Are you one of those people who think pizza dough can only be made in big batches? I’m here to prove you wrong. Enjoy good homemade pizza alone without resorting to takeout or frozen with my pizza dough for one pizza recipe. Make quality small batch pizza dough at home any time you crave it and top it to your heart’s content.
Hear me out: homemade pizza for one is worth the trouble. Why? Because it’s no trouble! You just need the same basic ingredients you’d need with a big batch, but in smaller amounts. The smaller ball of dough comes together in a breeze and is also very easy to knead.
Homemade pizza dough is always best. So don’t skip it just because you’re eating alone. In fact, a smaller batch of pizza is actually better for you if you tend to otherwise overeat. That’s me when I make a big batch of pizza. It’s just so good I can’t stop. A small batch pizza is just the perfect size. No leftovers, no over-eating.
How to make a small batch pizza dough
As I said above, the main difference from a normal pizza dough recipe would be the quantities. Here, we’re only using enough to make a regular 12-inch / 30 cm pizza. For detailed quantities please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step by step instructions
- Combine the fresh yeast and the sugar and give the mixture a stir with a teaspoon, this will activate the yeast. You will notice that the yeast dissolves and the mixture turns quite runny as you stir.
- Pour the yeast mixture into the lukewarm water and stir to combine. It’s important that the water is neither too cold not too hot – room temperature or slightly warmer, it should feel the same temperature as your hands.
- Add the water mixture to the flour and start stirring with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Make sure to use a bowl large enough to fit all the ingredients and give you some room for an initial knead.
- As the dough is starting to come together, add the salt and the olive oil, keep stirring until the water has been absorbed into the flour, then tip onto a slightly floured and knead for about 2 minutes. The dough should feel easy to knead and not sticky, so adjust the flour if your type delivers a wet dough with these quantities.
- Form the kneaded dough into a ball and place it back into the bowl. Cover with cling film and let rest for one hour at room temperature.
- After one hour, the dough will have grown. Take it out of the bowl, punch out the air and stretch it into a circle to make your pizza. Add your favourite toppings and bake!
Recipe FAQs
I don’t have fresh yeast. Can I use dry or instant? Yes! But you will only need a very small amount. 5 g of fresh yeast equal about 2g dry yeast. As a guideline I usually read on the back of the dry yeast packet how much fresh yeast it equates. For example, if the whole packet subs 50g fresh yeast, and we would need 5g fresh for this recipe, I’ll use 1/10 of the dry yeast. The easiest way to divide it is by taking all the yeast out of the package and halve it until you reached your desired proportion.
Do I need to proof the dough for a whole hour? Yes, and that’s already a pretty quick pizza dough recipe. The yeast needs some time to digest the sugar and fill our dough with air, so unfortunately this is the minimum time we need to allow. This is a small-batch recipe, not one that cuts on time.
Pizza topping ideas
Once you’ve got your dough ready, you can top it with anything you like! If you want it classic – pizza rossa – you may want to try my very own best pizza sauce. Mozzarella would be your next necessary ingredient, then it’s all up to you. Keep it simple and enjoy a Margherita, or just add your favourite toppings. I have a thing for mushrooms, I just love-love mushrooms on pizza.
So here are some ideas for you:
- Mixed mushroom pizza
- Eggplant parmesan pizza
- Pear and blue cheese pizza bianca
- Veggie pizza ortolana
- Pesto pizza with green beans
- Leek and mascarpone pizza bianca
- Garlic mushroom pizza bianca
Or why not, top it with fresh zucchini and crumbled feta!
Wanna try pizza with less yeast? Try pizza with a poolish! You either use a tiny amount of yeast or your own sourdough starter!
If you enjoyed this small batch pizza dough recipe, leave a comment below. If you’re planning to make this recipe at a later time you can pin it to Pinterest. Please subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Pinterest. Until next time!
Pizza dough for one
Ingredients
- 250 g flour
- 150 ml water lukewarm
- 5 g fresh yeast see notes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
Instructions
- Combine the fresh yeast and the sugar and stir with a teaspoon. The yeast will dissolve turning the mixture quite runny as you stir. Pour yeast mixture into the lukewarm water and stir to combine.
- Add the water mixture to the flour and start stirring with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. As the dough is starting to come together, add the salt and the olive oil, keep stirring until the water has been absorbed into the flour, then tip onto a slightly floured and knead for about 2 minutes.
- Form the kneaded dough into a ball and place it back into the bowl. Cover with a towel or cling film and let rest for one hour at room temperature. After one hour, the dough will have grown. Take it out of the bowl, punch out the air and stretch it into a circle to make your pizza. Add your favourite toppings and bake!
Notes
- It is important that the water is neither too cold not too warm - room temperature or slightly warmer, it should feel the same temperature as your hands, lukewarm.
- The dough should feel easy to knead and not sticky, so adjust the flour if your type delivers a wet dough with these quantities. However, I have tried this recipe with several brands of flour in different countries and all-purpose flour has always done a good job everywhere.
- You can use dry or instant yeast instead of fresh but you will only need a very small amount. 5 g of fresh yeast equal about 2g dry yeast. As a guideline I usually read on the back of the dry yeast packet how much fresh yeast it equates. For example, if the whole packet subs 50g fresh yeast, and we would need 5g (1/10) fresh for this recipe, I'll use 1/10 of the dry yeast. The easiest way to divide it is by taking all the yeast out of the package and halve it until you reached your desired proportion. Most kitchen scales don't measure such small quantities so it's easiest to go by volume.
- Please notice that the nutritional information provided in this recipe card is made by an online calculator and should be intended as a guideline only.
How long do you bake it for? And what temp?
Hi Maya, It depends on your oven. Pizza should bake at the highest possible temperature, so 480-580F. And if available, you should use a pizza stone for the best result. The cooking time should be around 10-15 minutes, but it also depends on the thickness of the pizza, so check it often to make sure it cooks through but doesn’t burn.