Crazy Dough Recipe: A Universal Dough With Countless Uses! (2024)

Whatever You Call It, This Is The Most Useful Dough Ever

If you haven’t heard of “crazy dough” before (otherwise known as miracle dough, master dough, everything dough, or universal dough), you’ve come to the right place! It’s an easy-to-make, no-knead “dough for everything,” meaning you can use it as a base for a variety of baked goods—we’re talking pizza, focaccia, dinner rolls, buns, scones, crescent rolls, pretzels, doughnuts, and more!

There’s nothing better than being able to whip up a recipe from memory, and the basic crazy dough recipe is both simple enough to commit to memory and endlessly versatile. Another great thing about crazy dough is that you can make it ahead of time, freeze it, and use it later on!

Related: This Shockingly Useful Dough Only Has 2 Ingredients

In this post, I’ll show you how to make the basic all purpose dough, then I’ll share 6 delicious ideas for things you can make with it! (But the sky’s the limit with this dough, so feel free to experiment on your own and come up with your own creative applications too!)

You may not have to knead this dough, but you do NEED this recipe. ;-)

How To Make Crazy Dough

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast (or 1 teaspoon instant yeast)
• 3 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, stir together the lukewarm milk, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 15 minutes, or until the yeast is active and foamy.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the yogurt and the egg.
4. Add the activated yeast and the yogurt-egg mixture to the dry ingredients, then stir with a fork to form a loose, sticky dough. (If the dough is too dry, add a little bit of milk or water. If it is too soft or wet, add a little bit of flour.)
5. Gently fold the dough into a rough ball, then cover the bowl tightly with cling wrap and a tea towel and place in a warm spot to proof for 2 hours. (It should roughly double in size.)
6. Use the dough immediately, or store in your fridge for up to 4 days (or your freezer for longer.)

Ingredient Substitutions & Variations

Missing one or more ingredients? Try these easy substitutions!

Yogurt

If you don’t have any yogurt in the fridge, you can make crazy dough by substituting the same amount of sour cream or buttermilk in its place. (You can also make your own yogurt!)

For a dairy-free or vegan option, try non-dairy yogurt.

Egg

If you want to avoid using eggs, you can use a “flax egg” instead. Just mix 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal (or ground flax seeds) with 2 1/2 tablespoons of water and let thicken for 5 minutes before using.

Flour

For my gluten-free friends out there, you can always substitute your favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour when making crazy dough!

Keto

Looking for a keto-friendly variation? Check out this recipe for Keto Crazy Dough.

6 Delicious Recipes You Can Make With Crazy Dough

1. Crazy Dough Pizza

Preheat your oven to 450°F. Roll out your prepared crazy dough into the size and thickness you want for your pizza crust. Add your desired sauce and toppings, then bake for 9-12 minutes or until the crust has risen slightly, it’s nicely browned, and the cheese has melted. Voila! Makes two large thin crust pizzas or one thick crust pizza.

Related: These Are The 9 Best Pizza Hacks You’ll Read All Year

2. Crazy Dough Dinner Rolls

Divide a batch of prepared crazy dough into 12 pieces. Shape them into rolls and place in a greased baking dish. Cover the dish with a tea towel and let rest in a warm spot until they start expanding (about 10 minutes).

Bake the rolls at 375°F for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Brush the finished rolls with melted butter and serve warm or cold.

3. Crazy Dough Cinnamon Rolls

Make a cinnamon filling by combining 1/2 cup of melted butter, 1 1/4 cups of light brown sugar, and 2 1/2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon.

On a floured work surface, roll out one batch of prepared crazy dough into a 20 inch x 16 inch rectangle. Spread the cinnamon filling over dough, leaving a narrow gap around the edges. Starting with the long edge, roll the dough into a log, then slice into 2-inch thick rolls with a knife or a piece of dental floss.

Arrange the rolls in a greased baking pan, then cover and allow to rise for 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until puffed. Preheat your oven to 375°F and bake the rolls for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Make a glaze by combining 1/2 cup of room-temperature cream cheese, 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1/4 cup of butter, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Spread the glaze over the cooled cinnamon rolls and enjoy!

Related: Everything You Need To Know To Make Perfect Cinnamon Rolls

4. Crazy Dough Naan Bread

Divide prepared crazy dough into 6 pieces and roll them into balls. On a floured surface, roll out the balls with a rolling pin. Heat a grill pan or large pan on your stovetop over medium high heat. Butter the pan and cook each piece for about 3 minutes per side, using tongs to turn. As it cooks, cover the dough with a large metal bowl to trap steam and create bubbles in the bread.

5. Crazy Dough Cheese Sticks

Divide and form a batch of prepared crazy dough into tubes or rectangles about 1/2 inch thick. Brush them with olive oil and sprinkle with chopped garlic and a generous amount of mozzarella cheese. Bake on a sheet at 450°F for 9-12 minutes. Serve with a side of marinara sauce for dipping!

6. Crazy Dough Pretzels

On a floured surface, divide half of a batch of crazy dough into 8-10 pieces. Roll each piece into a 12-14″ long rope and twist them into a pretzel shape. Boil 1 quart of water with 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 4 teaspoons of salt.

Using a slotted spoon, dip the pretzels one by one into the water for about 30-60 seconds each. Transfer the pretzels to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake the pretzels at 400°F for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

These recipes just scratch the surface of what you can do with crazy dough! The possibilities are endless, so don’t be afraid to get creative and experiment with it at home!

For more deliciousness, explore all of my baking recipes!

Have you ever tried an “everything” dough?