
This simple recipe makes about 1 pound of dough — enough for two 10-inch pizzas or one 13-inch pizza. You can use the dough right away or let it sit in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The longer it sits, the tangier the flavor and chewier the texture, much like sourdough without the starter.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- Pinch of sugar
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (90°)
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour (10 ounces), plus more for kneading
- Oil for coating
Directions
MAKE THE DOUGH
In a large bowl, combine the yeast and sugar. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the water and let sit until foamy, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining ¾ cup water, the flour, and salt, and stir until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour as necessary, about 5 minutes.
PROOF THE DOUGH
Wipe out the bowl and lightly coat it with oil. Return the dough to the bowl, turning to coat, and cover with plastic or a towel. Let sit at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 1 hour or refrigerate overnight. Punch down the dough and gather into a ball. Cover with a piece of oiled plastic and let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before using.
Know Your Cook
Grace Parisi

Culinary Director Grace Parisi is a cook, writer and cookbook author. Formerly the Senior Test Kitchen Editor at Food & Wine Magazine and Executive Food Director at TimeInc Books, her work has appeared in Cooking Light, Health, O Magazine, Epicurious, Fitness, Today, Serious Eats, Martha Stewart, and many more. She’s the author of more than 6 books, among them The Portlandia Cookbook and Get Saucy, which was nominated for a James Beard award for Best Single Subject Cookbook.
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