The Best Pizza Dough – Overnight Pizza Recipe
If you’re looking for the best pizza dough that’s easy to make, easy to stretch, and delivers a crispy, flavorful crust every time, this recipe is for you. This homemade pizza dough uses a simple overnight pizza dough method to develop incredible flavor while creating a dough that’s far less likely to spring back when you’re shaping it. One batch makes enough dough for three 12-inch pizza bases, making it perfect for family pizza nights, meal prep, or stocking the freezer for future cravings.
While this isn’t a quick pizza dough recipe, it is an easy one. This cold proof pizza dough gets at least 12 hours to rise in the refrigerator, allowing the flavor to develop while the gluten relaxes. The result is a pizza crust recipe with a crisp bottom, a light and airy texture, and a dough that’s noticeably easier to stretch and shape. Using a food processor with a dough hook also does most of the hard work for you, making this a great recipe if you’ve struggled with sticky dough, endless kneading, or pizza bases that shrink back as you shape them.
Why This Is the Best Pizza Dough
• No more pizza dough that fights back. The overnight cold proof relaxes the gluten, making the dough much easier to stretch into shape without constantly shrinking back.
• The flavor is worth the wait. Giving the dough at least 12 hours in the fridge allows it to develop a deeper, more authentic pizzeria-style flavor than a quick-rise dough.
• Less work than traditional pizza dough. A food processor fitted with a dough hook does most of the kneading for you, so there’s no standing at the counter wrestling with sticky dough for 10 minutes.
• A crisp base without burnt toppings. The slow rise helps create a better structure in the dough, allowing the base to cook beautifully while the toppings stay perfectly balanced.
• One batch makes three 12-inch pizza bases. Make the dough once, keep what you need in the fridge, and freeze the remaining dough balls for future pizza nights.
• Simple ingredients, exceptional results. There are no fancy flours or specialist ingredients here. Just a handful of pantry staples and a method that transforms them into the best homemade pizza dough.
Step 1: Mix the dough
Add the warm water, yeast, and sugar to a food processor fitted with a dough hook and give it a quick mix. Add the flour and salt, then mix for around 2 minutes until a dough ball forms.
A quick warning: hold onto the food processor as the dough comes together. The dough hook can make it surprisingly top-heavy.
Step 2: Knead and check the dough
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and dust your hands with flour to prevent sticking. Knead for 2 minutes until smooth.
To check it’s ready, use the windowpane test by stretching a small piece of dough between your fingers. If it stretches thin enough to let light through without tearing, the gluten is properly developed.
Step 3: First rise
Place the dough into a large bowl that’s at least twice the size of the dough. Cover and leave somewhere warm for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Step 4: Divide and cold proof
Punch down the dough and divide it into 3 equal balls. Return one dough ball to the bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Wrap the remaining dough balls tightly and freeze for future pizzas.
The cold proof allows the dough to ferment slowly, developing more flavor while relaxing the gluten, which makes the dough much easier to stretch later on.
Step 5: Bring to room temperature
Remove the refrigerated dough from the fridge around 2 hours before baking. This allows the dough to warm up and makes shaping much easier.
Step 6: Shape and top
Stretch the dough into a 12-inch circle and add your favorite toppings. If the dough springs back, give it another 15-20 minutes to rest before trying again.
Step 7: Bake
Bake at 450°F for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling.
Step 8: Using frozen dough
When ready to use frozen dough, thaw it in the refrigerator, transfer to a large oiled bowl and allow it to cold proof for 18-24 hours in the fridge before bringing it to room temperature and shaping/baking as normal.
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The Best Pizza Dough – Overnight Pizza Recipe
Equipment
- food processor with dough hook
Ingredients
- * 3½ cups all-purpose flour
- * 1 to 1½ cups warm water 100°F-110°F
- * 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast 1 sachet
- * 1 tablespoon sugar
- * 1 teaspoon salt
- * Pizza toppings of choice passata, cheese, cold cuts, diced vegetables, etc.
Instructions
- Add the warm water, yeast, and sugar to a food processor fitted with a dough hook and give it a quick mix. Add the flour and salt, then mix for around 2 minutes until a dough ball forms.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and dust your hands with flour to prevent sticking. Knead for 2 minutes until smooth.
- Use the windowpane test to check the dough. Stretch a small piece between your fingers. If it stretches thin enough to let light through without tearing, it’s ready.
- Place the dough into a large bowl that’s at least twice the size of the dough. Cover and leave somewhere warm for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough and divide it into 3 equal balls. Return one dough ball to the bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Wrap the remaining dough balls tightly and freeze for future pizzas.
- Remove the refrigerated dough from the fridge around 2 hours before baking to allow it to come to room temperature.
- Stretch the dough into a 12-inch circle and add your favorite toppings. If the dough springs back, let it rest for another 15-20 minutes before trying again.
- Bake at 450°F for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling.
- For frozen dough, thaw in the refrigerator and allow it to cold proof for 18-24 hours before bringing to room temperature and baking as normal.
