Easy Thin Crust Pizza is thin but still perfectly foldable with a tasty and slightly crispy crust! A simple weeknight pizza dough made in 30 minutes!
For those of you that love my super easy 30 minute Miracle Pizza Dough Recipe, I know you are going to love this one as well! This pizza recipe comes out with a perfectly foldable slice and a nice cracker thin crust. I originally posted this recipe not long after I started my blog, almost three years ago! I’m giving the post a bit of a facelift with some more detailed instructions as well as a few photos of the pizza making process. I want you all to see how truly easy it is to make your own pizza at home, and even your own Pizza Sauce!
Thin Crust Pizza:
My recipe for thin crust pizza starts with all of the basics. You will need warm water, regular dry yeast (not instant), olive oil, a little sugar, a bit of salt, and of course flour. This recipe can be made using your stand mixer, or by hand.
- The first thing you will want to do is dissolve your yeast and sugar in a large bowl (or bowl of stand mixer) warm water. The water should truly just be warm to the touch, but not hot.
- Once you have stirred these ingredients together, allow the mixture to sit until foamy. You can see how it should look in the third picture below.
- Now, you can add your olive oil and salt to the bowl and give a quick stir.
- Now you will start adding your flour into the yeast mixture 1/2 cup at a time until the dough starts to come together and form a ball.
- At that point, knead the dough on low-medium speed in your stand mixer for 3 minutes until you have a smooth dough. Or, place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 5 minutes. The dough should be completely smooth and not sticky.
- Shape the ball into one ball, then slice in half and shape each half into a ball.
- At this point, you will roll out the dough as thin as you can get it, about 1/4 of an inch. You can make two pizzas, or save one ball of dough for later.
- Once your dough is rolled out, place it on a lightly oiled pizza baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, then top with pizza sauce and toppings as desired. Place the pizza back into the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until cheese has melted.
Can I freeze Pizza Dough?
Yes! Because this recipe makes two pizzas, we often save one for later. Wrap the ball of dough that you want to save in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer safe zip-top bag and freeze for up to three months. Allow the dough to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Easy Thin Crust Pizza
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
- 1/2 Teaspoon Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup Warm Water
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 Cup Pizza Sauce
- 1 1/2 Cups Shredded Mozarella Cheese
- Toppings As Desired
OPTIONAL GARLIC BUTTER FOR CRUST:
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 1 Pinch Salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease a pizza baking sheet and set aside.
- In a large bowl or bowl of stand mixer, mix together the yeast, sugar, and warm water and allow to sit for 10 minutes until foamy.
- Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture. Then, using the dough hook on your stand mixer, or a sturdy spoon if using a bowl, mix in the flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough has started to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- If using a stand mixer, mix the dough with the dough hook for 3 minutes on medium speed until the dough has completely pulled away from the sides and is smooth.
- If you are not using a stand mixer, place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth.
- Shape the dough into one ball, and slice in half evenly. At this point you can roll out both balls of dough for two 10 -12-inch pizzas. Or, store the remaining dough in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or the freezer for up to one month.
- Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface and transfer to prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes.
- While the pizza is in the oven, melt the two tablespoons of butter and stir in the garlic powder and salt.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and top with your favorite sauce, cheese, and toppings as desired, leaving 1/2 inch of the crust without toppings. Brush the 1/2 inch edge of crust with garlic butter.
- Place the pizza back in the oven and continue baking pizza 10-15 minutes until crust is golden and crispy, and cheese is melted.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Nichole, I was thinking of making this tonight and I have a couple of questions. First, I was going to use a pizza stone. Do I need to heat the pizza stone first before I place the raw dough on it? Also, do I need oil the stone as you suggested if you’re using a pizza pan? Appreciate your response.
Hi! Yes, if using a pizza stone it’s a good idea to pre-heat it first. If you had your dough in the refrigerator, make sure it comes to room temp before placing on the hot stone. You shouldn’t need to oil it.
This is an amazing recipe — delicious and EASY.
Really, this is one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever made!
Hi Nichole,
Wanted to thank you for this amazingly easy and delicious pizza recipe. I loved that there was no proofing involved. Made the dough last night and straight into the fridge. Also made pizza sauce from scratch yesterday. Tonight rolled two 10 inch thin pizzas. Baked for around 20 mins. Everyone loved it, especially the crust!!
Did you let the dough come to room temperature before rolling it out? I like the idea of making ahead. Thanks so much!
Hi Colleen. I rolled it straight after taking it out of the fridge. I have also successfully doubled the recipe for a party.
Tried out this recipe yesterday and it worked out great! I ended up baking it an extra 10 minutes though and wasn’t as golden brown as I like it, so I’m thinking my oven temperature might be off. Will try baking it in a hotter oven next time. So easy and delicious! And not at all flimsy like some recipes are. Making this my go-to for thin crust too! 🙂
I use instant yeast in all my pizza crust recipes and just mix it in with the flour and it works great. Not sure how much better it could be if I took the time to mix with warm water, etc. Just my take on it. Love making my own pizza crust and this is my go-to recipe
I divide this recipe into 3; make 2 small pizzas for my husband and me then roll out the remaining 3rd thinly and pan fry it as a flat bread that can be served with hummus, etc. Excellent recipe!
Can I use whole wheat flour instead of All purpose flour for a healthier version?
I use half all purpose and half whole wheat.
Hi there! I wanted to let you know I first found you through this recipe that I pinned on Pinterest a while back. I love this yummy, easy crust. I use my stone to get it extra crispy! Thanks!
Thanks for letting me know and I’m glad you found me! The pizza stone always makes for a great crust! 🙂
is the times and everything the same if using a pizza stone? thank you ! cant wait to try this out!
Yes 🙂
I made this as recipe called out, but I did not pre-bake. I spread the dough onto 2 greased pizza pans. I baked the pizzas at 425 for 22 minutes total, and halfway through the bake time, swapped pizza positions for better crust brownness. my family loved the crust.. I’m making it gain tonight! Think we finally found our weekend pizza crust! thanks again.
I like that you did not prebake the crust. I want to make this on the bbq in a pizza oven. Did you brush the crust with butter and garlic powder and salt before baking or did you skip that step? Thanks for the great tip!
Was AWESOME! Thanks a lot! <3
Hi. Can I use the dough recipe in my bread machine for kneading the dough or would the rest time in the bread machine be too long ? ?