Have you been wondering which grocery store pizza dough is better? For your next pizza night, you’ll want this list of the best store bought pizza crust to buy premade. Learn where to buy pizza dough, and tips for choosing the best store bought pizza crust.
Many of the pizza recipes here use fresh dough balls. But they can be hard to find in the grocery store. One reader recently wrote in to ask, “Where can i buy fresh pizza dough?” so here is my list!
I’ve pretty much tried them all, and I’ve enlisted the help of a couple of “pizza experts” to fill in on which store brand has the best dough. Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Safeway, Kroger, Costco, New Seasons, Aldi… get the scoop on how to choose the best crust from grocery stores.
Where to find the best store bought pizza crust
You know I’m a big fan of Trader Joe’s pizza crust. I use it in my homemade pizza recipes and also love their frozen pizza crust.
I consider Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and New Seasons (in the PNW) to have some of the best refrigerated pizza dough around. It’s light and fluffy and makes for a chewy crust.
Pizza crust from grocery stores varies across the country
Living on both the East and West Coasts, I’ve pretty much tried pizza crust from major grocery stores everywhere.
Not all grocery stores across the US carry fresh balls of pizza dough.
This pizza is made on Whole Foods pizza dough. I find their dough to be a little more chewy than Trader Joe’s. It’s all a matter of preference – but I like ‘em both! (surprise, surprise…)
Sometimes you have to look for it as premade crusts in the bakery section. They will be already baked and then you top them. I used one of the TJ’s prebaked pizza crusts for this recipe for asparagus pizza.
Or you have to buy premade crusts in the freezer section. Really each store is so different.
Learn about using Whole Foods pizza dough to make a pizza. It’s light and fluffy and makes a chewy pizza crust.
What about canned pizza dough?
Canned pizza dough is delicious, but canned pizza crust has a different texture than regular balls of pizza dough.
In my experience buying Whole Foods canned pizza dough for recipes like this pear and goat cheese pizza, or getting classic Pilsbury pizza dough in the can, it is a bit more like puff pastry.
It’s great for gourmet pizzas with light sauces and toppings.
Frozen pizza dough that tops my list
Local food companies may sell specialty pizza crusts in your area.
One thing to look for is wood fired pizza crusts at grocery stores. Sometimes they are in the fresh dough section, other times you’ll find them in the frozen pizza dough section.
In Oregon, there are a number of popular frozen pizza dough brands that sell gourmet pizza crust that tastes like it just came off the grill.
Stretching pizza dough by hand by hand is easy with these beginner tips and video. Learn how to stretch pizza dough balls that are store bought or homemade.
The best gluten free grocery store pizza crust
“We like Trader Joe’s gluten-free because the texture and taste are the closest we have tried to regular pizza. It’s a great consistency and doesn’t taste rubbery.” Says Melissa McNamara, the Food Guru for The Pickup Line.
What does she recommend for baking it?
“You can make a thin crust or a thick deeper crust. Whatever you prefer. We find if you roll it out, then bake for 10 minutes with olive oil and a little salt it will get crispy.
Put whatever toppings you like on and bake at least 10 more minutes until the cheese and toppings are all melted and gooey!”
One of my favorite toppings is BBQ chicken with caramelized red onions. It’s a great way to use leftover sous vide chicken breast tenders.
Why not buy pizza crust at a local pizza shop?
My mom used to do this all the time growing up. I’m from Rhode Island, which has so many Italian restaurants and bakeries. I remember being very young and running in with money to buy balls of pizza dough for our pizzas.
And I’m not alone in loving the idea of buying pizza dough at local pizza shops.
Nathaniel Lee, Editor of Beginner Food says:
“The ideal place to buy pizza dough is from a local pizza shop. Oftentimes, smaller shops will sell their dough, and since the primary focus of their business is making pizza, the dough will naturally be better quality.
If buying from a pizza shop is not an option, look for grocery stores that have a dedicated bakery section because the dough will be fresher and will not contain preservatives.”
These sauteed mushrooms are so tasty. Add them to any fresh or frozen store bought pizza crust to add instant flavor.
How to choose the best store bought pizza crust
Nathaniel also has some tips for choosing fresh pizza dough from stores…
- Look for the youngest dough available by checking the expiration dates.
- Avoid pizza dough where bubbles have already formed. Seeing bubbles on the dough means that it is likely over-proofed, so no additional air will come out of the dough as you work with it.
- If the pizza dough is sticking to the bag, avoid buying it, because this means there is too much water in the dough already.
- Look for dough that is in the shape of a ball because it will be the easiest to work with. If it is not in a ball shape, it could be over-proofed and contain too much water.
Go all Italian fare with this make-ahead tortellini salad.
Want to go the unconventional route and use another bread for a pizza crust like naan? Made with Alfredo sauce, mozzarella cheese, and tasty raviolis, this ravioli pizza on flatbread will be a new family favorite in no time.
What to serve on the side of pizza
To throw together an easy pizza night, make a family-style side dish everyone will like. Vegetables are a great idea. Serve a make ahead Mexican salad, this refreshing Caprese salad, or this creamy avocado ranch salad.
Going to make some pizza?
Let me know what you think about these pizza recipes. Find me on Instagram @sipbitego and get my latest cooking tutorials when you subscribe to the Sip Bite Go channel on YouTube.
More recipes using Trader Joe’s ingredients
Are you a Trader Joe’s enthusiast, too? I love planning grocery trips to Trader Joe’s. It’s almost like a vacation… strolling up and down the aisles to discover new things. When I come home, I’m inspired to develop new recipes.
My best recipes using Trader Joe’s products end up here on Sip Bite Go…
- Cauliflower Rice. Use it in place of bread crumbs in Hawaiian pineapple bbq meatballs and as a filling for cheesy Italian stuffed peppers. Also try it in a vegetable stir fry with cauliflower rice.
- Ready Made Pizza Dough. I’m a huge fan of making pizza at home and have extensive information on how to use Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough.
- Frozen Pizza Crust. Learn how to make frozen pizza crust taste amazing.
- Everything But The Bagel Seasoning. This is super delicious on focaccia bread with Everything Bagel Seasoning.
- Frozen Gyoza and Potstickers. These are great in frozen vegetable stir frys. See my guide to Trader Joe’s chicken cilantro mini wontons or Trader Joe’s vegetable gyoza.
- Frozen Ravioli. Sometimes I just serve it with tomato sauce. Other times, I go a little nuts and make ravioli pizza with store bought Alfredo sauce.
- Spice Kits. Did you know you can buy Trader Joe’s products online? This Trader Joe’s spice kit inspires so many recipes in my house.
- Cheese. The cheese case at Trader Joe’s is undeniably amazing. Use it for potatoes gratin with frozen vegetables, this recipe for baked shells with ground beef, or in potato side dish recipes.
See more of the best meals to make with Trader Joe’s ingredients and my full list of Trader Joe’s must haves.
Lynne Hollingsworth says
I love your tips and have printed out many. Sadly, as do most Americans, you are centered on American venues; I am Canadian, and we do not have Trader Joe’s here. I understand you are not IN Canada and therefore can hardly review those sources for products. But a mention for the thousands of Canadians reading your posts would be nice. Americans always forget their neighbours in Canada…their maps stop at the border and so do their thoughts. And my spell check just corrected me on the Canadian spelling of “neighbours” lol