Today I am sharing my recipe for Italian Pizza Dough that I have been using for years. I started to make pizza and pizza dough many many moons ago. My earliest memories of making pizza go way back to my middle school days. I can still remember one of my first attempts being a disappointment because I put way too much cheese on the pizza. Seriously, the ratio was soooooo off and the cheese so thick. If it was cold and flipped upside down, the slice would not have flopped. Now that’s some serious cheesiness.
Since then my ratios and pizza making skills have improved tremendously. The Italian pizza dough recipe I am sharing today is one that I found all them years ago while in middle school. Since then I have made slight tweaks, here or there, based on years of experience. As well as trial and error. However, the recipe is virtually unchanged and been a staple in repertoire.
SCROLL DOWN FOR ADDITIONAL TIPS AND TRICKS
The Dough
The dough starts out pretty basic. Simply use water, yeast, sugar, salt, oil and flour. What makes this dough different from any other is not so much the ingredients. It’s the technique.
To start the dough you will need to bloom the yeast. To accomplish this, use warm water a packet of dry yeast and sugar. The yeast will bloom in about five minutes. You’ll see this happen when a layer of foam develops at the top of the water. No foam? Either your water was too cold and did not activate. Or the water was too hot and you killed the yeast, you monster!
Once the yeast has bloomed, move the liquid to a mixing bowl if by hand or your stand mixer bowl if by machine. Add one cup of the flour and begin to mix. Once the flour is incorporated, add your salt and oil here. You add the salt as this point and not before to protect the yeast. Salt kills yeast and adding it after some flour keeps them from fighting. Adding the oil now helps condition and soften the dough. The oil helps make an easy working dough that is terrific to handle.
The Feel
Now add the remaining flour until your create the proper feel. At this point it is not about the amount of flour listed in the recipe. It’s all about the dough telling you how much flour it needs today. The amount of flour needed is based off more than just the amount of water used. The type and brand of flour affects feel. Humidity, temp and time all play a part as well. To stay from getting too technical what you want to create is a dough that is nice and soft, slightly tacky, but not sticky. You should be able to press your fingers lightly into the dough and pull them back with the dough slightly sticking to your fingers, but releasing and not leaving tiny bits.
Once the right feel is achieved, knead the dough for roughly 5-8 minutes by machine and 10-12 minutes by hand. You should end up with a ball of dough that is nice and soft, but smooth like a baby’s bottom. At least that’s what my old professors used to say. Just knead the dough until it is nice and smooth.
Now, roll the dough into a nice ball and place in a covered bowl until the dough doubles in size. Approximately 45 minutes to an hour.
Professional Tips and Tricks For Italian Pizza Dough
- To develop flavor, start with cooler water. This will allow you to retard the dough in the fridge for a few days. Allowing the dough to rest and ferment (retard) in the fridge for an extended time develops a deeper flavor.
- The fermentation period will also allow the dough to develop added texture and chewiness when baked. Most popular pizzerias and bakeries allow their dough to ferment overnight, if not longer.
The Only Italian Pizza Dough Recipe You'll Need
Crispy, chewy and oh so tasty. This Italian Pizza Dough recipe is so good it's the only one I need. Once you try it, it will be the only one you need too.
Servings: 1 Recipe
Author: Nate
Ingredients
- 1 1/3cupfiltered water
- 1pktdry active yeast
- 1tbspsugar
- 2.5tbspoilive oil
- 1tbspkosher salt
- 3cupbread flour, high proteinapproximate amount
Instructions
Bloom yeast in warm water with dissolved sugar.
Allow yeast to bloom until a thick foam has developed on top of water.
Add liquid to mixing bowl and add 1 cup of flour and combine well.
Once the first cup of flour is incorporated, add the salt and oil. Combine.
Now add the remaining flour until that soft, slightly tacky dough is achieved. Focus on the feel.
Proof until dough has doubled in size. Approximately 45 minutes to an hour.
Related
FAQs
Because of the extreme fineness of the Italian 00 flour, it doesn't require as much water to begin kneading. And because of the decent amount of protein it doesn't take long to create the gluten structure required for that characteristic Italian crust.
What is pizza dough made of in Italy? ›
Thats right just 4 simple ingredients and your on your way to making delicious traditional pizza dough just like the Italians! Here's what you need! It's the same as the most basic bread dough. Water, flour, yeast, salt, maybe a tablespoon of oil.
What's the difference between pizza dough and Italian bread dough? ›
The water percentage in pizza is 60% in hydration, while some bread dough can be 80-90%. While higher hydration levels in pizza dough can make it fluffy and crispier, it'll be impossible to shape. It will burn faster as well. The hydration levels will also affect the baking time drastically.
How to make pizza dough Mario Batali? ›
Batali mixes together flour, yeast, extra virgin olive oil, and "blood temperature" water (that's 96-98.6 degrees) for a perfect crust. A couple tablespoons of sugar helps activate the yeast and makes for a crispier crust. There's no way around it: Kneading your dough by hands will give it the best texture.
Do you need to Prebake homemade pizza dough? ›
If you're baking the pizza in the oven, whether on a pizza stone or not, I always pre-bake the dough for 4-5 minutes before adding toppings, to make sure the pizza dough cooks crisp on the outside and soft and airy in the middle. Once you add the Pizza Sauce and toppings, return it to the oven to finish baking.
What is the name given to the traditional Italian pizza and what ingredients does it include? ›
Originating from Naples, Neapolitan pizza is perhaps the most iconic style of Italian pizza. It has a thin, soft crust that's slightly charred on the edges and a simple topping of San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella cheese (often buffalo mozzarella), fresh basil, salt, and olive oil.
Why does pizza taste better in Italy? ›
The Italian version has a more fresh and flavorful sauce than the American version. Italians have a distinctive mozzarella di Bufala cheese, a mozzarella cheese created from buffalo's milk. They use this cheese as scoops of fresh cheese instead of grating them, which provides a fresh taste to the entire pizza.
What makes an authentic Italian pizza? ›
A traditional Italian pizza would just resort to some fresh basil leaves which, together with the red tomato sauce and the white Mozarella di Bufala cheese complete the tri-colour of the Italian flag. However, depending upon the mood, one can sprinkle some oregano and fresh olive oil for a hint of spice.
What is better for pizza dough all-purpose flour or bread flour? ›
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. You get a very chewier, more bread-like pizza crust when you make your dough with bread flour.
Is sourdough pizza dough better? ›
Is Sourdough Good for Pizza? Yes, sourdough (natural leavening) can be used to make pizza. I find sourdough pizza is more flavorful, easier to digest (thanks to the lengthy fermentation process), and has an improved, tenderer texture.
In fact, the only real key difference between pizza and naan lies in the dough. While pizza dough is lean—that is, it's made of just flour, yeast, salt, and water—naan dough is an enriched dough—that is, it's got dairy in it.
What is the trick to good pizza dough? ›
There are many tricks to achieving a tasty, homemade pizza dough that rises into a beautiful pizza crust, such as making sure your ingredients are at right temperature, using half bread flour for a stronger dough and half all-purpose flour for a nice rise, substituting honey for sugar to help caramelize the crust and ...
Should you poke holes in pizza dough before baking? ›
If you've been looking for the secret to crafting a magnificent homemade pizza, then look no further! The answer lies in poking holes into your dough. A dinner fork is perfect for creating these tiny perforations and will result in an extraordinarily crunchy crust that your family won't soon forget.
What not to do to pizza dough? ›
The Most Common Mistakes When Making Pizza
- Not Letting the Dough Rest. ...
- Not Kneading the Dough for Long Enough. ...
- Using a Rolling Pin to Form the Dough. ...
- Overloading Pizza Toppings. ...
- Not Letting the Pizza Cook for Long Enough.
You can refrigerate the dough after almost any step, but after the first rise (or a little before) works best. Store it, covered, in the refrigerator for 1-3* days.
Do you put olive oil on pizza before or after cooking? ›
When it's time to cook, oil in the dough will create a crispier crust while also providing a natural barrier between the crust and the sauce and toppings, preventing sogginess. Brushing the crust with oil before baking will also give it the color and crackliness that so many crave.
What is Sicilian pizza made of? ›
The original, authentic version from Sicily comes from Palermo and is called sfincione, which loosely translates as "thick sponge." Sicilian pizza has a fluffy, spongy bread base topped with a meatless sauce made from tomatoes, onions, herbs, and anchovies, which is covered with breadcrumbs and an optional grating of ...
What is the official pizza of Italy? ›
Its mission is to promote and protect in Italy and worldwide the true Neapolitan pizza (verace pizza napoletana), i.e. the typical product made in accordance with the characteristics described in the AVPN International Regulations for obtaining a collective brand mark True Neapolitan Pizza (Vera Pizza Napoletana), in ...
What is the favorite pizza in Italy? ›
Pizza: what's the favorite for the Italians?
- margherita, simple with fiordilatte or buffalo mozzarella;
- margherita with ham and mushrooms;
- the capricciosa, for those who love complex tastes;
- pizza with artichokes: vegetable more than loved in Italy, chosen in all its versions;
Italian pizza dough is flattened out thinly to form a thin crust. American pizza dough is made with all-purpose flour or bread flour which are high in gluten. Resting time for the dough is typically a few hours. The dough is kneaded for a longer time than Italian pizza to give it a more bready texture.
American-style pizza has a lighter texture; people can usually eat them on the go. On the other hand, their authentic Italian counterparts have thicker crusts, more cheese, and are more filling and flavorful. The original Italian pizza is usually thinner and made with mozzarella and tomatoes.
Why does Sicilian pizza taste different? ›
What makes Sicilian-style pizza a standout is its dough. A Sicilian pizza dough has four simple ingredients: flour, water, salt, and yeast. The dough is cooked at high temperatures in the oven to create a memorable, thick, doughy texture.
Is Italian flour better for pizza? ›
The best flour for making Neapolitan Pizza Dough is 00 Pizza Flour. This type of pizza dough is thin and crispy with a slightly chewy texture. 00 Pizza Flour is an Italian-milled, finely ground wheat flour. It is perfect for Neapolitan Pizza Dough because it produces a light and airy crust with a slightly chewy centre.
