# Homemade Pizza From Scratch Recipe (Easy Dough and Sauce) Source: https://trevorfarias.com/recipes/homemade-pizza Author: Trevor Farias (Trevor's Kitchen) Published: 2026-09-13 · Updated: 2026-09-13 Category: Dinner · Cuisine: Italian > To make pizza from scratch, mix bread flour, warm water, yeast, salt and olive oil into a soft dough, knead until smooth and let it rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours, or refrigerate it for 1 to 3 days for better flavor. Stretch each ball by hand into a 12-inch round, spread thinly with a no-cook sauce of crushed tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and oregano, top with fresh mozzarella, and bake on a pizza stone or steel preheated for 45 minutes at 500 to 550°F for 7 to 10 minutes. ## At a glance - Prep time: 30 minutes - Cook time: 20 minutes - Total time: 2 hours 50 minutes (Includes 1 1/2 hours of rising and 45 minutes to preheat the stone; or refrigerate the dough 1 to 3 days) - Yield: Two 12-inch pizzas - Servings: 4 - Calories per serving: 610 ## Ingredients ### For the dough - 3 1/4 cups bread flour, 400 g, plus more for dusting - 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt, 9 g - 1 teaspoon instant yeast, 3 g - 1 1/4 cups warm water, 280 ml, about 100°F - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the bowl ### For the no-cook sauce - 1 14-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand or pulsed - 1 garlic clove, finely grated - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano - 1/2 teaspoon fine salt ### For topping - 8 ounces mozzarella, fresh, torn and patted dry, or low-moisture, shredded - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, optional - Fresh basil leaves, olive oil and red pepper flakes, for finishing - Semolina or cornmeal, for the pizza peel ## Instructions 1. **Mix the dough.** In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt and yeast. Add the warm water and olive oil and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Knead on a lightly floured counter for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic and it springs back when poked. 2. **Let it rise.** Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. For better flavor, refrigerate it covered for 24 to 72 hours instead. 3. **Divide.** Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and shape each into a tight ball. Cover and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature (1 to 2 hours if the dough was refrigerated). 4. **Preheat the stone.** Place a pizza stone or steel on the upper-middle rack and heat the oven to its highest setting, 500 to 550°F (260 to 290°C), for at least 45 minutes. _Tip: No stone? Preheat an upside-down heavy rimmed baking sheet the same way._ 5. **Make the sauce.** Stir together the crushed tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, oregano and salt. Taste and adjust the salt. 6. **Stretch and top.** Dust a pizza peel or rimless baking sheet with semolina. Stretch one dough ball into a 12-inch round and lay it on the peel. Spread about 1/2 cup of sauce thinly over it, leaving a 1-inch border. Scatter half the mozzarella and Parmesan over the top. 7. **Bake.** Give the peel a small shake to make sure the pizza slides, then slide it onto the hot stone. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until the crust is puffed and browned in spots and the cheese is bubbling. Switch the oven to broil for the last minute for extra blistering, watching closely. 8. **Finish and repeat.** Transfer to a cutting board, top with basil, a drizzle of olive oil and pepper flakes, and let rest 2 minutes before slicing. Let the stone reheat for 5 minutes and repeat with the second pizza. ## Equipment - Pizza stone or baking steel - Pizza peel or rimless baking sheet - Large mixing bowl - Pizza cutter - Kitchen scale (recommended) ## Notes - Preheat the stone for a full 45 minutes at your oven's highest temperature. - Keep sauce and toppings light for a crisp center. - Refrigerating the dough for 1 to 3 days gives the best flavor and texture. ## Why this recipe works - Bread flour's higher protein gives the crust chew and structure; a little olive oil keeps it tender and helps it brown in a home oven. - A cold overnight rise develops flavor and relaxes the gluten, so the dough stretches without springing back. - An uncooked sauce stays bright and does not turn pasty when it bakes on the pizza. - A thoroughly preheated stone or steel delivers intense heat to the bottom of the crust, so it cooks crisp before the toppings overcook. ## Ingredient notes Bread flour makes the best home-oven pizza. Italian 00 flour is designed for wood-fired ovens above 800°F and tends to bake pale and cracker-like in a home oven unless you use a steel. All-purpose flour works and gives a softer crust. For the sauce, use good canned whole peeled tomatoes crushed by hand or in a blender, such as San Marzano style. For cheese, fresh mozzarella tastes creamiest but releases water, so tear it, pat it dry and use it sparingly. Low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella melts evenly and browns well; many pizzerias use a mix of both. ## How to stretch pizza dough by hand Let refrigerated dough sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours first; cold dough tears. Set a dough ball on a floured counter and press from the center outward with your fingertips, leaving a 1-inch rim untouched so it puffs into a crust. Pick it up and let it hang over the backs of your knuckles, rotating and gently stretching it with gravity until it is about 12 inches across. Avoid a rolling pin, which presses out the air bubbles that make the crust light. ## Pizza topping ideas - Margherita: sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil added after baking and a drizzle of olive oil. - Prosciutto and arugula: bake with sauce and mozzarella, then top with thin prosciutto, arugula, lemon juice and shaved Parmesan. - Mushroom: sautéed mushrooms, garlic, mozzarella and thyme. - Pepperoni: add cupped pepperoni over the cheese so the edges crisp. - Keep toppings light. Too many toppings make a soggy center. ## Storage - Wrap dough balls in oiled plastic and refrigerate up to 3 days, or freeze up to 3 months. Thaw frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator. - Refrigerate leftover pizza up to 4 days. Reheat slices in a covered skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes to re-crisp the bottom. - Leftover sauce keeps 1 week in the refrigerator. ## Variations - Sheet pan pizza: press all the dough into an oiled 13x18-inch rimmed pan, rise 1 hour, top and bake at 475°F for 18 to 22 minutes. - Whole wheat crust: replace 1 cup of the bread flour with whole wheat flour and add 2 tablespoons more water. - White pizza: skip the tomato sauce; brush with garlic olive oil and top with ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan. ## Frequently asked questions **What temperature should I bake homemade pizza?** As hot as your oven goes, usually 500 to 550°F, on a stone or steel preheated for 45 minutes. Higher heat gives a crisper crust and a quicker bake. **Why is my pizza crust soggy in the middle?** The stone was not hot enough, or there was too much sauce, cheese or wet toppings. Use a thin layer of sauce, pat fresh mozzarella dry, and preheat fully. **Why does my pizza dough keep shrinking back?** The gluten is too tight. Cover the dough and let it rest 15 minutes, then try again. Dough that has had a long cold rise is much easier to stretch. **Can I make pizza dough without a stand mixer?** Yes. This recipe is written for kneading by hand. You can also skip kneading: mix the dough, then fold it over itself a few times every 30 minutes for 2 hours before refrigerating. ## Nutrition (per serving, estimated) - Calories: 610 - Fat: 20 g - Saturated fat: 8 g - Carbohydrates: 82 g - Fiber: 4 g - Sugar: 4 g - Protein: 26 g - Sodium: 1350 mg - Cholesterol: 45 mg --- Recipe by Trevor Farias. Full page with photos: https://trevorfarias.com/recipes/homemade-pizza Structured data (JSON): https://trevorfarias.com/recipes/homemade-pizza/recipe.json