Description
This artisan pizza dough recipe yields a crispy, chewy, and bubbly crust perfect for homemade pizza lovers. The dough is made using simple ingredients and requires a long fermentation time to develop complex flavors and texture. Ideal for two pizzas, the dough can be shaped, topped with your favorite ingredients, and baked on a pizza stone, steel, or cast iron pan for a pizzeria-quality crust at home.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 500g (3 3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp) all-purpose flour
- 1g (1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
- 10g (1 1/2 tsp) fine salt
Wet Ingredients
- 375g (1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbsp) warm water, divided
Instructions
- Initial Mixing and Autolyse: Mix the flour with all but 1 tablespoon of the warm water in a large bowl until just combined. Cover the bowl and let the mixture rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, sprinkle the yeast over the remaining tablespoon of warm water and set aside to activate.
- Incorporate Yeast and Salt: Sprinkle the salt over the dough surface. Stir the yeast mixture, then pour it over the dough. Using a wet hand to prevent sticking, reach under the dough and stretch sections over the top, folding repeatedly. Pinch off small chunks of dough and fold repeatedly to combine yeast and salt thoroughly, forming a shaggy dough. Cover and rest for about one hour.
- Gluten Development: Perform a series of folds to develop gluten by stretching and folding the dough over itself multiple times until it tightens into a smooth ball. Invert the dough into a lightly greased bowl seam-side down. Cover and let the dough rise until doubled in volume, approximately 5 to 6 hours.
- Divide and Shape: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, cut it in half, and shape each piece into a ball by stretching and folding each edge over the center, creating surface tension by gently pulling and dragging the ball on the counter. Repeat for both dough balls.
- Final Rest and Preheat: Transfer the dough balls to a greased plate, lightly oil the tops, cover, and let them rest at room temperature for about an hour. Preheat the oven during this rest period. If not baking immediately, cover tightly and refrigerate the dough for up to two days.
- Prepare Oven and Baking Surface: Place a pizza steel, stone, or inverted baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 500°F (or the highest setting) at least 45 minutes before baking. Optionally, lightly grease a cast iron pan with olive oil.
- Shape the Dough for Pizza: On a floured surface, flatten one dough ball into a large disk with a thick 1-inch lip. Hold the thick edge and gently stretch the dough using gravity to form a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a floured pizza peel or directly into the prepared cast iron pan.
- Add Toppings and Bake: Add sauce and toppings, leaving the 1-inch edge clear. Slide the pizza onto the hot steel or stone and bake for about 5 minutes. Then broil for 2 to 4 minutes until the cheese melts and the crust is golden and blistered. If using cast iron, bake for 15 to 20 minutes, then broil briefly for charring. Repeat with the second dough ball.
Notes
- Ensure water is warm but not hot to properly activate the yeast without killing it.
- Long fermentation time (5-6 hours) at room temperature enhances flavor and texture; refrigerate if preparing in advance.
- Use a pizza stone or steel preheated for at least 45 minutes for best crust crispiness.
- Shaping the dough with surface tension helps develop a better crust structure during baking.
- Broiling at the end helps achieve a bubbly, blistered crust and perfectly melted cheese.
- Leftover dough can be refrigerated tightly wrapped for up to two days.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-25 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: pizza dough, artisan pizza dough, homemade pizza, crispy pizza crust, chewy pizza crust, bubbly crust, pizza recipe
