Frequently asked questions
So we are so happy you ended up at our best pizza dough recipe! This recipe has loads of positive reviews and people often send us emails or stop us on the street to tell us how much they love it (true story). You don’t even need special equipment: just your bare hands and a passion for pizza. Here are all our secrets on how to make pizza dough!
“I make this dough at least once a week. It’s fantastic!” -Emily “The kids I look after said it was the best pizza they ever had! 12/10. Highly recommend!” -Jessie “This recipe is an absolute hit in my family. Easy to follow and results in a lovely Neapolitan pizza.” -FC
Tipo 00 flour, a finely ground flour used in Italian cuisine, is the best choice for pizza dough. Its strength and elasticity make a light and airy crust with a crispy exterior. The high gluten content lets the dough stretch easily without tearing, creating a fluffy, chewy texture. Tipo 00 is becoming more widely available at American grocery stores, or you can order it online. Bread flour, a type of flour that is high in gluten and protein, can also be used for pizza dough. The high protein content helps to create a nice chewiness in the dough. The main disadvantage of this type of flour is that it’s not as light and airy as Tipo 00. But if you have it on hand, it’s preferred over all-purpose flour. All-purpose flour also works for this homemade pizza dough recipe. The main advantage is that it’s widely available and inexpensive. However, the gluten content in all-purpose flour is not as high as Tipo 00 or bread flour flour, making the pizza crust slightly more dense and crumbly. However, all-purpose flour still makes for an excellent homemade pizza dough!
Knead the dough by hand, or use a stand mixer.
Contrary to what you might think, you don’t need any special equipment for pizza dough. You can knead it by hand! We love the tactile nature of hand kneading and it comes out great. However, if you do have a KitchenAid or stand mixer, it does a fantastic job and is totally hands off. The kneading time in both cases is 8 minutes.
Allow the dough 45 minutes to rise.
Kneading takes only 8 minutes, so most of the time required for making pizza dough is letting it rise or “proof.” Set each dough ball on a floured surface, dab with olive oil, cover with a damp towel, and allow them to rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Plan to start making the recipe about 1 hour before you’d like to eat your pizza. You can also make the dough in advance and refrigerate.
Refrigerate the dough 1 to 3 days prior to baking (optional!).
Alex and I have interviewed some top rated pizzeria chefs in America and they all agree. For the best pizza dough, make it in advance and refrigerate it for 2 to 3 days before baking. This naturally ferments the dough, infusing a nutty, complex flavor. Of course, thinking ahead by 2 to 3 days is not always possible! You can skip this step and the dough still tastes incredible. (Promise.)
Prep the dough: Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Dust the top of the dough with flour. Pat into a circle: Pat the dough into a circle, then drape it on your knuckles to stretch it. If the dough resists stretching, set it down and let it rest for 1 minute. Once you pick it up again, the gluten will have relaxed and it will be possible to stretch. Drape the dough over your knuckles: Once you have about an 8-inch circle, pick up the dough and gently drape it over the knuckles on both of your hands. Slowly rotate it around, allowing gravity to stretch it into a circle about 11 inches in diameter. If it resists stretching, put it down and allow it to rest for a few minutes, at which point it will stretch more easily.
Thin crust: This Thin Crust Pizza Dough is similar to this recipe, but with a thinner crust! It’s slightly easier to make because you can roll the dough out instead of stretching it. Pan pizza: Try Perfect Pan Pizza, with a thicker crust made in a cast iron pan. Focaccia pizza: This Focaccia Pizza is simple to make with an extremely thick, fluffy crust. Sheet pan pizza: Make a big Sheet Pan Pizza, the equivalent of 3 medium pizzas. Pizza oven dough: This Pizza Oven Dough is optimized for an outdoor pizza oven (though the recipe below works as well). Gluten free dough: This Gluten Free Pizza Dough is stretchy and satisfying, perfect for those with special diets.
5 from 20 reviews For the best possible pizza dough, we recommend this pizza stone. Here’s why we love it.
