Flatbreads and Pizza Dough at Home: Yeasted and Quick Doughs, Shaping, Baking and Topping

Few things are as satisfying as pulling a homemade pizza from the oven, its crust blistered and golden, or flipping a warm flatbread in a hot pan and watching it puff. Both are far easier than most people expect. A simple dough of flour, water, salt and yeast can become pizza, focaccia, naan-style breads or pita, and a yeast-free dough made with yogurt or baking powder can produce soft flatbreads in under half an hour. Homemade versions are often cheaper than shop-bought, and you control exactly what goes into them.

This guide covers a basic yeasted dough for pizza and flatbreads, a quick dough for nights when time is short, kneading and resting, shaping without tearing, baking in a home oven or skillet, topping pizza well, and storing and freezing dough so it is always ready.

The basic ingredients

• Flour: all-purpose flour works well for most flatbreads and pizza. Bread flour, which has more protein, gives a chewier crust. Our guide to gluten explained describes how protein content affects texture.
• Water: lukewarm water helps yeast get started.
• Yeast: instant or active dry yeast, following the packet instructions.
• Salt: essential for flavor and to strengthen the dough.
• Oil: optional, for a softer, more tender dough.
• Sugar or honey: optional, a small amount helps browning.

Measuring by weight with a kitchen scale gives the most consistent results; see our guide to measuring ingredients for baking.

A basic yeasted dough

This dough works for pizza, focaccia, pita and soft flatbreads.

Mixing

1. Combine flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl.
2. Add lukewarm water and a little oil, and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
3. Rest for ten minutes, which lets the flour absorb water and makes kneading easier.

Kneading

Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about eight to ten minutes, or in a stand mixer with a dough hook for a few minutes. It is ready when it feels smooth, elastic and slightly tacky but not sticky.

A useful test: stretch a small piece of dough between your fingers. If it stretches thin enough to let light through without tearing, the gluten is well developed.

Rising

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it and leave it somewhere warm until roughly doubled in size, usually one to two hours depending on the temperature. Our guide to basic bread for beginners explains how temperature affects rising.

A slow, cold rise for more flavor

For even better flavor and texture, let the dough rise slowly in the refrigerator for one to three days after kneading. The yeast works more slowly, developing more complex flavors, and the dough becomes easier to stretch. Take it out an hour or two before shaping to warm up.

A quick yeast-free flatbread

On busy nights, a dough leavened with baking powder or made with yogurt can be ready in minutes.

1. Mix flour, a little baking powder and salt.
2. Add plain yogurt and a little oil, and stir into a soft dough.
3. Knead briefly, just until smooth, and rest for fifteen minutes under a cloth.
4. Divide, roll and cook in a hot, dry skillet for a couple of minutes on each side until puffed and spotted brown.

These flatbreads are wonderful with curries, soups, dips and grilled vegetables. Our guide to baking soda vs. baking powder explains how chemical leavening works.

Shaping

Dividing and resting

Divide the risen dough into portions, roll each into a smooth ball and let them rest, covered, for fifteen to thirty minutes. Resting relaxes the gluten, so the dough stretches rather than springing back.

Stretching pizza

• Press the ball into a flat disc with your fingertips, leaving a slightly thicker rim.
• Stretch gently by lifting the dough over your knuckles and rotating it, or by pressing and pulling on the work surface.
• If it springs back, cover it and let it rest for a few more minutes.
• Avoid a rolling pin for pizza if you want a puffy, airy crust; it presses out the bubbles. For very thin crusts, rolling is fine.

Rolling flatbreads

Roll flatbreads to an even thickness so they cook evenly. For pita that puffs, roll fairly thin and evenly.

Baking in a home oven

Most home ovens do not reach the very high temperatures of professional pizza ovens, but you can still get excellent results.

• Preheat the oven as hot as it goes, for at least thirty to forty-five minutes.
• Use a baking stone or steel, which stores heat and gives a crisp base. A heavy baking tray turned upside down is a reasonable substitute.
• Use parchment paper to slide the pizza onto the stone if you do not have a peel.
• Bake on the lowest or middle rack, and watch carefully; pizza can go from pale to burnt quickly at high heat.

Our guide to oven temperature and baking explains how ovens vary and how to check yours.

Cooking in a skillet

A heavy skillet, especially cast iron, is perfect for flatbreads and can make excellent pizza:

• for flatbreads, heat the dry skillet over medium-high heat and cook each bread for a minute or two per side;
• for skillet pizza, press dough into an oiled skillet, cook on the stovetop until the base begins to crisp, add toppings, then finish under a hot broiler or in the oven.

Use oven gloves; cast iron becomes extremely hot.

Topping pizza well

• Less is more. Too much sauce or too many toppings make the base soggy.
• Use a thin layer of sauce, such as a simple tomato sauce; see our guide to batch-cooking sauces and bases.
• Choose cheese that melts well, such as low-moisture mozzarella, and add stronger cheeses sparingly.
• Pre-cook watery vegetables, such as mushrooms and zucchini, so they do not release water.
• Add delicate toppings after baking: fresh herbs, rocket, cured ham, a drizzle of olive oil.

Topping ideas

• tomato, mozzarella and basil;
• mushrooms, garlic and thyme with a little cream;
• roasted peppers, olives and feta;
• caramelized onions, goat cheese and rosemary;
• leftover roasted vegetables and pesto.

Flatbread ideas

• Pita for stuffing with falafel, salad and sauces.
• Naan-style breads, brushed with garlic butter.
• Focaccia, pressed into an oiled pan, dimpled and topped with olive oil, salt and rosemary.
• Flatbread wraps for lunch; see our guide to weeknight tacos and wraps.

A pizza night plan

For a relaxed pizza night, make the dough a day or two ahead and keep it in the refrigerator. Take it out an hour or two before dinner, preheat the oven and stone well, and set out bowls of sauce, cheese and toppings so everyone can top their own pizza. Bake one pizza at a time, slicing and sharing each one as it comes out, so the oven recovers its heat between pizzas.

Storing and freezing dough

• Refrigerate yeasted dough in an oiled, covered container for up to a few days; it will continue to rise slowly and develop flavor.
• Freeze dough balls individually, wrapped tightly, after the first rise. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bring to room temperature before shaping.
• Freeze cooked flatbreads, separated by parchment, and reheat in a dry pan or toaster.

Our guide to cooling, storing and freezing baked goods has more details.

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Can I make pizza dough without a stand mixer?

Yes. Kneading by hand takes about ten minutes, and the cold-rise method requires very little kneading at all.

Why does my homemade pizza not taste like a pizzeria's?

Professional ovens are much hotter. A long preheat, a stone or steel and a slow, cold rise for the dough bring home pizza much closer.

Can I use whole wheat flour?

Yes. Replace part of the white flour with whole wheat, and add a little extra water, since whole wheat flour absorbs more.

You will find more reliable baking guides in the Baking section.

The bottom line

Homemade pizza and flatbreads need only flour, water, salt and yeast, or a quick yogurt and baking powder dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, let the dough rise, or better still rise slowly in the refrigerator, rest it before shaping and stretch gently. Bake pizza in the hottest oven you can manage on a preheated stone or steel, or cook flatbreads in a hot skillet. Top lightly, add delicate ingredients after baking, and keep dough balls in the refrigerator or freezer so fresh pizza or flatbread is never far away.