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
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's the difference between pizza dough and Italian bread dough? ›
The water-to-flour ratio in pizza dough is also different from that of bread dough, with more water being used for a softer and more pliable crust. This allows for the dough to be stretched and shaped into a thin, round crust that is then topped with sauce, cheese, and other toppings before being baked in a hot oven.
What is the secret of pizza dough? ›
The pizza bosses of the world know the secret to an incredible dough is to let it rest and give it time. This process makes the dough much easier to work with and forms the coveted texture, rise, and bubbles at the edges.
What is the name given to the traditional Italian pizza and what ingredients does it include? ›
One of the simplest and most traditional pizzas is the Margherita, which is topped with tomatoes or tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil.
What is the secret of Italian pizza? ›
Authentic Italian pizzas are based with nonna's special fresh tomato sauce (which doesn't get cooked at all!). This rich sauce must be prepared with peeled Italian tomatoes, preferably with San Marzano peeled tomatoes, and then blanched with salt, fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil to get an original taste.
Why does pizza in Italy taste better? ›
The combination of tomatoes, spices, and cheese on the dough gives it a unique flavour that sets it apart from other types of pizzas around the world. Italian Pizza can be eaten as an appetizer, main dish, and even dessert! And, has many variations to suit different tastes.
Is Italian pizza dough thin or thick? ›
The authentic pizza Napoletana is soft and thin – easy to fold and eat on the go if necessary – except for its edge, which is usually thicker in order to enclose toppings and to make holding a slice easy. The fast cooking in a wood-fired oven at very high temperature increases the creation of air bubbles in the dough.
Why is Italian pizza dough so good? ›
The Italian pizza crust is thin but perfectly balanced. It's not too crunchy and made with wheat flour and olive oil. Sometimes they may add herbs to the dough as well as the sauce. Many people don't know this, but there's a chance they may have never tried Italian pizza, even if they've eaten pizza a hundred times.
What is the difference between Greek and Italian pizza dough? ›
Greek pizza is laid in a shallow pizza dish which. results in a puffier crust vs the thinner, crunchier crust. of Italian pizza.
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.
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.
What is the key to making great pizza dough? ›
The five key ingredients for making the best pizza dough are flour, yeast, salt, water, and olive oil. These ingredients work together to create a dough that is perfectly textured, flavorful, and easy to work with. When making pizza dough, it's important to use high-quality ingredients and not overwork the dough.
What is the most authentic Italian pizza? ›
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.
Does real Italian pizza have tomato sauce? ›
A key component of every pizza recipe is pizza sauce. However, a real Italian-style pizza contains tomato sauce made from San Marzano tomatoes, unlike other types of pizza. The other toppings remain chilled and fresh on top of the pizza crust since the sauce is prepared separately rather than with them.
Do Italians put onions on 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.
