Bread Machine Pizza Dough

Skip the kneading by hand, and make pizza dough in your bread machine instead! Bread machine pizza dough is simple to make with just 6 common ingredients and your trusty electric bread maker.

Making pizza from scratch is one of my favorite things to do. While you may be able to order pizza for take-out and enjoy a good pie, it will never be as good as the freshly made, freshly baked pizza that you just pulled out of your oven. This recipe for bread machine pizza dough will make homemade pizza making as easy as ordering takeout too! 

I’ve taken my fool-proof, traditionally kneaded pizza dough recipe and converted it to a bread machine pizza dough recipe. Doing it this way saves me so much time, which I can then use to do more important things, like making a Caprese salad or enjoying a cocktail and some pre-dinner TV.

There’s no need to spend the whole day in the kitchen making pizza dough when you can let the bread machine do the work for you!

Ready to do more with your bread machine? Bake a delicious White Bread Loaf in your machine! Or try my basic Whole Wheat Bread or this Seed Bread in the bread machine.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

1. It’s Easy. Making pizza dough in the breadmaker is by far the easiest way to make it. The machine does the kneading and mixing, and you just have to dump in the ingredients. 
2. Everyone loves pizza night! You will find yourself making this dough regularly because having fresh pizza dough means that you will always be able to make a dinner that everyone will eat. Pizza is a universal favorite food. 
3. Save Money. You won’t need to order takeout when it’s this easy to make pizza dough from scratch in the bread maker. 
4. Traditional Italian Pizza Dough. This dough is made with olive oil so that it’s tender and delicious. We are using regular all-purpose flour rather than expensive pizza flour though.

Key Ingredients

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

We will place the ingredients in the bread maker in this order:

• Water: You need water to moisten the flour and help everything to mix together. 
• Olive Oil: While you can use any type of fat, including vegetable oil or melted butter, I think that olive oil is the right choice when making pizza. You can also omit adding any oil if you prefer.
• Salt and Sugar (or Honey): To give flavor to the dough, a bit of salt and sugar does the trick. I like to use honey to make it special. 
• Flour: Regular all-purpose flour is my choice when it comes to bread maker pizza dough. I’ve tried using expensive 00 pizza flour, but I didn’t really notice a big difference.
• Yeast: Instant yeast is the right choice when deciding what type of yeast to buy for your bread maker bread. You may also see “bread maker yeast”. This is also Instant yeast, just with a different label, so feel free to use either. Active Dry Yeast won’t properly bloom in the bread maker, so don’t use that here.
• Semolina: This ingredient does not go in the bread machine, but is used to keep the pizza dough from sticking to the counter or pizza peel when you are shaping it. You can use a bit of extra flour or cornstarch for this as well. 

How to make Homemade Pizza Dough in the Bread Machine

1. Fill the Pan: To the pan of the bread machine, add water, olive oil, salt, sugar or honey, flour, and yeast. It’s important to add the ingredients in this order so that the yeast is activated at the right time. 
2. Turn it on: Insert the pan into the bread machine, close the lid, and plug the machine in. 
3. Knead and Rise: Choose the pizza setting on your machine. The bread maker will mix and knead the dough, and then let it rise for about 45 to 60 minutes (the time will depend on the model of your bread machine).
4. Remove: When the dough cycle is over, switch off the machine. Remove the pan and then remove the dough from the pan.

Rest: You can make two 9 inch pizzas with this dough recipe, so I like to split the dough in half, then shape it into 2 balls. You can also do 4 balls to make personal size pizzas. Place the dough balls on a flat surface and cover with a bit of oil and plastic wrap so that they can rest and rise a little while you preheat your oven.

Shape and Cook: Shape your pizza dough into a round shape. I like to use my hands rather than a rolling pin. If you have a pizza peel, now is the time to use it. Sprinkle it with semolina to keep the dough from sticking. Now build your pizza: Top with your favorite sauce and toppings, then cook using your desired method.

Ways to Cook Homemade Pizza

Oven: The traditional way to cook a pizza is in your oven. I prefer to use a pizza stone or steel to get a crisp bottom crust. Allow the stone to heat up with the oven, you should preheat it to the highest setting your oven will go to (for at least half an hour to 45 minutes). Place your topped pizza on the stone and bake for about 5 minutes. Then switch the oven to broil and cook to finish the toppings.

Air Fryer: Smaller pizzas can be cooked in the air fryer! All air fryers will cook a little bit differently, but I like to cook pizza in the air fryer for 5-7 minutes at 400°F/200°C.

Grill: Roll the dough out thin and grill it without toppings for 2 minutes on each side. Then add your sauce and toppings and grill to melt the cheese. See this post for detailed grilled pizza instructions. 

Make a Stromboli with this pizza dough using my easy recipe!

Recipe Tips

• Add some oil to your hands to keep the dough from sticking to your skin. While you might be tempted to add more flour to sticky pizza dough, try not to. Excess flour can make the dough tough. 
• Be sure to add the ingredients in order. It’s particularly important that the liquid ingredients go in first and then the flour, and finally the yeast. 
• Put away the rolling pin and shape your pizza by hand. The texture of the dough is much better this way as you won’t be compressing all of the beautiful air pockets. 
• Avoid overtopping the pizza. If the dough has too much sauce or topping it will not cook right and your will end up with a floppy pizza. A thin layer of sauce is enough. 
• Make a gourmet pizza with this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Pizza, BBQ Chicken Pizza, Thai Chicken Pizza, or try Chicken Alfredo Pizza.

Bread Maker Pizza Dough Variations

Get creative with seasonings to make your pizza dough gourmet. 

Fresh herbs such as basil or rosemary are delicious in pizza crust. Simply add them into the breadmaker underneath the flour. 

The same goes for seasonings such as garlic powder or Italian seasoning. 

How to Freeze Bread Make Pizza Dough

The great thing about dough is that you rarely have to use it immediately. It can be stored in the freezer for another day. Sometimes I make a few batches of this dough in a row and fill the freezer for the next month or so! 

To Freeze:

1. Divide the dough into portions, brush with oil, and place each portion in a freezer bag. 
2. Freeze for up to 2 months. 
3. When you’re ready to make pizza, allow the dough to thaw in the fridge for 8-12 hours, then cook using your favorite method. 

What to Serve with Homemade Pizza

Pizza is one of those foods that is totally happy being a meal all by itself. Particularly if you top it with a veggie or two, it can be a balanced dinner or lunch. That said, side dishes that pair well with homemade pizza include: 

Fresh Green Salads such as my Caesar Salad, Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, or a simple Tossed Salad.

Chicken Wings are a perfect match for a pizza and the best duo for game day. My Lemon Pepper Wings are always a hit. Or try making Crispy Chicken Tenders.

FAQs

I know you’re going to love this easy method of making pizza dough with your bread machine. Be sure to pin it so you can find it later.