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Soft And Chewy No-Rise Pizza Crust Recipe Even Beginners Can Master
It’s 4:00 PM and you decided you want fresh pizza for dinner? I got you!
There’s something totally nolstalgic about homemade pizza dough. The way it smells as it rises, the feel of it in your hands, and the way it transforms into the perfect base for your favourite toppings… store-bought crust just can’t compare. Was it just me or was homemade pizza dough way more popular when we were kids?
In this post…
- Simple Ingredients for Homemade Pizza Dough:
- Can you Mix By Hand or Stand Mixer?
- Now, Let’s Talk Flour for Homemade Pizza Dough
- Important Tip… Don’t Roll It, Stretch It!
- Bake It Like a Pro (This is the Key!)
- Want to Use Sourdough? Go For It!
- Pair It with Homemade Sauce
- Topping Ideas the Whole Family Will Love
- Pizza as a Health Food? Yep.
- This Recipe Isn't Limited To Pizza…
This simple recipe uses everyday ingredients and doesn’t require any fancy equipment or skills, just a little time (like, 20 minutes), a warm spot in your kitchen, and maybe some little hands to help knead (if you can spare your sanity). Whether it’s Friday night pizza night or a midweek comfort meal, this dough is going to change how you feel about homemade pizza and make it so much less intimidating. I promise.
Simple Ingredients for Homemade Pizza Dough:
These simple ingredients are probably already staples in your kitchen:
- Active dry yeast
- Sugar (or even honey!)
- Water
- Flour
- Salt
- Olive oil
Can you Mix By Hand or Stand Mixer?
You can make this dough either by hand or with a stand mixer, I have done both and both work great, it just depends on what kind of energy you’re working with.
If By Hand…
Just mix in a large bowl with a dough whisk and then knead by hand. I will my favourite Danish dough whisk here from Amazon!
If With a Stand Mixer…
Ohhh do I ever love my KitchenAid stand mixer! If you have one or similar, just use the dough hook attachment and mix on low.
Now, Let’s Talk Flour for Homemade Pizza Dough
Your flour choice makes a big difference in texture and flavor:
- All-purpose flour – The easiest and most accessible, with a soft and chewy texture (this is what I use… nothing fancy).
- Bread flour – Higher protein = more gluten, which means a chewier, stretchier crust (especially great for thin crust!).
- 00 flour – Ultra-fine Italian flour, perfect for Neapolitan-style pizza. Soft, silky, and ideal for high-heat ovens.
And, if you’re on a real-food journey, milling your own flour with a countertop mill gives you unmatched freshness and nutrition. This is definitely on my bucket list! It keeps all the natural oils and nutrients intact. You can even mix different types of flour for the perfect balance of nutrition and flavour (some flours might be too strong for something like pizza dough).
Important Tip… Don’t Roll It, Stretch It!
If you’ve been rolling your dough out with a pin, like what I used to do (and get frustrated when it just shrinks back to size), here’s your invitation to try something better: stretching by hand.
- Hold the dough in the center with both hands using your fingertips. Gently bounce the dough on your fingertips moving your hands in a circular motion. Move outward as the center stretches.
- As it gets larger, hold it gently by the side and let gravity help as you rotate it.
- Stretch out the last little bit laying down on a floured surface.
This will help you keep the air bubbles intact for that beautiful airy texture. And if you are brave, you can toss it in the air (as my four year old always asks me to do). I’m not quite at that level yet, but if you try it, please tag me because I want to see it!
Bake It Like a Pro (This is the Key!)
No matter how you bake it, high heat is the secret to that chewy-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside crust.
In the Oven
- Preheat your oven to 475–500°F with your baking sheet inside (well floured or greased).
- Place pizza (with yummy toppings!) on baking sheet and bake for 10–12 minutes until the crust is golden and the toppings are bubbly. Keep a close eye on it because even a minute too long can destroy all your hard work!
In a Pizza Oven
- Pizza ovens get HOT—and that’s a good thing.
- Your pizza will cook in just a few minutes and come out with gorgeous bubbles and charred edges.
- If you’re into pizza regularly, a countertop pizza oven is a worthy investment because it’s just THAT GOOD.
Want to Use Sourdough? Go For It!
If you are a sourdough girlie like me and you love that tangy, rich flavour, sourdough pizza dough is totally doable with this recipe. I just prefer using yeast because I don’t have to let it rise when I usually decide last minute that I want homemade pizza for dinner.
- Replace the yeast with ½ cup active sourdough starter and reduce the water slightly
- Let the dough rise for 4–6 hours, or until doubled in size.
It’s a little slower, but the flavor and texture are amazing, and your gut will love you for it (which I am all about!).
Pair It with Homemade Sauce
What even is homemade pizza dough without homemade sauce? This dough pairs perfectly with my fresh Homemade Pizza Sauce— a no-preservative sauce made from blended tomatoes and fresh garden herbs. It’s a simple recipe that brings out the BEST in your crust and toppings. It’s seriously so good.
Topping Ideas the Whole Family Will Love
Once your dough and sauce are ready, get creative with toppings! Some of our favorites:
- Fresh mozzarella + garden basil
- Sliced mushrooms + goat cheese (and truffle oil… omg drool!)
- Ham + pineapple (a total win with the kids)
- Pepperoni + chili flakes for a spicy kick
- Cherry tomatoes + arugula
- Honestly, even just plain cheese slaps.
Pizza as a Health Food? Yep.
Pizza gets a bad rap, but when it’s homemade, it can actually be a really healthy meal.
- No processed oils
- No preservatives
- Loads of fresh ingredients
Pair it with a side salad or some roasted veggies, and it’s a balanced, nourishing dinner the whole family will love. No more greasy boxes—just fresh food.
This Recipe Isn’t Limited To Pizza…
Try twisting it into bread sticks and more! This would taste so good with a garlic butter sauce or my homemade pizza sauce and homemade ranch sauce for dipping!
Homemade Pizza Dough and Intentional Homemaking
Homemade pizza dough might sound intimidating, but it’s actually super simple—and once you try it, you won’t want to go back. It took me a long time to try it even after making bread for years!
This recipe has become a staple in our house, and I hope it becomes one in yours too. Let me know if you try it, and tag me in your pizza night pics, I’d love to see what you create!
Oh, and don’t forget to dip it in my thick and delicious homemade ranch!
No-Rise Pizza Crust
Equipment
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Dough whisk or stand mixer
- 1-2 Pizza pans
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water
- 3 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar or honey
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 560 grams flour
Instructions
- Pour warm water into a small bowl and gently mix in yeast and sugar. Let rest for 5 minutes until foamy.
- Gently mix in oil.
- Add flour and salt and mix with dough whisk (or mix on low speed) until shaggy dough forms.
- Cover and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Gently knead (or mix on low speed) for 5 minutes or until smooth.
- Lay on lightly floured surface. Split into two if desired, and shape into balls gently tucking under as you shape.
- Gently stretch out into desired shape thickness. Roll up edges for crust. Poke holes in the remainder of dough to let steam out.
- Add desired toppings (like my homemade pizza sauce).
- Bake 475℃ for 10-20 minutes until golden brown and desired crispiness.
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