Homemade Pizza Dough

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 cups warm water (around 98-100 F)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Make and Proof the Dough

In a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour, kosher salt, instant yeast, and granulated sugar.

Add the warm water and olive oil. Mix with your hands, squeezing and pinching the dough, until a shaggy, sticky dough forms and no dry flour remains.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for ~90 minutes.

After the first rest, you’ll perform a “stretch and fold.” Wet your hands, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat three more times.

Cover the bowl again and let it rest for another ~90 minutes.

Divide and Shape the Dough

After the second rise, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.

Gently fold the dough over on itself a couple of times, then use a bench scraper to divide it into four equal pieces.

To shape each piece, gently pull the edges down and tuck them under to form a tight ball.

Place the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet that’s been dusted with flour. Cover them and let them rest for a final ~90 minutes.

After this final rest, the dough is ready to be stretched and topped.

Homemade Pizza Dough

This pizza dough creates a crust that’s soft and chewy on the inside with a good bit of crispness on the bottom. It’s a high-hydration dough, which means it will be very wet and sticky to work with – this is the key to its light, airy texture. Instead of traditional kneading, a series of simple folds is all you need to develop the gluten and give the dough its structure.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Rise Time4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time4 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Print Pin Email

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• ▢ 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
• ▢ 1 tsp granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 1/2 cups warm water around 98-100 F
• ▢ 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Mix bread flour, salt, yeast, and sugar in large bowl.
• Add warm water and olive oil, mix with hands until shaggy dough forms.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap, rest 90 minutes.
• Perform stretch and fold: wet hands, stretch each side up and over center 4 times.
• Cover and rest another 90 minutes.
• Turn dough onto floured surface, fold over twice.
• Divide into 4 equal pieces.
• Shape each piece into ball by pulling edges down and tucking under.
• Place on floured parchment-lined sheet, cover and rest 90 minutes.

Notes

Dough is ready to stretch and top when finger leaves slight indentation that slowly springs back.

Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!