Pizza dough is a crucial foundation of any pizza recipe. It is a simple blend of ingredients like flour, warm water, yeast, sugar, salt and sometimes olive oil. The dough serves as a blank canvas that holds together the other ingredients such as the sauce, cheese, and toppings.

From thin crust to deep-dish, the texture and thickness of the pizza dough largely determine the final taste and appearance of the pizza. When correctly prepared and baked, it has a slightly crispy exterior and a soft, chewy interior.

Pizza dough is usually left to rise before being rolled or hand-stretched into a disk. It can be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen for later use. With a mild, slightly yeasty flavor, it is able to balance the pizza's robust and savory components.

A well-made pizza dough is easy to handle, not too sticky or dry, and bakes up beautifully golden brown. When baked at a high temperature, it forms the perfect pillowy base for your favorite pizza toppings.

Pizza dough is usually found in the refrigerated section of a grocery store. Look for it near the packaged breads, biscuits, and pie crusts. Some grocery stores also carry it in the frozen food section or in the bakery section.