Making Pizza At Home with Store Bought Dough

Last updated on October 3, 2019

Learn how to make pizza at home! This is the only guide you’ll ever need for making homemade pizza in the oven. There are just a few secrets and tips for making pizza at home with store bought dough. This recipe is so simple you can make pizza at home without a pizza stone or a rolling pin. You don’t even need to make homemade pizza dough! All you need is ~20 minutes, a sheet pan, pre-made store bought dough, and a desire to eat delicious homemade pizza.

With this step-by-step guide to making homemade pizza, you’ll learn:

1. Where to buy fresh pizza dough pre-made
2. How to store pizza dough so it’s ready for pizza night any day of the week
3. Tips for getting pizza dough to rise
4. Techniques for stretching store bought dough (once you learn my tips for how to stretch pizza dough for sheet pan pizza, you’ll be a pro)
5. How to pre bake pizza crust before adding toppings
6. Pizza toppings
7. The best oven temperature for pizza made at home

At the end of this post is one of my favorite home pizza recipe ideas.

Ready for 10+ years worth of secrets and tips for making pizza at home with store bought dough?

First, you have to know how to get premade dough to rise…

How to get pizza dough to rise

Many people struggle with the very first step of making pizza at home with store bought dough. That’s because stretching store bought dough is difficult when it’s cold.

Pizza dough needs at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours to rise, outside of the fridge.

Here’s an easy trick to allow the dough plenty of time to rise. Set it near a window or wrap it in a kitchen towel and set it on the counter. If you’re short on time, use a kitchen towel straight out of the dryer – a little heat will help.

Here’s another trick. If you’re making pizza at home soon after buying ingredients at the store, let the pre-made dough sit by a sunny car window on the ride home. Growing up, that’s what my mom always did.

Once the pizza dough rises, it’s time to shape the dough.

How to shape pizza dough

Shaping rectangle pizza for a sheet pan is very, very easy once you get the hang of it.

Watch the video with the recipe at the bottom of this page for step by step instructions.

Or follow these step-by-step photo instructions to lean how to stretch pizza dough.

Step 1-2.

Lightly flour a large work space like a butcher block, cutting board, or clean counter.

Press both sides of the fresh dough against the flour.

Step 3-4.

First, work the outside of the pizza dough by pinching it with your fingers to make the crust.

Next, working against a flat surface, move to the center of the dough and push the dough outward to make a larger base. As you expand the dough, pick up a light dusting of flour, which will help the size of the dough grow.

Step 5.

Once the dough has spread as far as possible against the cutting board, gently pick up the dough.

With your hands under the dough, use your knuckles to stretch the dough in vertical and horizontal motions.

Adding a little flour will help the dough expand.

Step 6-8. 

Work the dough until it is expands enough to cover your sheet pan.

Go back and forth between pushing the dough and using your knuckles as needed.

Add light dustings of flour as needed to help the dough retain the progress you’ve made. Don’t worry about the dough being a perfect shape. All pizzas are beautiful.

At any time, patch holes as they appear by folding over the dough.

Step 9. 

Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Step 10. 

Gently transfer the pizza dough to the baking sheet.

Push out the premade dough as far as it will go towards the edge of the baking sheet.

Shaping round pizza is similar, but you will begin by forming the dough into a perfectly round ball. Follow the instructions above, but instead of pulling the dough in vertical and horizontal motions, you’ll want to stretch the dough in a circular motion. It’s easy to make a classic round pizza with this ventilated pizza pan.

Don’t add toppings yet! First, par-bake the premade dough

It’s super important to pre bake the pizza crust once before adding pizza toppings.

Follow the recipe at the end of this post for details on how to to par-bake the pizza dough at 450 degrees in the middle rack of the oven.

After the dough bakes “naked”, add the toppings and bake the pizza

When making pizza at home, it’s crucial to using a really high temperature, once you add the toppings, to get restaurant quality pizza.

After par-baking the pizza dough, add the toppings and finish baking pizza in the oven at 500 degrees until the cheese melts. This final bake will take about 7-10 minutes.

Where to buy premade store bought pizza dough

Buy fresh premade pizza dough at a local bakery, Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.

Trader Joe’s also has a garlic & herb pizza dough that’s quite tasty.

How to store pizza dough in the fridge or freezer

If you don’t plan to use store bought pizza dough for a few days or weeks, keep it fresh in the fridge or freezer.

In the fridge, premade pizza dough will stay fresh for a few days.

In the freezer, pizza dough can last a couple of months. When you’re ready to defrost pizza dough, move it to the fridge overnight. Then take it out in the morning to expand in time for dinner.

My freezer is always stocked with pizza dough and frozen cheese. And my pantry is always stocked with pizza seasoning and pizza sauce. And, thanks to my husband, my fridge is always stocked with craft beer to go with the pizza.

Pizza topping ideas

Sauce – Classic red pizza sauce, BBQ sauce, Alfredo sauce, or a simple garlic and olive oil for a white pizza, as used in this pear and goat cheese pizza.

Cheese – Traditional mozzarella is a popular melting cheese, as is fontina and cheddar. If you’re looking for a cheese with bold flavor, try bleu cheese, smoked gouda or goat cheese sprinkled on top of a melting cheese.

Meats, fruit and veggies – If you’re looking for something outside of traditional toppings (pepperoni, ham, chicken, sausage), get creative with seasonal fruits and vegetables. For fruits, try roasted cherry tomatoes, pineapple, pears, cherries, and apples. For vegetables, try butternut squash, zucchini and caramelized red onions.  And don’t forget about fresh herbs for pizza! Add delicate herbs like basil after the pizza is done baking in the oven.

The good ol’ beer & pizza pairing

Not a pizza ingredient, per se…. but beer can be a great addition to pizza, even if you’re no longer in college. Looking for a beer + pizza pairing? My friend Sarah, another Portland blogger at Twenty Something and Tipsy has milkshake IPAs to share with you… She made her version of this homemade pizza recipe with store bought dough from Trader Joe’s. Her pizza is topped with mushrooms and vegan sausage. Sarah likes to dip her pizza in ranch dressing. 

My own big fat pizza fail…

I’ve been making pizza at home in the oven or on the grill for over a decade. (whenever I say something has lasted a decade I feel suuuuuuper old!) One time a grill accidentally caught on fire, but that was a manageable fail. My brother saved the day with a fire extinguisher and now we have an almost-caught-the-house-on-fire story to laugh about.

Another time, I left store bought pizza dough outside on a deck table to rise. Can you blame me? It sounded like a great idea to have the dough rise in the sun, mother nature’s original dough heater. Well, this turned out to be a horrible idea due to a hungry critter. When I glanced out the window to check the progress of my dough, I found a squirrel eating the dough through the bag. Long story short, don’t get rabies when making pizza at home with store bought dough. Let it rise inside.

I’m so excited to spread the word about this easy to make at home pizza recipe! I’ve made so many friends with readers who have successfully made this pizza, I hope you’re next on the list!

Tasty tips + notes for making homemade pizza

• Avoid the struggle of stretching pizza dough by letting it rise in advance. 
• Never add toppings to raw pizza dough. 
• Cook the pizza twice. First, cook the premade dough “naked” without any toppings. On the second trip to the oven, add all the ingredients and cook the pizza until the cheese melts and the crust is golden brown.
• Brush olive oil around the perimeter of the dough to create a golden crust.
• Season the crust. Sprinkle the crust with parmesan and a light sprinkle of salt.
• This dough seasoning is the secret to real Italian-tasting homemade pizza dough.
• Add pizza seasoning to store bought pizza sauce. This makes the pizza taste really fresh!
• Add any fresh herbs, like basil, after the pizza is done baking (so the herbs don’t wilt)Pizza professionals cut their pizza with just a few swipes, using big ol’ pizza cutters.
• Bake pizza on a rimmed baking sheet so the edges turn a beautiful golden brown. This baking pan set will enable you to make multiple pizzas at once.

Your pizza-enthused blogger bud, Jenna

More recipes with cheese you might like…

• 50+ gourmet grilled cheese ideas
• Buttery sweet potatoes oven baked with bleu cheese
• Sous vide chicken wings with bleu cheese dressing

Readers love these tasty pizza recipes

• Pear and Goat Cheese Pizza
• Asparagus Pizza with Pesto
• Breakfast Pizza with Eggs

Let me know when you make your tasty homemade pizza. Be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe. It means so much to hear from Sip Bite Go readers and I love seeing photos of your food! Don’t forget to tag me @sipbitego on Instagram so I can see how the recipe turned out. And sign up for the Sip Bite Go newsletter.

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Making pizza at home with store bought dough (Sip Bite Go)

Making pizza at home with store bought dough is easy! This is the best homemade pizza recipe with premade dough. See how to make homemade pizza in the oven. This guide to making pizza at home with store bought dough covers everything from stretching the dough, to cooking delicious crust in the oven for homemade pizza. Use this recipe as a base for pizza at home with any toppings you like! 

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 394 kcal

Author Jenna Passaro

Ingredients

• 1 bag pizza dough ( I use pre-made dough)
• 16 oz pizza sauce
• 2 tsp dried herbs pizza / pasta blend or oregano / parsley
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp parmesan cheese optional, for the crust
• 1 pinch Salt
• 8 oz shredded mozzarella or fontina or cheddar
• ⅔ cup toppings ham, chicken, pineapple, onions, etc.
• 2 tbsp basil chopped

Instructions

1. Let dough rise. Keeping the store bought dough in the bag, set it out on a counter for 30 minutes up a few hours. When you’re ready to make the pizza, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. 

2. Stretch the dough. Place raw pre-made dough dough on top of flour, coating each side. Begin stretching the dough by pinching the outside in a circular motion to spread it out. Then you can alternate between pinching the dough with your fingers, pressing it out on your work surface, and using your knuckles to pull the dough from underneath in an outward motion. Usually a few motions work best! When it’s large enough, transfer it to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and a light drizzle of olive oil.

3. Bake the naked pizza dough in the oven at 450 for 7 minutes. During this time, prep toppings. 

4. Once dough is cooks for 7 minutes, take it out and preheat the oven to 500. Brush olive oil around the perimeter of the dough to create a golden crust. Add the sauce, any dried herbs, cheese and other toppings. Sprinkle the crust with parmesan and a light sprinkle of salt. Add pizza sauce, dried herbs, cheese and other toppings. 

5. Bake the pizza at 500 for 7-10 minutes, removing when the cheese has melted. Sprinkle chopped basil and allow the pizza to cool a few minutes before slicing and serving. 

Recipe Video

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Recipe Notes

• Avoid the struggle of stretching pizza dough by letting it rise in advance. 
• Never add toppings to raw pizza dough. 
• Cook the pizza twice. First, cook the premade dough “naked” without any toppings. On the second trip to the oven, add all the ingredients and cook the pizza until the cheese melts and the crust is golden brown.
• Brush olive oil around the perimeter of the dough to create a golden crust.
• Season the crust. Sprinkle the crust with parmesan and a light sprinkle of salt.
• This dough seasoning is the secret to real Italian-tasting homemade pizza dough.
• Add pizza seasoning to store bought pizza sauce. This makes the pizza taste really fresh!
• Add any fresh herbs, like basil, after the pizza is done baking (so the herbs don't wilt)Pizza professionals cut their pizza with just a few swipes, using big ol' pizza cutters.
• Bake pizza on a rimmed baking sheet so the edges turn a beautiful golden brown. This baking pan set will enable you to make multiple pizzas at once.

Share your pizza with me! I'd love to see what you make. Find me @sipbitego on Instagram and tag #sipbitego with your pizza! 

Nutrition Facts

Making pizza at home with store bought dough (Sip Bite Go)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 394

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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