Homemade Pizza School

Updated: March 28, 2023

10 Ways to Add Flavor To Your Homemade Pizza Dough

Table of Contents

Flour, water, yeast, and salt, that’s it, that is everything that goes into a classic pizza dough. Four basic ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry are the building blocks of great homemade pizza dough.

But that doesn’t mean you can get creative and make it better; there is always room for improvement. We tried some different ways to amp up our homemade pizza dough, and we are going to share the tried and true best ways to add flavor to your homemade pizza dough.

add flavor to your homemade pizza dough by pulling a slice
Photo by Sam Moghadam Khamseh on Unsplash

Why Make Homemade Pizza Dough

We hear this all the time, why make homemade pizza dough when you can buy it? Well, because it tastes better, and making your own pizza dough connects you to your food.

Pizza-making skills are excellent to master in addition to your overall cooking skills. Plus, making your own homemade pizza dough is cheaper and healthier since you control all of the ingredients going into it.

How to Make Homemade Pizza Dough

healthy pizza dough how to add flavor to your homemade pizza
Photo by Phil Hearing on Unsplash

Homemade pizza dough is highly customizable. You can make basic homemade pizza dough with 00 or bread flour, whole wheat dough, sourdough, gluten-free dough, and yeast-free dough.

All of these doughs make amazing pizza. But if you want to make a good thing even better, let’s take a look at our ten favorite ways to add flavor to your homemade pizza dough.

10 Ways To Add Flavor to Your Homemade Pizza Dough

All of these additions add flavor and texture to homemade pizza dough. We encourage you all to try at least one of these on your next pizza night.

Cheese: Asiago or Parmesan

It’s as simple as cheese. Add some cheese directly into your pizza dough for a cheesy bite. And we aren’t talking about a stuffed crust necessarily, just a spoonful or two of some grated Parmesano Reggiano or Asiago.

Both of these Italian cheeses are hard cheeses that will add a nice nutty buttery flavor to your pizza crust. Basically, you could use any firm cheese like Pecorino or Manchego. But do not make the mistake of adding too much; a little does goes a long way with your pizza dough.

Also, avoid trying this with softer melty cheeses like provolone, Gouda, or mozzarella because they will make the dough too oily and wet. Our absolute favorite would always be parmesan with a bit of garlic.

You can also try nutritional yeast as an alternative to cheese.

Beer

beer add flavor to your homemade pizza dough
Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

Of course, beer pairs well with pizza. An ice-cold pint of lager with a slice of pepperoni makes an excellent Friday night pizza night. But did you know you can add beer directly to the dough too?

Add beer instead of water to your flour for a supple dough. You can choose light beers like pilsners and lagers or even go with darker beers for a more intense flavor.

Butter

As our midwestern Grandma used to say, “Everything is better with butter.” And it’s true with pizza dough too. Adding butter to pizza dough gives it a softer crumb or crust. The key here is to add it after the dough has been kneaded, so the gluten has a chance to form.

Whenever adding fat to a dough, make sure it is after the gluten has formed otherwise, the fat will inhibit the gluten, which is key to the stretchy consistency of pizza dough.

Herbs

Ok, this is a no-brainer; sprinkle herbs and spices on your pizza dough for extra flavor. Italian herbs like oregano, basil, and thyme are good choices. We almost always add a bit of oregano. Or Italian seasoning blends are excellent options, too.

Dry herbs are going to be the easiest to work with; save the fresh herbs for another dish or to sprinkle them on after the pizza comes out of the oven.

Red Pepper Flakes

red pepper flakes to add spicy flavor to homemade pizza dough

This one is for pizza lovers who adore the heat. If hot sauce on pizza isn’t enough for you, add crushed red pepper flakes directly to the dough and bake the heat right into the crust. This is an easy way to really add spicy flavor to homemade pizza without your kids even noticing.

Honey or Molasses

Replacing the sprinkle of sugar that activates the yeast in pizza dough with honey can result in a sweeter pizza with a golden crust. Honey’s darker, richer cousin, molasses, is also a good choice.

Both honey and molasses create caramelization and aid the fermentation process because it takes longer for the yeast to break them down than sugar. 

Mashed Potatoes

mashed potatoes to add flavor to pizza dough
Photo by sousvideguy

Leftover mashed potatoes added to a pizza dough result in a fluffy dough that has a unique texture and taste. Instant mashed potato flakes also have the same result.

Sour Cream

Replace the water in the dough with sour cream for a softer, fluffier dough with a bit of tanginess. Mexican sour cream called “crema” is also a good addition. Crema has a softer tangier bite than regular sour cream. Buttermilk is another option for tangy dough. The Latina wife loves this stuff!

Vinegar

A teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar can add a nice zest to your pizza dough. We like this especially well when making vegetarian pizzas. Roasted vegetables like zucchini and eggplant have a nice nuanced flavor with a little apple cider vinegar in the dough.

Again, be careful not to add too much; less is better here because too much vinegar can inhibit the dough from rising.

Everything Bagel Seasoning

Everything Bagel Seasoning is a mix of toasted sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic, dried onion, and salt. Just sprinkle some right in the dough for extra flavor and texture to your basic homemade pizza dough. We know you all saw the movie Everything Everywhere All At Once. Now try putting that flavor on your pizza – just be kind to yourself and add flavor to your homemade pizza dough!


If you don’t have time or energy to make homemade pizza dough, you can use some of these flavor enhancers to upgrade frozen pizza crust. Brush the crust with butter or olive oil and sprinkle herbs, Everything Bagel seasoning, red pepper flakes, or cheese to make your frozen pizza better.

What are your favorite ways to add flavor to your homemade pizza dough?

One of our Favorites

We will die on the red pepper flakes hill if we have to! Not only can you add spice to your sauce, which we highly recommend you do automatically, you can also add some precious flakes of crushed red pepper to your pizza dough, as well. The kids won’t even notice. Maybe they will.

Share With Other Pizza Lovers:

If you’re wondering which pizza oven to get and haven’t done too much yet, we recommend starting with the Solo Stove Pi! Affordable, portable, and stylish.

Related Pizza Posts

Related Pizza Categories

Authors

DK & Eliana

DK & Eliana

Thanks for reading about our homemade pizza journey! We're a young married couple who started making pizza at home on our wedding night and haven't looked back yet. We've learned over countless attempts of trial and error how to make the perfect pizza sauce, pizza dough, and exactly which pizza accessories to buy for your home setup...

FYI When you make a purchase or, sometimes, carry out some other action as direct result of clicking on a link at Homemade Pizza School, we will receive a small commission. Gratzie!

Recent Pizza Posts

How to Meal Prep Homemade Pizza

We love pizza in all its forms, but we also love convenience too, and sometimes we are short on time and making homemade pizza from

Homemade Vegan Pizza 101

While we are not vegan, we appreciate trying new things and have taken up the meatless Monday challenge. We don’t always do it on Mondays,

Happy National Pizza Day!

National Pizza Day is a holiday that falls annually on February 9th. It is a day dedicated to celebrating one of the most popular and

Blending a showstopping design with the convenience of cooking with gas, Ooni Koda 16 boasts a wide opening, large cordierite stone baking board and innovative L-shaped flame. Cook restaurant quality pizza, delicious flame-cooked steaks, fish, veggies and so much more.

Top Rated Product:

This no contact infrared thermometer is a must-have tool for home chefs looking to take their pizza-making to the next level. With its accurate and fast temperature readings, built-in laser light, and user-friendly design, it offers a range of useful features that make it a versatile and convenient option.

By far, the most affordable, albeit tiny, pizza “oven” on the market today. Sold at Uncommon Goods, this personal-sized pizza maker is perfect for children or picky eaters who only want their specific toppings. Note: only works with charcoal grills. Try it today!

Ad