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
Directions
- In a bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast in water. Add butter, shortening, salt and 2 cups flour; mix until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. ...
- Punch dough down. Sprinkle cornmeal into a greased 14-in. pizza pan. ...
- Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes. Spread spaghetti sauce over crust.
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.
What are 2 important things to remember when making pizza dough from scratch? ›
Tips For Making Pizza Dough
- Stick to the basics of making dough: water, yeast, flour and salt.
- Double or triple the ingredients if you're feeding a larger crowd.
- Plan on at least 1 1/2 hours of rise time before shaping, topping, and baking.
- Get your oven as hot as it will go — at least 500°F.
- Keep the toppings basic.
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.
Do Italians put olive oil in pizza dough? ›
Almost all other pizza styles established by Italian ancestors and others call for the use of oil or fat. Olive oil is used in all Italian dishes to add taste. Other oil kinds, on the other hand, are swapped or substituted to change the flavor of olive oil. This could otherwise destroy a certain pizza style.
What is the best flour to use for pizza dough? ›
For classic pizza crust: All-purpose flour
It has enough protein (11.7%) to support a robust gluten network, translating to crust with plenty of strength and chew.
What makes homemade pizza taste better? ›
The Oil. While not all pizza dough recipes call for oil, Baldwin is a fan. "Don't be afraid to go heavy with olive oil at every step of making your pizza," she says. "It will help crisp up your crust and make it taste great."
What is the most authentic Italian pizza? ›
Born in Napoli, la pizza Napoletana is one of the most famous types of Italian pizza. Protected by a Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG) certification, this style must be made in a very particular way. The dough is comprised of wheat flour, yeast, salt, and water and is left to rise for up to 24 hours.
Do Italians put onions in pizza? ›
Originating in the Italian region of Apulia, pizza pugliese is generally topped with tomato, onion and mozzarella. However, there are many different variations of the pizza pugliese with some versions using oregano, capers and olives.
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 ...
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.
Should I add olive oil to pizza dough? ›
Oil: A couple Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil adds wonderful flavor to the dough. Don't forget to brush the dough with olive oil before adding the toppings, which prevents the crust from tasting soggy. Salt: Salt adds necessary flavor.
What not to do when making pizza dough? ›
Be careful not to handle your dough for too long- around 5 minutes of kneading should do it. Any longer and you will risk overworking your dough, leaving it crumbly and tough.
What makes Italian pizza dough different? ›
The original Italian pizza is usually thinner and made with mozzarella and tomatoes. People usually eat this dish for dinner. Italians take extra care and time to create their pizza dough. They allow the dough to sit and rise for three days to make it light and fluffy.
What is the difference between American and Italian pizza dough? ›
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.
What kind of yeast do Italians use for pizza? ›
Most dough recipes call for instant or dry yeast, but the best kind for Naples pizza is the Italian -00- flour. This flour is highly elastic and should be used with suitable flour, like whole wheat. The right flour is crucial to the success of the pizza. A blend of fresh and dry yeast will produce the perfect result.
Does pizza dough have eggs in Italy? ›
No. Firstly, pizza dough is made without eggs, with simply flour, water, yeast, olive oil and some salt. But some recipies may call for eggs as a binding agent.
