 160 ml Tepid Water
For the topping
- 3 tablespoon Pizza Sauce
- 150 g Mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 240°c (220 fan).
- Place the plain flour, dried yeast, salt, and sugar in a large bowl and mix with a spoon.270 g Plain Flour, 7 g Fast Action Dried Yeast, ½ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Caster Sugar
- Add the olive oil and tepid water and mix with a spoon, then bring the dough together with your hands.2 tablespoon Olive Oil, 160 ml Tepid Water
- Knead the dough for 1 minute on a lightly floured work surface before placing it back in the bowl (covered with clingfilm or plastic wrap) to prove for 45 minutes at room temperature (you could speed up proving by putting the bowl in a warm place like an airing cupboard).
- Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface or cutting board to roughly 30 cm diameter and place on a pizza stone or baking tray. Leave to rest for 5 minutes whilst you get the toppings ready.
- Spread the base with pizza sauce.3 tablespoon Pizza Sauce
- Top with your chosen toppings and sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese.150 g Mozzarella
- Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until golden and bubbling.
Notes
- Instead of rolling the pizza dough out with a rolling pin, place the dough on your pizza stone or baking tin and stretch it out with your hands.
- For an authentic rustic pizza base, sprinkle a little coarse semolina onto the baking tray or pizza stone before placing the dough on top.
- A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil before baking gives it an extra luxurious feel.
- For an extra crispy base, use a pizza peel (paddle) to transfer the pizza to the oven and place it directly on a preheated pizza stone or baking tray.
- The ingredients quantities in this recipe make 1 large pizza (30cm diameter) or you could make 2 smaller pizzas if you prefer.
- Make sure you bake the pizza immediately, don't leave it sitting on the countertop for too long.
- The pizza dough quantities can easily be doubled.
- Avoid overloading the pizza base with too many toppings. This can lead to a soggy bottom crust!
Shadi Hasanzade
I was looking for a reliable pizza dough recipe to use this Friday and here it is! I cannot wait to try this tomorrow!
Suja md
This looks really delicious and fairly simple to make! Can't wait to try it out! thanks for the recipe 🙂
Beth
I'm so excited to try this! I've been trying to find a good pizza dough for so long, and they never live up to their hype. I love the simplicity of this one. That's always the best.
Heidy
This Easy pizza dough was a cinch to make and came out outstanding. I can't wait to use this recipe again!
Jess
We make pizza dough every Friday night. This dough turns out perfect every single time!