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Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

Easy, No-Knead Pizza Dough

Published: Mar 4, 2025 · Modified: Mar 22, 2025 by Leona Konkel · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

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In the winter, we have pizza once a week, usually on Friday night or over the weekend. I make homemade pizza, because it's actually easy to make from scratch when you use a No-Knead Pizza Dough!

An uncut pepperoni pizza in a round pizza pan.

"Pizza takes yeast, and that means kneading dough, and having it rise!" you might think. And while that's sometimes true, this is a no-knead pizza dough. Just mix together the dough, walk away, and don't bother it until it's time to make dinner!

New Jersey, where I live, is a land of good pizza, but I still like to make it homemade because it's so much cheaper. With this dough, making pizza takes no more time than making a normal dinner. I can keep the ingredients for both dough and toppings on hand in my pantry and refrigerator.

I originally made this as Bread Week 27 of my year of bread in 2014. It also happens to be the only pizza dough recipe that I make on a regular basis. It's just that easy and dependable.

[This post contains affiliate links. I may make a commission for purchases made through links on this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.]

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Equipment
  • Storage
  • Top Tip
  • FAQ
  • Related
  • 📖 Recipe

Ingredients

Pizza dough, like most bread, only takes a few simple ingredients.

Ingredients for pizza dough: flour, salt, yeast, and water.
  • Flour
  • Salt
  • Yeast
  • Water

This recipe takes all-purpose flour. You can use bread flour if you'd prefer; it may make for a chewier crust. I usually use a mix of all-purpose flour and whole-wheat flour.

I always use unbleached flour in my baking. It performs a little better, and it'll taste a little better in this recipe. If you have a choice and not much of a cost difference, it's worth trying unbleached flour. You can read a little more about unbleached flour in the FAQ.

I use table salt because it's what I have, and it always has a uniform texture.

I use active dry yeast in my baking. If you have instant yeast instead, I think it will work fine; your dough may rise more quickly.

Water activates the gluten in the flour. Flour can dry out in the winter, so you may need to add a little extra water if some of your flour isn't wet. The dough will be easier to roll that way, and the pizza will be better.

Instructions

I've adapted my pizza dough from Smitten Kitchen's lazy pizza dough recipe, who adapted it from Jim Lahey.

There's two parts to making pizza dough - mixing it, and baking it!

About 6 hours (or 3 hours, or 12 hours; see recipe card for details) before you want to bake pizza, gather your ingredients.

pizza dough, immediately after being mixed, and before rising.

Mix the flour, salt, yeast, and water until there's no dry flour remaining. You want the dough to be a little wet-looking. Cover and set aside, preferably in a warmish place. Take a break and go on with your day!

pizza dough in a bowl, after it's grown in size.

Come back at the end of the rising time and take a peek! It will have grown; it may or may not have doubled in size.

Preheat your oven to at least 475 or 480F. You can go up to 500F if you want, but some ovens don't tolerate the higher temperatures well.

You can pat the dough out into the pan, or roll it. Patting it gives you a thicker crust. I prefer to roll it because I prefer a thinner crust, and rolling the dough makes the crust a more uniform thickness.

3-panel collage that shows turning the pizza dough onto a floured surface, how it should look once rolled out, and draping the rolled dough over the rolling pin to prepare to move it.
  1. Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface. Roll the dough in the flour so that it doesn't stick to the surface or to the rolling pin.
  2. Roll the dough until it's a little larger, than the size of your pizza pan, and roughly circular.
  3. Drape the pizza dough over the rolling pin, then slide the pan underneath it. Unfurl the dough into the pizza pan.

2 panel collage that shows the pizza dough in the pan before and after pre-baking.
  1. Tuck (but don't stretch) the crust into the corners of the pan. This helps it shrink back less as the pizza prebakes. However, you don't want a big edge or handle, which can become too crisp.
  2. Bake your crust in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. It'll puff up a little, but won't brown. Gently deflate any bubbles.

Next, add toppings. The most important thing is to not add too much sauce to the pizza, as that can make your crust soggy, especially if your oven can't go as high as I've recommended.

4 panel collage that shows saucing the pizza, topping with cheese, topping with pepperoni, and the final baked pizza.

Top the pizza with 1) sauce, 2) cheese, and 3) pepperoni or other toppings. Put the pizza back in the oven. Bake for another 12 minutes, until the cheese in the middle is bubbly and 4) it looks done.

Wait 5 minutes before you cut it. The pizza toppings will slide off without this rest. Even with the rest, the pizza will still be hot enough to burn your mouth if you're not careful.

Equipment

The beauty of this recipe is that it doesn't take any special equipment. That said, some things will make it easier.

I always use a digital kitchen scale (affiliate link) to weigh my flour, because it's the most accurate way to measure. If you don't have a scale, I've included volume measurements in cups; be sure to pay attention to if your dough needs more water.

I use a 12-inch pizza pan. I have never tried this pizza with a crisper pan (the kind with holes in the bottom). You can also bake the pizza in a 9x13-inch pan (affiliate link). If you're going to cut your pizza in the pan, do NOT use a nonstick pan.

I prefer to roll out my dough for even thickness. Any rolling pin should work fine. If you don't have a rolling pin, you can pat the dough directly into shape in the pan.

Storage

This makes one 12-inch pizza. When split between two or three people, we never have leftovers. If you do, store them covered in the refrigerator, since pizza is topped with cheese.

To feed one person, I recommend making a half batch of dough.

If you want to make the full batch of dough for a single person, I recommend splitting the dough in half and baking two smaller pizzas. Bake the first pizza on the first day, and cover and refrigerate the remaining dough. Bake the second pizza a few days later. Check for doneness a few minutes early when baking smaller pizzas, but baking time will be very similar to the full recipe.

Two hands, holding up a slice of pepperoni pizza.

Top Tip

Don't overload the crust with sauce! I love pizza sauce, and prebaking your pizza before adding toppings helps keep it from getting soggy. However, excessive sauce will keep your pizza from baking properly.

FAQ

Can I substitute gluten-free flour for all-purpose flour in this recipe?

Even though you don't knead the dough, this pizza dough still depends on gluten development for its structure. If you eat gluten-free, I recommend finding a different recipe that specifically avoids wheat flour.

Can I use whole wheat flour in pizza dough?

I almost always use a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flour to make pizza. I use about 120 grams of all-purpose flour, and 67 grams of whole wheat, for a 2:1 ratio. It will make your dough a bit shaggier, and you may need to add more water.
If you add more whole wheat flour than the above ratio, it may affect how the dough rises and the crust may be a bit more dense.

Should I make pizza with bread flour?

You can use bread flour, but you don't have to for this recipe! Bread flour has more protein and generates more gluten than all-purpose flour, so pizza made with bread flour may be a bit chewier. I prefer to save bread flour for when the bread is the star (like in focaccia), and use all-purpose flour for pizza where I'm savoring toppings.

What's the difference between bleached and unbleached flour?

Generally, I think unbleached flour performs a little better and tastes a little better.
All flour (that has had the bran and germ removed) whitens as it ages. Some millers bleach flour, using chemicals, to hasten this process. If you compare bleached and unbleached flour side by side, you'll notice that although both are white, bleached flour is very white. Kind of like how you find multiple kinds of white paint at the home improvement store.
Bleaching flour changes its chemical structure, pH, and performance. It also gives the baked goods an off-taste or aftertaste to some people who are sensitive to it. All of the bleaching chemicals are approved for the US food supply. King Arthur Baking has a more in-depth description of bleached/unbleached flour.
Overall, I figure that I'd rather have fewer additives in my food.
Unbleached flour is not necessarily more expensive. Some store brands carry bleached and unbleached flour on their shelves, for the same price.

Related

Make even more bread, using some of my favorite recipes!

  • cut slice of Italian bread
    Peter Reinhart's Italian Bread
  • A slab of focaccia, seen close up along the cut side.
    Focaccia
  • easy french bread slice
    Easy French Bread
  • Three slices of yeasted banana sandwich bread, fanned out to show texture.
    Yeasted Banana Sandwich Bread

Interested in other recipes? I save and share recipes I like or want to try on my Pinterest page - follow me there! You can also check out my Facebook page for more recipes and helpful tips. I'm also happy to try to help troubleshoot my recipes there.

Have you tried this recipe? Or have a question about it? Rate it or leave a comment below! (PS: rating my recipes helps other people find them, too!)

📖 Recipe

An unsliced pepperoni pizza in a pizza pan.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
5 from 1 vote

Easy No-Knead Pizza Dough

This hands-off, no-knead pizza dough is the only one you ever need. Just mix together, let rest for 6-24 hours, then make pizza.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time17 minutes mins
Rise Time & Cooling Time6 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Total Time6 hours hrs 37 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: pizza
Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 230kcal
Author: Leona Konkel

Equipment

  • 12-inch pizza pan

Ingredients

No-Knead Pizza Dough

  • 187 grams all-purpose flour (about 1 ½ cups; see notes for whole wheat flour)
  • ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (for a 6-hour rise; see notes for quantities for other rising times)
  • ⅜ teaspoon table salt
  • 141 milliliters water (5 ounces; ½ cup + 2 tablespoons)

Pizza Toppings

  • ½ cup pizza sauce (5 ounces) (a heaping ½ cup)
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese (8 ounces; shredded)
  • 3 ounces pepperoni (or other toppings as desired)

Instructions

No-Knead Pizza Dough

  • Mix together the flour, yeast, salt, and water until a rough ball forms. Add a tiny bit of extra water if the flour doesn't all mix in.
  • Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise on the counter for 5-6 hours, until dough has about doubled in size.

Shape and Pre-Bake

  • Preheat oven to 500F. (475F is okay if your oven has issues.)
  • Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface. Roll the ball of dough loosely in flour, then roll out until it's about the size of your pizza pan.
  • Grease your pizza pan if food tends to stick to it; this is more common on roughened up pizza pans. Use the rolling pin to transfer the dough to the pan. Tuck, but don't stretch, the dough into the corners.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. The crust may shrink a bit; this is ok. Use a fork to gently deflate any bubbles.

Top the Pizza

  • Top the pizza with the sauce, cheese, and pepperoni or other toppings.
  • Bake the pizza for around 12 minutes, until the cheese is molten in the center.
  • Cool 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes

Bread flour also works, and may make for a chewier crust.
I usually use 120 grams all-purpose flour, and 67 grams whole wheat flour, for a 2:1 all-purpose-to-whole-wheat ratio.
This recipe assumes around 6 hours of rising time, give or take an hour. You can use ½ teaspoon yeast for a "short" 3 hour rise; ⅛ teaspoon yeast for a 10-12 hour rise; or 1/16 teaspoon yeast for an overnight/20 hour rise. Although the 3 hour rise bakes well, it will not taste as good as any other amount of rising time.
This dough should be wet, so add extra water if the dough is dry or doesn't come together. This is common in the winter.
You can pat the dough into place on the pizza pan, instead of rolling the dough out. If you pat the dough, definitely oil the pan. 
You don't need to form a large handle for this pizza, as it will carry the risk of becoming too hard if you need to bake your pizza longer.
Do not overload your pizza with sauce. Otherwise, use the quantity of toppings you prefer.
You can bake at 475F if your oven doesn't heat well or smokes at high temperatures. At 475F, I prefer to put my pizza on the lower rack. Don't do this if using parchment paper or if food burns on your lower rack. 
Calorie count calculated in MyNetDiary and assumes you've used the quantity of ingredients above to make a 12-inch pepperoni pizza. It is an estimate only.
Calorie count of the pizza dough alone, without sauce and toppings, would be 87 calories per slice, or 681 calories for the dough for the entire pizza. This is the amount of calories in the flour; calories in yeast are negligible. 
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's Lazy Pizza Dough
Originally posted July 2014. Completely rewritten and overhauled, with new instructions and photos, in March 2025.

 In the past

Originally posted July 2014. Completely rewritten and overhauled, with new instructions and photos, in March 2025.

 

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Comments

  1. Leona Konkel says

    March 04, 2025 at 2:11 pm

    5 stars
    I hope this recipe finds its way into your dinner rotation, just like it has mine!

    Reply

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Leona Konkel, November 2020

Hi, I'm Leona!

I love homemade sweets and baked goods, using real ingredients, not mixes. I also share easy-to-make meals - so that I can spend the rest of my time baking, not making dinner.

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An uncut pepperoni pizza in a pizza pan. Text overlay for Pinterest.
Two hands holding up a slice of pepperoni pizza. Text overlay for Pinterest.