How to Make Pizza Without an Oven at Home

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: February 1, 2023 Tested

Many people don’t realize that making pizza at home is quite easy, even without an oven! Begin by buying a pre-prepared dough or by making your dough from scratch in advance. Cook the dough in a skillet on the stovetop until it begins to brown on the bottom, then flip it over and add tomato sauce, cheese and whichever toppings you choose. Cook until the cheese melts, then take the pizza out, slice it and enjoy your creation!

Ingredients

2 cups (473.17 ml) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon (14.78 ml) dry active yeast
3/4 cup (180 ml) lukewarm water
1 ½ (7.39 ml) teaspoons salt
½ - 1 cup (120- 240 ml) pizza sauce
1-2 cups (240-480 ml) shredded cheese
1-2 cups (240- 480 ml) sliced toppings of your choice (optional)

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Making the Dough and Preparing the Toppings

1
Dissolve the yeast. Pour the lukewarm water into a medium sized mixing bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer. Add in the yeast to the water and let the yeast dissolve for about 10 minutes.^{[1]
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- You should see that the mixture becomes bubbly and that the yeast granules dissolve into the water.
- If you don’t want to prepare your own dough, buy pre-prepared dough at the grocery store.
2
Add flour and salt. Pour in the 2 cups (473.17 ml) of all purpose flour and the 1 ½ (7.39 ml) teaspoons of salt into the bowl of yeast and water. Use a spatula or spoon to stir the ingredients vigorously until they make a shaggy dough. The dough doesn’t have to be completely homogenous, as you will knead it.^{[2]
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3
Knead the dough for 5-8 minutes. Knead the dough, either by hand on a counter or table or by using the low setting on a standing mixer. To knead by hand, place the dough on the counter and begin to stretch and squeeze it, folding it over on itself and stretching it again. Keep kneading for about 5-8 minutes until the dough is smooth and expands back out when you poke it.^{[3]
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- If the dough is incredibly sticky, add a small amount of flour and rework it. Avoid adding too much flour, as this will make the dough have a thicker, heavier consistency.
4
Let the dough rise for 1 hour. Once you have kneaded the dough into a smooth ball, pour cooking oil on a paper towel and use it to lightly oil the interior of a large bowl. Place the dough ball inside the bowl, cover the bowl with a cloth, and let the dough rise for 1-1 ½ hours until it is twice its size.^{[4]
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- If you are in a rush, you can skip the process of letting the dough rise and move on to preparing the pizza. Be aware that the crust of the pizza will be very thin and crisp as opposed to fluffy.
- If you are preparing the dough in advance for the next day, let the dough rise for 30 minutes, then place it in the fridge in a covered bowl until you are ready to use it.
5
Slice the pizza toppings. While the dough is rising, you can begin to prepare the pizza toppings. Slice your favorite toppings, whether it be veggies like mushrooms or green bell peppers or meat like cooked sausage or ham. Slice about 1-2 cups (240- 480 ml) in total of the pizza toppings and put them aside.^{[5]
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6
Roll the dough into a circle. Take the dough out of the bowl and divide the dough into two equal sized balls. Pour a small amount of flour onto a clean counter or cutting board, then use your hands to spread out the flour into a thin, even layer. Place one ball of dough on the counter and roll it using a rolling pin to create a circle with a diameter that is slightly smaller than the pan you will be using to cook the pizzas. Repeat with the other dough ball.^{[6]
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- Once you’ve rolled the dough, use your hands to encourage the dough into a circle shape if need be.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Cooking the Pizza in a Skillet

1
Heat a large pan. Place the pan or skillet you will be using to cook the pizza over medium high heat. Add a teaspoon or so (about 4.92 ml) of cooking oil and swirl so that the cooking oil coats the bottom of the pan. You can also use two equal sized pans if you want to cook both pizzas at the same time.^{[7]
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- Other than a skillet, you can also make stovetop pizza using a tawa, a thin metal pan common throughout parts of Asia.
2
Cook the dough on one side. Once the pan has heated, carefully drop one pizza dough circle into the pan and cook for about 1 minute until you see bubbles forming on the dough and the edges getting slightly golden.^{[8]
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- If the bubbles are large, you can deflate them by poking them with a spatula. You also can keep them if you wish; they will turn crispy when fully cooked.
3
Flip the dough. After the one minute of cooking is up, flip the dough circle over using a spatula. Then spread half the pizza sauce over the dough except for the outer two inches (5 cm) or so, as this will be the crust. Sprinkle on half the cheese and add half the pizza toppings.^{[9]
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4
Cover the skillet and turn down the heat. After you have added all the pizza toppings, place the lid on top of the pan or skillet you are using and turn the heat down to medium. Covering the pan traps the heat so that the cheese can melt and the toppings can cook.^{[10]
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5
Cook for 4-5 minutes. Leave the pan or skillet covered for 4-5 minutes. After the five minutes are up, take the lid off the pan. If the cheese has melted and the bottom of the pizza looks golden brown, the pizza should be done. If not, replace the lid back on the pan and check every minute or so until the pizza is ready.^{[11]
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6
Place the pizza on a cutting board and cool. Once the pizza is ready, use a spatula to take it out of the pan and place it on a cutting board to cool. In the meantime, make another small pizza using the other dough circle. Once both pizzas are cooked and have cooled enough to eat, slice and enjoy your pan made pizza!^{[12]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Grilling the Pizza

1
Turn the grill on to 600 degrees F (315.55 C). Heat the grill up to 600 degrees F (315.55 C). Next to the grill, set up a table that can hold all of your toppings and the two pizza doughs, as well as tongs, a pastry brush, a spatula, a large spoon and an oven mitt.^{[13]
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- Choose direct as opposed to indirect heat if that is a setting on your grill.
- The hotness of the grill will give you crispier pizza with a deliciously charred crust that tastes almost like wood fired pizza.
2
Brush one side of the dough with olive oil. Use a pastry brush to brush olive oil onto one side of one of the pizzas, or onto both pizzas if your grill can fit them both at the same time.^{[14]
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3
Lay the dough on the grill. Lay the dough on the grill with the side coated in olive oil facing down. Try to fit both pizza doughs on the grill if you can. Coat the side facing up in olive oil as well.^{[15]
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4
Cook for three minutes. Keep the pizza dough in the uncovered grill for three minutes. After three minutes, the dough should look set and less soft than before, yet not too crispy.^{[16]
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5
Flip and top the dough. Use the tongs or a spatula to flip the dough after three minutes. Right after you flip it, use a large spoon to spread sauce over the dough, sprinkle the cheese, then add the toppings. Remember if you are cooking one pizza at a time to add only half the toppings you prepared.^{[17]
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6
Grill for three to five minutes. Close the lid of the grill and cook the pizza for another three minutes. Check after three minutes to see whether the pizza looks done. If the edges are crispy and the cheese has melted, remove the pizza. If not, put the top back on the grill and check every thirty seconds or so until the pizza looks done.
7
Remove the pizza from the grill. Use a pair of tongs or a spatula to transfer the pizza from the grill to a cutting board. If you are cooking the pizzas one at a time, put the next circle of dough onto the grill and repeat the steps of grilling, topping, and removing the second pizza.^{[18]
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8
Cool and serve the pizza. Let the pizza sit for about three minutes or so to let it solidify and cool slightly. Then use a large knife or pizza wheel to cut the pizza into slices and enjoy it while it's hot.^{[19]
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Community Q&A

Question

Can you cook pizza in a microwave?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

Yes, you can reheat a pizza in the microwave, but you can't cook a pizza from scratch because the microwave won't properly convert the raw dough into a tasty pizza crust. But heating a pizza is simple! Place the pizza on a plate and put it into the microwave. Fill a glass with water and place it in the microwave as well to keep the pizza from drying out. Cook it on high for 30 seconds and check to see if it's fully heated. If it isn't, cook it for another 10-15 seconds and check it again. Once it's fully heated, it's good to go!
Question

Can you cook pizza in a microwave?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

Yes, you can reheat a pizza in the microwave, but you can't cook a pizza from scratch because the microwave won't properly convert the raw dough into a tasty pizza crust. But heating a pizza is simple! Place the pizza on a plate and put it into the microwave. Fill a glass with water and place it in the microwave as well to keep the pizza from drying out. Cook it on high for 30 seconds and check to see if it's fully heated. If it isn't, cook it for another 10-15 seconds and check it again. Once it's fully heated, it's good to go!
Question

Can you cook a pizza on the stove?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

Actually, yes! You can cook one in a skillet. Start by taking heating a large pan over medium-high heat so it's nice and hot. Add about a teaspoon of cooking oil and swirl it around so it evenly coats the pan. Then gently place raw and defrosted pizza dough into the pan. Let it cook for about a minute until you see bubbles forming and the edges starting to turn golden. Then, flip the dough, spread pizza sauce over it, sprinkle cheese, and add your toppings. Cover the skillet and turn down the heat to medium and let it cook for 4-6 minutes. Once it's finished, remove the pizza, cut it up, and enjoy!