With just a few ingredients and the easiest method, this No-Knead Pizza Dough is here to simplify mealtime. You can make it ahead, freeze it, and top it with anything your family enjoys.
Why This Recipe Works
You can make the easy pizza dough recipe—no kneading or fussy steps required—with regular flour. Then bake it in a regular oven on a regular baking pan, and get crispy edges with a tender middle in the pizza crust. No fussy steps or equipment needed!
We love easy homemade pizza because it’s one of those meals that has always seemed easy enough for me to make at home for less than takeout. And this method for making pizza dough as a toddler dinner or family meal is actually easy enough to pull off in our very chaotic real lives.
To make this No-Knead Pizza Dough, you literally just stir the ingredients together, let them sit, then stretch the dough and bake.
You can use this recipe to make 1 big pizza, 4 smaller personal pizzas, or my Pizza Rolls, Pizza Cups, or Homemade Pizza Pockets, too. I like to have my kids decide on their own toppings, whether that means Basil Pesto Sauce or regular tomato-based pizza sauce because it helps them get excited about the meal.
(You may also like my super easy Greek Yogurt Pizza Dough and Cottage Cheese Pizza Crust.)
Table of Contents
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Ingredients for No-Knead Pizza Dough
Here’s a look at what you need to make this easy No-Knead Pizza Dough so you know what to have on hand.
- Flour: I like to use a mix of flours, including whole wheat and all-purpose flour, so you get some of the added nutrition in whole wheat flour (which means fiber and complex carbs) but the lightness of all-purpose.
- Yeast: You can use instant yeast or active dry yeast; both will work.
- Olive oil: Adding olive oil to homemade pizza dough helps it be pliable and very easy to work with—and which helps eliminate even more stress in the kitchen for us busy parents.
- Salt: A little salt ensures the dough has flavor and doesn’t taste bland.
- Sugar: A little sugar helps to activate the yeast. You can use a little honey, for kids over age 1, if you prefer.
TIP: Then, to turn it into a pizza, you need pizza sauce (or pesto), shredded mozzarella cheese, and any desired toppings.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the process involved in making this easy No-Knead Pizza Dough recipe so you know what to expect. Scroll down to the end of the post for the full recipe, including the timing and amounts.
Step 1. Let the yeast sit in warm water to dissolve. It will get a little puffy.
Step 2. Stir all the ingredients together in a bowl.
Step 3. Add a little more water as needed to make a ball of dough. Cover and let rest for at least an hour.
Step 4. If making personal pizzas, cut the dough into 4 sections with a knife.
Step 5. Use clean hands to stretch out the dough to form the pizza.
Step 6. Add sauce, pre-bake, then add the other toppings and finish baking.
TIP: I like to pre-bake this crust with just the sauce so it has plenty of time to bake through properly without over-cooking the crust.
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No-Knead Pizza Dough FAQs
I have made this with both rapid-rise yeast or instant yeast. With both, I like to bloom them in warm water with a little sugar to let them get foamy just so I have a little more assurance they are active.
Sure, you can make it in the morning on the day you plan to serve it and let it rest covered until dinner time. Or you can make it ahead, let it rise, then freeze in freeze bags until the day before you plan to serve it.
Using a pizza stone allows you to have a hot surface under the pizza, which makes for a crispier crust, but it can be logistically challenging to do this at home—if you even have one. So I just bake my pizza on a baking sheet pan and it works great. I pre-bake it with just the sauce, then add the toppings, and bake until the cheese is just golden brown. This works really well.
You can make this No-Knead Pizza Dough in the morning on the day you plan to serve it and let it rest covered until dinner time. (I often do this on Friday mornings so we have an easy dinner to end the week.) Or, put it into a large airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Best Tips for Success
- Use part all-purpose flour and part whole-wheat flour for tender pizza crust with a little fiber. The recipe will work with just all-purpose flour if you prefer, though.
- Top with Basil Pesto Sauce, Kale Pesto, Spinach Pesto, or a tomato-based pizza sauce.
- Top with pizza toppings including pepperoni, precooked broccoli florets or bell peppers, very thinly sliced mushrooms, or cooked Italian sausage.
- Cut into thin finger-size strips or tiny cubes for toddlers to ensure it’s easy to chew.
More Easy Pizza Dough
I’d love to hear your feedback on this post, so please rate and comment below!
No-Knead Pizza Dough (for Easy Kids Meals)
Ingredients
No-Knead Pizza Dough
- 2 teaspoons yeast (rapid rise or active)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
Toppings
- ½-¾ cup pizza sauce (or pesto)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Desired toppings (see Notes below for info)
Instructions
- Measure out 1 cup warm water. Stir in the yeast and sugar. Let sit for about 5 minutes until dissolved or puffy.
- Add the flour, olive oil, and salt to a medium bowl. Add the water-yeast mixture and stir together with a spoon or your hands. Continue bringing the dough together into a ball to make a smooth ball of dough. (It will be a little sticky.)
- Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Let sit at room temperature for at least an hour, but preferably 4-6 hours. (I usually make it in the morning of the day I want to make it.)
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper or a Silpat.
- To make 1 large pizza, use your hands to stretch the ball of dough out into a circle or large rectangle until about 12×17-inches. (This fits in the half sheet pan.) Or divide the dough into 4 sections to make mini pizzas. (If you do mini pizzas, you will need 2 half sheet pans.)
- Top with pizza sauce and bake for 8 minutes.
- Remove pizza from the oven and top with cheese and any other toppings. Bake for another 6-8 minutes or until the cheese is melted and lightly golden brown. Remove from oven, slice, and serve warm.
Notes
- You don’t need to knead the dough; just bring it together with your hands to make a dough. It will become softer as it sits.
- Top with Basil Pesto Sauce, Kale Pesto, Spinach Pesto, or a tomato-based pizza sauce.
- Top with pizza toppings including pepperoni, precooked broccoli florets or bell peppers, very thinly sliced mushrooms, or cooked Italian sausage.
- Try this dough in my recipes for Pesto Pizza, Pizza Rolls, Pizza Bites, or Pizza Pockets.
Can you use all spelt flour with this recipe?
Probably!