Best Pizza Crust Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making good pizza dough? ›

The secret to great dough isn't kneading or throwing . . .

“Pizza dough made at home should be 50 percent water. Pizza needs to cook longer in a home oven, which means the dough needs to be more hydrated.” But don't let it to get soggy . . .“It's important to spread the dough very well and very evenly,” explains Falco.

Higher heat = crunchier and tastier crust. Most home ovens only reach 240-250°C, though some have a specific 'pizza' setting. For the best results, preheat your oven and pizza stone or pan on the lower-middle shelf for at least half an hour before cooking your pizzas.

The more time you allow for slow fermentation, the more flavorful the crust will be. Once you're confident of your slow fermentation technique, experiment with brushing, stuffing and dusting your pies, establishing your own signature recipe for a unique homemade pizza.

For Chewy Pizza Crust, Use Bread Flour

Bread flour is higher in protein than all-purpose, at around 11 to 13%. Higher protein content means higher gluten content, as we now know, so using bread flour in your pizza dough will result in a stretchy dough that's less likely to tear.

Flour is the main ingredient in pizza dough, and the type you use can have a big effect on the end result. All-purpose flour will work fine, but if you want a chewier crumb and a better hole structure, you should consider buying yourself some high protein bread flour.

FYI – A hot pizza stone is key to producing a well-browned, crisp bottom crust. So here are the three things to do to get the stone hot enough: place stone in the cold oven, set the temperature to 500 degrees, and let it preheat for one full hour. (I start the hour once it has preheated).

Looking to make a basic pizza crust, one with a crispy bottom, a little bit of chew, and enough strength that the slices won't get floppy under all that sauce and cheese? For a no-fuss crust, you need a workhorse flour, and that's all-purpose flour.

Of course you do. Parbaking, or partially baking the dough to its halfway point in advance can save you a ton of time on pizza party day. You just have to top it and toss it back in the oven before you want to sit down and eat. This is also a great way to get everyone involved in the pizza-making experience.

The No. 1 reason restaurant pizza is better than homemade is that they have ovens that can reach 900°F, or even hotter, which makes for perfectly crisp and chewy crusts, with those lovely charred spots, says Kierin Baldwin, chef-instructor of Pastry & Baking Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education.

Should you put olive oil on pizza crust before the sauce? ›

Before you add the sauce or any toppings, lightly brush the stretched pizza dough with olive oil and prick it all over with a fork. Brushing it with oil will prevent any excess moisture from seeping into the crust. No more soggy pizza crust!

The dough is proofed (allowed to rise) in its deep pan with vegetable oil so it rises - and sucks up that oil as to not stick, and also gets extra crispy edge crust. Once its risen to the edge - you refrigerate at least 1hr - until needed for use. Why is Pizza Hut pizza so greasy?

For our recipe, I'm choosing a thin-crust version that has the right amount of chewiness and thickness to cook quickly. For my Perfect all-purpose pizza dough recipe, I combine bread flour and all-purpose flour and find that the combination works very well for texture, cooking time, and handling.

Because of the fineness of the grains, 00 flour is the ideal flour for pizza. 00 flour is a finely ground Italian milled flour ideal for pizza due to its delicate and fluffy crust.

Pizza dough loves warmth, so if you can find a way to add some extra heat, your dough will rise faster. One way to do this is to preheat your oven to the lowest setting (usually around 200 degrees Fahrenheit) and then turn it off. Place your pizza dough in the warm oven for 10-15 minutes until it begins to rise.

Nail the sweet spot — warm enough to rise at a decent rate, yet cool enough to develop flavor — and you're golden. Studies have shown that the optimum temperature for yeast to grow and flavor to develop is 75°F to 78°F.