Want to know how to make the best pizza dough ever? Want it to be just the right amount of chewy and crispy with beautiful scorched bubbles on the crust? Would you also like it if that pizza dough was super easy to make (no kneading required!) and made to bake in your home oven? Thought you might 
You’re in luck, I finally figured out how to make top end pizzeria quality pizza dough. Actually Jim Lahey did all the figuring out, I just followed the recipe. He was kind enough to share it with Bon Appetite (and therefore me) a few months ago. You can check out the rest of his recipes in his cookbook, My Pizza.
Tips for perfect pizza dough:
- Put your rolling pin away! Seriously. Using a rolling pin will remove all the little air bubbles leaving you with bad pizza crust. Go put it away
- Turn your oven onto the highest temperature for a full hour before baking the pizza. You want it HOT!
- On a well floured surface, stretch the dough, starting at the edges and moving in a circle around the dough (or a rectangle if you are wanting to make flatbread)
- Resist the temptation to flatten the pizza dough (see tip #1)
- Make a fist with one hand and drape the pizza dough over your fist. Make a fist with your other hand and slowly rotate with pizza dough around in a circle using your two fists. The pizza dough will look a little like a blanket covering your two hands.
- Once the dough is about 10-12 inches, drop it onto a lightly floured pizza peel or baking sheet.
- Don’t worry if it is oddly shaped, it will have more character this way!
- Don’t add too many toppings to your pizza. Less is more.
Pizza Dough Recipe
This is pizza crust straight out of your favourite Italian restaurant. It is actually even better than pizza crust I’ve had at many great restaurants.
Author: The Endless Meal
Serves: Makes 6 10-12 inch pizzas
Ingredients
- 7½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping dough
- 4 teaspoons fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 3 cups warm water
Instructions
- Whisk flour, salt and yeast together in a large bowl.
- Gradually add 3 cups of warm water and mix together with a wooden spoon.
- Using your hands, gently bring the dough together to form a rough ball.
- Transfer to a clean large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm (room temperature) draft free location for at least 18 hours.
- Transfer dough to a floured work surface. Gently shape into a rough rectangle and divide into 6 equal potions (or less if you want bigger pizzas)
- Working with 1 portion at a time, take the four corners and fold them in towards the middle (like a parcel.) Turn seam down on a lightly floured baking sheet and dust the top with flour. Cover with a clean, damp tea towel and set aside for at least 1 hour.
- To make pizza: Position oven rack in the top third of the oven. Turn oven on the highest temperature for 1 full hour. If using a pizza stone (instead of a baking sheet), place in the oven before turning it on.
- If using a pizza stone: sprinkle the pizza peel lightly with flour. Place pizza dough on top and add desired toppings. Slide pizza from peel to hot pizza stone and bake till the bottom is crisp and the top is blistered, about 5-6 minutes.
- If using a baking sheet: Sprinkle baking sheet with flour then place dough on top and top with desired toppings. Bake till bottom is crisp and crust is blistered, about 10 minutes.
- Allow oven to reheat for 5 minutes between pizzas.
Notes
Dough can be made ahead of time. Complete step 7 then wrap in plastic wrap and store in fridge for 3 days. Bring to room temperature for 2-3 hours before baking. Most pizza dough keeps well in the freezer. I haven’t tried this with this recipe yet but it should work fine too.
For more great pizza recipes, check out Jim Lahey’s cookbook, My Pizza
{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
you’re my hero…..pizza is the most perfect food ever, I could eat it every day. I’m trying this real soon.
I agree, I love pizza too!
I remember seeing this recipe when the issue of the magazine came out. I forgot all about it. So glad you posted this. I need to try it, especially after reading your rave reviews. Have you halved the recipe? It seems like it makes a ton of pizza dough, far more than I need in one shot.
Hey Maria,
I did try halving it but I put it in my oven to rise (so it would be out of the way) but forgot about it and turned my oven on. Oops! I ended up with a cooked ball of dough covered in melted plastic wrap
I think it would work just great to half the recipe. Or you would always freeze the ones you don’t use to have them on hand for another time
By the way, I forgot to mention how awesome that opening picture is. LOVE the hand all covered in sticky dough.
Thank you so much, Maria!
nice recipe.
i’m using 00 type pizza dough for my pizzas. very elstic and easier to stretch out without a roller
Thanks, Rodrigo! I’ve never tried OO flour before. If you make this recipe using it I’d love to hear how it turned out
Kristen, I LOVE this dough recipe! I made it a couple of weeks ago for the first time and I was so happy with it! However, I DID use a rolling pin, which I will leave on the shelf next time! Thanks for all of your tips!
Hey Rachel,
You are so welcome! I’m happy the pizza turned out great for you. Definitely try it without the rolling pin next time. It’ll be even tastier!
This recipe seems like it would make a lot. Can you freeze the extras?
Hey Lauren,
It does make a lot! Although I haven’t tried freezing the extras myself, my hunch tells me it would be okay. Definitely make sure you leave ample time to allow the dough to come back to room temperature. I’d probably take it out in the morning if I was going to make it for dinner.
Here’s what I would do:
1. Make the dough up to the step where you divide it into 6 pieces (let it rise for the hour)
2. Take any dough you are not going to use and wrap it well in plastic wrap. Place in the freezer.
3. When using the frozen dough: take out of the freezer in the morning. Unwrap, dust with flour and place on a flat surface. Cover with a damp tea towel.
4. Proceed to step 7 in the recipe directions.
If you try this, let me know how it turns out for you!
BTW: I’ve halved this recipe and it has turned out great. Might be easier to go that route
this recipe is so good. i tried it for supper. made the dough at 3 pm and tried 1/6 of the recipe. turns out the dough is yummy. not at all oily. the best crust ever.
Thank you so much, Lynette! I’ve been wondering how it would turn out if I made enough for just one pizza. Thank you for letting me know!!
I’ve been making pizza dough for years but have struggled with it being too bread-like: puffy and soft. This is the first recipe I’ve used that gives a chewy, crisp crust – and a five-minute effort the night before allows a pizza meal to be pulled together quite quickly. Next time I’ll experiment with adding a little whole grain flour – though I don’t want to ruin a good thing!
I confess that I fumbled the “folding in the corners like a package” part and just kind of wrestled these into blobs during stage 2. Good results nonetheless – so I’m happy to report that this recipe suffers fools gladly.
Thanks for a great recipe and instructions.
Hey Linda,
I’m so happy the recipe turned out for you. I had the same problem with dough-y crust before I found this recipe. Let me know how it turns out if you try adding some whole wheat flour, I’d be really curious to know!
Hey cook,
Nope, no shortening in this recipe
Hi There,
I just put my ball of dough in the oven (for rising) I guess the 18 hrs will be up Saturday lunch time…cant wait to see how this goes. Cant say how many failed attempts I have had, making pizza at home. The worst was this “namaste” spreadable dough.
Thanks for posting this!
Minu
You’re welcome, Minu! I hope it turned out awesome for you!!
It did!!!!! Even got the bubbles. Made my day! Thanks so much.
That’s awesome news! You are very welcome
Worked like a charm! Thank you for the recipe
That’s fantastic!
I’ve been searching for a pizza dough recipe that actually works for years now. This one works perfectly!!
I would love to try this recipe, but I’m just wondering if the amount of yeast stated in the recipe is correct. 1/2tsp. for all that flour seems like way too little yeast. I’ll wait to hear from you before trying it, I don’t want to mess it up.Also, How many pizzas does this make?
Thanks so much!
Lori
Hi Lori,
I know it doesn’t seem like much but it is the correct amount. When I make this recipe I usually get between 5-6 pizzas depending on the size. Make sure you barely work the dough, that’s the real trick
I actually had this last night with pesto sauce, prawns, thinly sliced lemons and a little drizzle of lemon oil and it was out of this world!
Do you think this recipe would work with whole wheat flour?
I love this recipe, it’s so simple and easy, plus everyone compliments me on my tasty pizza!! I usually cut the dough in portions and freeze what I’m not using on the same day. I have been making this recipe several times and it never disappoints.
I also tried it with 1/2 unbleached flour and 1/2 whole wheat and it worked ok.
Hi Jessica,
I haven’t tried it but my hunch is that it would work great. It would probably be a bit heavier though since whole wheat flour is more dense. If you try it I’d love to hear how it turns out!