Simple personal pizza dough recipe that's perfect for making one small pizza with a soft homemade pizza crust. Makes a perfect pizza for one or two people to enjoy!
If you've got a craving for pizza, skip the delivery and make your own. Every great pizza begins with a truly wonderful pizza crust and our single serving pizza dough recipe does not disappoint. It's my go-to pizza crust recipe and I think you'll love it too!
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Why This Recipe Works
- Quick and easy: This is an easy dough recipe that anyone can make. It's made with simple ingredients and the dough comes together quickly.
- Wonderful flavor and texture: Don't waste money on frozen pizza crust, sure it's a convenient way to make a pizza but you can't beat the flavor and texture that only comes from fresh pizza dough.
- Use the dough to make a thin and crispy pizza crust or a thick pizza crust: The dough can be stretched to your desired thickness.
- Recipe doubles well: If you'd like to make a large pizza, just double the ingredient amounts.
Basic Pizza Dough Ingredients
Types Of Yeast
There are two different types of yeast that can be used in our personal pizza dough recipe. You can use either kind but take note of how to use them:
- Active dry yeast: This type of yeast has been dried and given an inactive coating. Active dry yeast MUST be dissolved in warm water before being mixed with the flour. I recommend using water that is between 100°-110°F.
- Instant yeast: Instant yeast or quick-rise yeast has been quickly dried and does not have the same coating on it. Instant yeast DOES NOT need to be rehydrated before being added to the flour and water so you can just add it to the flour mixture.
Ingredient Notes
See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.
- Yeast: Yeast is a critical component in basic pizza dough. Use either active dry yeast or instant yeast (see the section above). For convenience, I love using Platinum Yeast from Red Star (instant yeast). If using active dry yeast, I like using Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast. For best results, use the yeast prior to the best if used by date stamped on the package.
- Water: We use ⅓ cup of warm water which seems to be the perfect amount. Use warm water, about 100-110°F. Water over 130°F will kill the yeast.
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour in this recipe. You can substitute bread flour which will yield a chewier pizza crust.
- Sugar: Sugar increases the yeast's activity and helps to tenderize the dough.
- Salt and garlic powder: These ingredients add flavor.
- Olive oil: One tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil adds wonderful flavor to the dough. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed form of olive oil. It is an unrefined oil and the highest-quality olive oil you can buy. Because of the way extra virgin olive oil is made, it retains a more true olive taste. It also contains more of the vitamins and minerals found in olives.
How To Accurately Measure Flour
In order for this small batch pizza crust recipe to turn out correctly, it's important that the flour is measured accurately. In fact, this is important for all baked goods. Whenever a reader asks me why something doesn't turn out right, whether it's my mini pound cake recipe or my oatmeal cookies recipe, the first question I ask is, "How did you measure the flour?"
Weighing ingredients is by far the most accurate way to measure flour, but it isn't a common practice here in the U.S.
A digital scale is useful for measuring and weighing flour. If you don't have a scale, you can still measure flour accurately. Here's what you do:
Use a spoon to stir the flour inside the container. You want to loosen it up in case it's packed tightly inside.
Use a spoon to scoop the flour into a dry measuring cup.
Use the flat end of a knife to level the flour across the measuring cup
And that's it! For this small pizza dough recipe, 1 cup of flour is 138 grams measured the way I described above.
How To Make Pizza Dough For One Pizza
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
Note: The instructions below are for making pizza dough with active dry yeast. If you are using instant yeast the mixture will come together a little differently. To use instant yeast, combine the flour, instant yeast, sugar, salt, and garlic powder in a large mixing bowl. Next, stir warm water and olive oil into the flour/yeast mixture. Then, continue with the recipe as written.
- Add ⅓ cup of warm water to a large bowl.
Pro Tip: An instant-read thermometer is an accurate way of checking water temperature. The water should be between 100-110°F. If the water is too warm (over 130°F), it will kill the yeast. If you don't have a thermometer, feel the water with your fingertips. Water should be comfortably warm, not at all hot.
- Add yeast to the water. Wait about 2 minutes until you see bubbles forming. The mixture should look slightly foamy.
- Stir in the sugar, salt, garlic powder, and olive oil.
- Add in the flour and mix the dough with a spoon until the dough comes together. If necessary, add a bit more flour so the dough can be worked without feeling too wet.
Pro Tip: Your dough will be shaggy and lumpy but will become smooth after kneading.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead the dough for 3 minutes. Add more flour, a teaspoon at a time, if the dough remains too sticky to knead. After kneading the dough should feel soft and smooth.
Pro Tip: Kneading the pizza dough helps to build up gluten. Gluten is what helps create a stretchy texture which will allow the dough to stretch without breaking. When testing this recipe, about 3 minutes was the proper time needed.
- Lightly grease a large bowl with oil. Place the ball of dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or a clean towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place until it has doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Pro Tip: Dough won't rise if the room you're using is too cold. I often put the dough in my oven to rise. To do this, preheat your oven for 1 minute, turn it off, then place the bowl of dough inside. Ensure the oven doesn't get too hot or you'll need to wait for it to cool off. Sometimes, just leaving the light on in your oven will provide enough warmth without turning on the oven.
- Punch the dough down to release the trapped air. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. With lightly floured hands or a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a circle or press it into a lightly greased small rectangular pan.
Pro Tip: I find that a 9x13-inch baking sheet is a perfect size to use. If you're having trouble getting the dough to roll out as thin as you'd like, let the dough rest under a kitchen towel for 10 minutes, then continue to roll out.
- Pinch the edges or fold them over to form a crust.
- Use a fork to poke holes over the dough to prevent any bubbles from forming while it bakes.
- Brush the top of the crust lightly with olive oil. Add sauce and your desired toppings and bake the pizza at 400° F for about 18-20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the crust has browned to your liking. Slice and enjoy!
- This small batch pizza dough recipe yields enough dough to make one 12-inch round thin-crust pizza or one 9x13-inch thin-crust rectangular pizza.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Make the pizza dough, form the dough into a ball, and roll the ball of dough in a little bit of olive oil. Place the dough in a bowl, cover it and refrigerate for up to 3 days before baking.
To use, bring the dough to room temperature which takes about 30 minutes. Next, punch it down and let it rest again, covered for about 20 minutes. Finally, form it into your preferred shape and add your favorite toppings.
To freeze pizza dough: Prepare your pizza dough and let the dough rest. After the rise is complete, mold your pizza dough into a ball and roll in a little bit of olive oil. Place the oiled ball of dough on a sheet pan covered with plastic wrap or parchment paper and freeze for about 2 hours. Remove the frozen dough ball from the baking sheet and place it in a plastic bag. Remove as much of the air out of the bag as possible and seal it tightly. Store frozen pizza dough in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When ready to use, thaw the dough in the bag overnight, then let it come to room temperature before making your pizza.
Once the dough is ready, you're all set to make your own homemade pizza using any toppings you like. Just add pizza sauce and your favorite toppings and bake in a preheated 400°F oven for about 15-20 minutes. You may need to bake the pizza longer if you add lots of toppings.
I like adding ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder to my pizza dough and sometimes I'll add a little bit of dried basil. You might like to add a pinch of red pepper flakes or dried oregano.
Some will tell you that bread flour is the best flour to use, but I always use all-purpose flour and prefer it. I wanted to keep this pizza dough recipe as approachable as possible. I developed it with all-purpose flour because this is the type of flour I almost always have on hand, and very likely you may too.
Expert Tips
- Make sure your yeast is active. You will know if your yeast is good to use if it dissolves in water and the mixture bubbles.
- To bake and freeze the crust: Bake and let the crust cool completely. Wrap it in plastic wrap, and freeze. When you're ready to make your pizza, thaw the crust while the oven preheats. Top with sauce and your favorite toppings. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Best toppings for pizza: The best pizza toppings are the ingredients you love. When choosing pizza toppings pay close attention to the moisture content of each because you don't want a soggy crust. Too many wet toppings like olives and marinated vegetables can weigh down the pizza and the liquid can seep into the crust. Be careful with using too much sauce which can also create a mushy bottom crust.
Ways To Use Leftover Yeast
If you have any yeast leftover from this homemade small pizza dough recipe, you might like to consider using it in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
Pizza Recipe Ideas
- Pepperoni: Top dough with ½ cup pizza sauce, tomato sauce, or marinara sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni slices. Bake until the cheese melts.
- Classic Margherita: Top dough with sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, and torn basil. Bake.
- Hawaiian: Top dough with sauce, shredded mozzarella, diced pineapple, 1 to 2 ounces of sliced or diced ham, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Bake until golden.
How To Store Leftover Pizza
The best way to store pizza is by wrapping each piece tightly in plastic wrap. It will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
If you’ve tried this personal pizza dough recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Recipe
Personal Pizza Dough
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup warm water (between 100-110°F)
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast * see notes below if using instant yeast
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil , plus 1-2 teaspoons more for greasing the bowl and brushing over the top of the pizza dough before baking
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Add warm water to a large bowl.An instant-read thermometer is an accurate way of checking water temperature. The water should be between 100-110°F. If the water is too warm (over 130°F), it will kill the yeast. If you don't have a thermometer, feel the water with your fingertips. Water should be comfortably warm, not at all hot.
- Add yeast to the water. Wait about 2 minutes until you see bubbles forming. The mixture should look slightly foamy.
- Stir in the sugar, salt, garlic powder, and olive oil.
- Add in the flour and mix the dough with a spoon until the dough comes together. If necessary, add a bit more flour so the dough can be worked without feeling too wet.Your dough will be shaggy and lumpy, but will become smooth after kneading.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead the dough for 3 minutes. Add more flour, a teaspoon at a time, if the dough remains too sticky to knead. After kneading the dough should feel soft and smooth.
- Lightly grease a large bowl with oil. Place the ball of dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or a clean towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place until it has doubled in size, about 30 minutes.Pro Tip: Dough won't rise if the room you're using is too cold. I often put the dough in my oven to rise. To do this, preheat your oven for 1 minute, turn it off, then place the bowl of dough inside. Ensure the oven doesn't get too hot or you'll need to wait for it to cool off. Sometimes, just leaving the light on in your oven will provide enough warmth without turning on the oven.
- Punch the dough down to release the trapped air. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. With lightly floured hands or a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle or press it into a lightly greased small rectangular pan.If you're having trouble getting the dough to roll out as thin as you'd like, let the dough rest under a kitchen towel for 10 minutes, then continue to roll out.
- Pinch the edges or fold them over to form a crust.
- Use a fork to poke holes over the dough to prevent any bubbles from forming while it bakes.
- Brush the top of the crust lightly with olive oil. Add sauce and your desired toppings and bake the pizza at 400° F (200°C) for about 18-20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the crust has browned to your liking. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure your yeast is active. You will know if your yeast is good to use if it dissolves in water and the mixture bubbles.
- To bake and freeze the crust: Bake and let the crust cool completely. Wrap it in plastic wrap, and freeze. When you're ready to make your pizza, thaw the crust while the oven preheats. Top with sauce and your favorite toppings. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Best toppings for pizza: The best pizza toppings are the ingredients you love. When choosing pizza toppings pay close attention to the moisture content of each because you don't want a soggy crust. Too many wet toppings like olives and marinated vegetables can weigh down the pizza and the liquid can seep into the crust. Be careful with using too much sauce which can also create a mushy bottom crust.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Lynda says
Incredible flavor and very easy ti make! I used roasted garlic powder and added 1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning to the dough. This also makes a wonderful calzone!! ❤️
Joanie Zisk says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the pizza dough, thank you so much for your feedback.
Denise says
how would you adapt this for a small personal pan pizza like pizza huts ?
Joanie Zisk says
This small batch pizza dough recipe yields enough dough to make one 12-inch round thin-crust pizza, To make a smaller pizza, don't roll the dough out as much for a thicker crust.
Nancy Darden says
Your recipes are wonderful and have enjoyed using them for years. Recently purchased your book on Amazon. I see you are now selling dishes again which is fantastic since I couldn’t locate some of the smaller items when I first started using your website. Thank you for bringing the joy of cooking back to me!
J. Hegyi says
Terrific recipe.