Homemade pizza is the most fun thing to make at home. Especially with a thick, soft, airy crust, just the way we love it. It all starts with a good homemade pizza dough.
This dough makes one large pizza or two medium ones. It’s a light base that holds all the sauce, cheese, and toppings beautifully.
It’s a simple dough: flour, yeast, a little honey, olive oil, salt, and warm water. Knead it well and let it rise.
My tip: don’t use a rolling pin. Press the dough out gently with your hands so you keep all the air bubbles in it.
Make it once and you’ll keep making it again and again.
This homemade pizza dough for a thick crust is made from all-purpose flour, instant yeast, honey, olive oil, salt, and warm water. Knead 10 minutes, let rise 1 to 1½ hours, press out by hand, top with tomato sauce, and bake at 450°F (230°C) for 6–8 minutes. Add cheese and toppings and bake another 3–5 minutes.
Homemade Thick Crust Pizza (Soft, Fluffy Pizza Dough)
Ingredients
Method
- In a bowl, mix the lukewarm water with the honey and yeast. Let it sit a few minutes, until bubbles appear.
- Add the flour, salt, and olive oil. Knead well for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, soft, and elastic.
- Move the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size (about 1 to 1½ hours).
- Gently press the dough out on a parchment-lined baking sheet, without a rolling pin, to keep the air in the dough.
- Spread with tomato sauce and bake in an oven preheated to 450°F (230°C) for 6–8 minutes.
- Take it out, sprinkle with cheese and toppings, and return it to the oven for another 3–5 minutes, until the cheese melts and the pizza is nicely browned.
Notes
- Use lukewarm water, not hot. Hot water can kill the yeast.
- Press the dough out with your fingertips. A rolling pin pushes out the air that makes the crust fluffy.
- Baking the sauce first, then adding cheese, keeps the thick crust from staying doughy under the toppings.
- All-purpose flour → bread flour (same amount; a slightly chewier crust).
- Honey → sugar (same amount), just to feed the yeast.
- Instant yeast → active dry yeast (same amount; give it the full few minutes to bubble in step 1).
Frequently asked questions
Let the dough fully double in size, then press it out gently by hand instead of rolling it. That keeps the air bubbles in.
Yes. After kneading, you can cover the dough and let it rise slowly in the fridge, then bring it back to room temperature before shaping.
Yes. Freeze it after the first rise in a sealed, lightly oiled bag. Thaw it in the fridge before using.
A thick crust needs more time in the oven. Baking it with just the sauce first lets the dough cook through before the cheese goes on.
No. This recipe bakes on a regular parchment-lined baking sheet.
