Easiest No Knead Pizza Dough Recipe - Mangia Bedda (2024)

This is the easiest no knead pizza dough recipe you’ll ever make! No kneading or fancy equipment necessary, this will become your go-to pizza recipe. Follow my step by step instructions and tips for the perfect pizza every time! About eight months ago I was introduced to no knead pizza dough. All thanks to my dear work colleague, Elaine. This pizza dough is a total game changer and once you’ve tried it there’s no turning back.

You’ve probably all heard of or tried no knead bread made famous by Jim Lahey. Well, I never considered that the same technique could be applied to pizza (once again thank you Elaine!).

What’s not to love about this amazing dough (also known as lazy pizza dough)? It’s fluffy on the inside, crisp on the outside. It requires no special tools to prepare other than a bowl and wooden spoon and requires absolutely no kneading! All you need is patience ’cause this dough needs to rise for a minimum of six hours and up to twenty four hours.

With this easy to make pizza dough recipe, you don’t have to wait until the weekend to enjoy pizza! Stir all the ingredients for your dough in the morning and make pizza that same night for dinner or the following day.

This pizza dough reminds me of my mom’s pizza. She has always made rectangular shaped pizza on sheet pans similar to this, only with a lot more kneading involved! I’m glad to say she approves of this recipe.

I did previously share a regular, kneading required pizza dough recipe that also works well. You can check out that post here as well as get a glimpse at my outdoor wood burning pizza oven!

It took me several months to experiment with and fine tune this recipe and I am finally satisfied enough to share this amazing, no fail recipe with you! But you can do so much more with this dough other than make pizza. Here are a few options: olive and cheese buns; parigina pizza; scacciata with potatoes and sausage; scacciata with cauliflower; skillet focaccia bread; chicory, egg and cheese stuffed pizza; and fried pizza dough.

Before we get to my step by step instructions, allow me to share some information that will be helpful for you when making this dough.

Here’s all you need to make the Easiest No Knead Pizza Dough Recipe!

All-purpose flour: just regular all-purpose flour will do, no fancy flour necessary. Part of the white flour may be substituted with whole wheat flour. You will probably have to add a bit more water to make a soft, sticky dough.

Yeast:I used 1/2 tsp of active dry yeast.

Salt:regular table salt.

Olive oil

and of course water!

A few notes about when to add the salt and oil to the dough:

You’ll notice that unlike other pizza dough recipes, I stir the salt and oil into the dough at the end. Why is that? My pizza dough education is far from over, and so I’ve been reading up on the pizza making methods of the famous Roman pizza chef Gabriele Bonci. He stirs the salt and oil into the dough after the flour, yeast and water have been combined.

Salt retains water and therefore the flour absorbs the water much easier without the salt mixed in. I tested both methods, stirring the salt into the flour mixture right away and adding it afterward. Although both methods work, I agree the dough comes together much easier with the salt added at the end.

Unlike most other no knead pizza doughs, I add olive oil to mine. It offers a more tender texture that I prefer. Also, since oil is hydrophobic and doesn’t mix well with water, it is better absorbed into the dough at the end. My son’s food science class has paid off!

How long does this dough need to rise?

You can bake this pizza after a minimum of 6 hours . Scroll down further below for a photo of the dough after 6 hours. You’ll notice that the dough is bubbly and doubled in bulk. So this means you can mix the dough in the morning and have pizza that same night for dinner!

But if you’re not in a rush to have your pizza, let it rise for a full 24 hours. An overnight pizza dough will rise much more, be extra bubbly and, in my opinion, is more flavorful. This is a very forgiving dough. Basically you have a window of opportunity from 6-24 hours to bake your dough.

You do have one more option! Let’s say you’ve prepared the dough and changed your mind about having pizza the next day. Simply shape the risen dough into a ball, as shown below, wrap well and place in your fridge for up to 3 days. So many options!

Can no knead pizza dough be frozen?

You can definitely freeze this pizza dough. After it rises proceed to shape into a ball, as shown below, then place in freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.

But to be quite honest with you, this dough is so easy to make and not really worth the effort of freezing it. In the time it takes you to defrost the dough and bring it to room temperature, you can make a fresh batch!

Can I double this recipe?

Due to the soft, sticky texture of this dough, I prefer making two batches in two separate bowls. I find it easier to handle a smaller dough.

How many pizzas does this recipe make?

This recipe will make one rectangular pizza, approximately 10×16 inches. Or you can divide the dough in half to make 2 -12 inch pizzas which I have done when using my pizza stone.

What type of pan is best for baking no knead pizza dough?

Just about any pan will do! I have baked this pizza on basic rectangular baking sheets; a perforated aluminum pizza pan; a pizza stone and even in my outdoor wood burning oven and I had success each time!

Keep in mind that your baking time may vary slightly according to the pan you use. And of course it bakes much faster in a 700 degrees F wood pizza oven!

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

If you’re using a baking sheet be sure to grease it generously with olive oil to prevent sticking.

If using a pizza stone, don’t forget to preheat the oven with the pizza stone inside it. Dust the pizza stone with cornmeal or semolina flour to prevent it from sticking. My best practice is to lift the dough directly onto the pizza before adding my toppings.

So now that we’ve gotten all this important information out of the way, let’s proceed to make the dough. You’ll find the complete printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Step by Step Instructions

In a large mixing bowl stir together the flour and yeast. Heat water until barely warm. Make a well in the center of the flour and slowly pour in the water while stirring with a wooden spoon.

Stir until the flour is almost completely incorporated, then sprinkle the salt over the dough as well as the olive oil. Continue stirring until both ingredients are fully incorporated in the dough, scraping down the sides of the bowl with the wooden spoon to gather all of the flour.

This step was completely done using only a wooden spoon. However, if you wish, you can reach in with your hands to combine all the ingredients well. You do not need to knead the dough. It will very sticky and not smooth at all. This is fine. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm part of your kitchen that is free of any drafts such as your unlit oven. Let sit for 6-24 hours.

Here’s what your dough will look like after only 6 hours. Check out those bubbles! You can now prepare your dough for baking or forget about it until the next day.

After 24 hours,this is what the dough will look like. You can see that it has increased in volume compared to the 6 hour dough. It has bubbles and is very soft, sticky and jiggly.

Use a spatula to scrape the dough onto a generously floured surface. Do not over handle the dough. It will be light, airy and bubbly and we want to maintain that texture! Fold over the 2 side edges toward the center of the dough as shown.

Next, fold the top and bottom edges toward the center. Gather the dough to form a ball with the seam side down.

Lightly oil the same bowl you used for the rising period and gently place the ball of dough in the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour.You are now ready to shape your pizza! Place the dough on your well floured surface and gently flatten the dough into a large rectangle. Use your finger tips to press down and spread the dough to shape into a large rectangle. Flour your hands as needed. No rolling pin is necessary.

If you’re using a pizza stone or round baking pans, divide the dough in 2. Shape each half into a ball, then flatten into a circular shape to make 2 -12 inch pizzas.

Grease a rectangular baking pan well with olive oil. Pick up the dough and place on the pan. Spread it out by applying gentle pressure with your finger tips until it covers most of the pan. Cover with a clean dish cloth while you preheat your oven to 500 degrees F and prepare your toppings.

To prepare a basic tomato sauce:place 3/4 cup of canned crushed tomatoes (preferably from Italy!) in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 crushed garlic clove, 1 tsp dry oregano, salt (to taste) and a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional). Stir well.

Add toppings:When the oven has reached 500 degrees F, remove the garlic clove and evenly distribute the sauce over the dough. Dot with pieces of mozzarella (if using mozzarella balls packaged in water). Due to the high moisture level, this mozzarella will not burn easily. If using regular shredded mozzarella, add only in the last 5 minutes of baking to prevent it from burning.

To bake:Place the pizza on the bottom rack and bake for 11-12 minutes until the cheese is melted and the dough is crusty and golden. Lift the dough with a spatula to verify if it is well cooked underneath. If the cheese is sufficiently melted and your crust is not browned enough, tent lightly with foil and return to the oven for a few more minutes.

Remove from the oven, top with fresh basil leaves and drizzle lightly with olive oil (if desired). Cut into squares and enjoy!

Tips and suggestions:

• This dough does not have the same texture as regular pizza dough recipes that require kneading. It is a high hydration dough thus making it quite sticky to handle. This is absolutely normal! When handling the dough, be sure to generously flour your work surface and your hands in order to gently shape it. It may require some patience at first!
• I opted to make a basic Margherita pizza but you can add toppings of your choice on this pizza dough. Just be sure to not overload the dough with toppings. You don’t want a heavy, soggy pizza!
• Refer to the full text in my post offering detailed information regarding rising times; choice of baking pans; pizza size; and freezing options.

Now that you have all the information that you need to make your own no knead pizza dough, let me know if you give it a try! You can comment and rate the recipe below. Stay tuned for more recipes using the easiest no knead pizza dough recipe. Buon appetito!