This basic pizza dough recipe is my go-to foundation for live-fire pizza — stretchy, easy to handle, and perfect for 00 flour.

Whether you’re cooking in a backyard pizza oven, on a pellet grill with a stone, or pushing your kettle grill to 700°F, the foundation of great pizza is the dough. And this right here? This is your ground zero pizza dough recipe.

It’s simple. It’s repeatable. And it produces that chewy, blistered, slightly crisp crust that makes wood-fired pizza special.

This basic pizza dough uses 00 flour for elasticity and tenderness, balanced hydration for easy handling, and a short fermentation that builds flavor without getting complicated. No sourdough starters. No 3-day cold ferments (unless you want to). Just solid fundamentals that perform every time.

If you can measure, mix, and wait, you can make elite-level backyard pizza.

Ingredients

• 325g Warm Water 110°
• 5g Dry Active Yeast
• 500g 00″ Pizza Flour
• 10g Kosher Salt

---

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl combine water and yeast stirring until dissolved about 5 minutes. Small bubbles should form.
2. Add flour and salt.
3. Knead dough or mix in Kitchen Aid Mixer, on 2 with dough hook for 8 minutes.
4. Remove, form into a ball, and place in an olive oiled bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap.
5. Leave covered bowl on counter until dough doubles in size.
6. Remove from bowl, transfer to floured surface and cut into desired portions.
7. For thin crust cut into 3 equal portions. For thick crust cut into 2 equal portions.
8. From portions into ball and transfer to individual oiled bowls.
9. Place in fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.
10. Once dough rests, remove and form your pizzas.

---

Other Considerations for Backyard Pizza Success

🔥 1. Water Temperature Matters

110°F water activates yeast quickly. Too cold? Slow fermentation.
Too hot? You’ll kill the yeast. Use a good, reliable instant read thermometer.

If you’re cooking outdoors in winter, consider slightly warmer water to compensate for ambient temperature.

🧊 2. Cold Fermentation = More Flavor

While this basic pizza dough recipe works same-day, letting the dough rest overnight in the refrigerator:

• Improves flavor complexity
• Improves extensibility
• Makes shaping easier
• Produces better browning

If you have time — use it.

💧 3. Hydration Adjustments

If your dough feels:

• Too sticky → dust lightly with flour during shaping
• Too tight → let it rest 15–20 minutes before stretching
• Tearing → it needs more rest time

Humidity levels in your kitchen will affect dough. Flour absorbs moisture differently in summer vs winter.

🔥 4. Cooking Method Adjustments

Wood-Fired Oven (700–900°F)

• Cook time: 60–120 seconds
• Use minimal toppings
• Rotate frequently

Pellet Grill with Stone (500–650°F)

• Preheat stone at least 30 minutes
• Use convection if available
• Cook 5–8 minutes

Kettle Grill (Indirect High Heat)

• Bank coals
• Use a pizza stone
• Lid on the entire cook

High heat equals better oven spring and blistering.

🧂 5. Flour Options If You Don’t Have 00

You can substitute:

• Bread flour → Slightly chewier crust
• All-purpose → Slightly softer crust
• Mix 50/50 bread + AP → Solid compromise

00 is ideal. But don’t let that stop you from making pizza.

---

Pro Tips From Backyard Smoke Lab

✔ Always oil your proofing bowl
✔ Weigh ingredients — don’t eyeball
✔ Let dough come to room temp before stretching
✔ Don’t use a rolling pin (you’ll crush the air pockets)
✔ Dust peel with semolina or coarse flour for launch

If the dough fights you, it’s not ready. Let it rest.

---

Storage & Make-Ahead Instructions

Refrigerator:
Store dough balls in lightly oiled containers, covered, for up to 72 hours.

Freezer:

• Wrap tightly in plastic
• Freeze up to 3 months
• Thaw overnight in fridge
• Bring to room temp before use

Dough actually improves after 24–48 hours cold ferment.

---

New to smoking meats? Check out my [Beginner’s Guide to Smoking].

---