The Best NY Pizza Dough
As a mommy of twins, I get constant clamoring for their favorite food (pizza). But as I do not feel confident about the quality of the pizza available for “take out,” I’ve been making my own for years. I’ve played around with many different recipes, but settled on this NY style pizza dough recipe. I finally found a recipe that I love the best. It is the best, authentic NY pizza dough recipe for making pizza at home. This is the best thin crust pizza ever. I am now using this recipe based on recommendations from the many fine pizza makers at www.pizzamaking.com and the Dough Doctor, Tom Lehmann.
Making pizza dough at home
Making NY style pizza dough is a combination of science and art. There are many variables in this recipe that can be changed (besides the ingredients). For example:
- The oven temperature
- The temperature of the water used
- The proofing method (room temp. vs. cold rise)
- The order of combining the ingredients (this does makes a difference)
- The mixing time
- The use of autolyze
- The use of poolish (I don’t do this or the one before, but have in the past)
And then of course, the toppings: which can be as simple or as complex as you like. But don’t worry too much about all of this—my method is easy and straightforward. Plus, you will make better dough than 99% of the pizza chains out there. The big secret behind my favorite pizza dough lies in how you proof the dough.
My all-time favorite is NY style dough, which is the most classic pizza dough. It is stretched out into a thin crust pizza. This type of pizza dough contains water, flour, salt, instant dry yeast, olive oil, and sugar (especially when baking in a home oven—to help browning, and to feed the yeast for a good rise).
After it is mixed, it is proofed (left to rise & ferment) in the refrigerator for a minimum of 24 hours and up to 72 hours (it can also be frozen). I’ve used the dough up to 5 or 6 days afterwards, so you can basically prepare dough for a whole week.
This recipe produces a crisp yet foldable crust that is tender, light, and flavorful. The recipe quantity will make enough for four 14 in. pizzas (about 2.5 to 3 lbs. of dough). You can easily double or half the recipe.
The Best NY Style Pizza Dough
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Resting Time: 1 day
Total Time: 1 day 21 minutes
Servings: Four 14” pizzas
Calories: 91 kcal per slice
Ingredients
- 6 cups (28 oz. or 796 grams) all purpose, bread, or “00” flour
- 2 ¼ cups (17.4 oz. or 493 grams or ml) lukewarm water
- 1 teaspoon (3.5 grams) instant dry yeast
- 2 ½ teaspoons (15.6 grams) salt
- 2 teaspoons (7.8 grams) sugar
- 1 tablespoon (11.8 ml) olive oil
Directions
Assembling and Baking the Pizzas
- The following day, remove your dough balls within 1 hour or less of baking, and allow the dough to come to room temperature. The dough will tend to blister more if the dough has not been allowed to come to room temperature.
- In the meantime, place your pizza stone in oven and preheat at 550 degrees (depending on the thickness of your stone and your oven’s capabilities) for at least 1 hour
- Open each dough ball using care not to de-gas, transfer to a pre-floured pizza peel, and top with your favorite sauce, cheese, or any other toppings.
- Transfer pizza from peel to oven onto preheated pizza stone and bake for 4 to 6 minutes each until browned on top and cheese has melted but not burned.
Mixing the Dough
- Place water in mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix sugar (if using), yeast, and salt into flour.
- Add flour mixture to bowl of water and mix until all the flour has been incorporated.
- After flour has been fully incorporated, add olive oil and knead dough for about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Test final dough temperature, ideally it should be in the high 70s to low 80s (optional).
Dividing the Dough and Letting It Rise
- Divide dough into 4 equal parts (using a digital scale if possible; each ball should weigh approximately 11.5 oz. or 326 grams), shape each into a ball, and place in greased, sealed quart-sized container or oiled reusable silicone zip top freezer bag and refrigerate overnight or up to 72 hours.
Note: I highly recommend weighing the flour. Using a cup to measure will typically yield inaccurate results, plus different flour brands have different weights. If you want to use the dough the next day, knead it a little longer (slow speed for 8 to 10 minutes) or if you have time to let the dough rest for 3 days, knead it at low speed or by hand for 4 to 5 minutes.
Fourteen tips for Successfully making Pizza Dough at home
1. Choosing the Flour
Use high quality flour—I like to use organic, unbleached “00” flour (also called bread flour); higher protein (12% or above) flours work best. However, you can use all-purpose flour if you prefer a lighter, airier crust.
2. Adding the Yeast
Do not add the instant dry yeast directly to cold or cool water—you may shock the yeast (add it to your flour instead). Instant dry yeast differs from active dry yeast, which must be activated by adding it to a little sugar dissolved in warm (107 ℉) water.
3. How Much Yeast
Use only enough yeast to rise the dough-yeast eats the sugar in flour to produce its leavening effects-I find that if you use too much, the dough becomes tasteless; and in fact, too much yeast can give dough an unpleasant flavor.
4. Cold Ferment the Dough
Always use your refrigerator. The best NY style doughs “ferment,” “cure,” or “mature” in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours and up to 72 hours. This is called a cold rise (vs. a warm rise on your kitchen counter).
The refrigerator is used to retard (or slow) the dough’s fermentation, allowing that distinctive flavor to amplify. This is why some pizza crusts taste different than others, despite the fact that they are all made from the same basic ingredients. When your dough rises too quickly, the flavor will not develop fully. A slow rise makes for much better flavor.
5. Weigh Your Ingredients
Use a scale to weigh the flour instead of using a measuring cup—a scale gives a more accurate reading and will yield the best results. I weigh my ingredients whenever I bake anything. I invested in a great digital food scale years ago and strongly recommend using one. You’ll be glad you did because your dough will turn out more consistent and improved.
6. Add Oil Last
Mix in the oil as the last step, after the flour and water have all been incorporated. This is important to allow the flour to hydrate properly.
7. Flour Your Dough Balls
Before tossing or opening your dough balls, flour them (and your counter and your pizza peel) generously on each side to ensure they do not stick. Don’t be shy with the flour. Better too much than too little.
8. Keeping the Rim A Bit Puffy
Take care not to “de-gas” the rim of your pizza as you are spreading your dough. Do not ever use a rolling pin! There are many different methods of spreading/opening your dough ball. Take a look at this amazing video from The GoodFellas Pizza School of NY, showing how to stretch the dough. I swear by this method.
9. Baking Pizza in a Home Oven
Ensure that your oven is preheated for a sufficient amount of time (about 1 hour) and bake the pizza within 6 to 8 inches of the top of your oven (e.g.: your broiler) so that the top browns sufficiently in conjunction with the bottom of the pizza. Do not place the stone near the bottom of your oven.
After your stone has been sufficiently preheated, the heat from the stone will cook the pizza from the bottom and you can switch on the broiler if you find you need more browning on the top
If you find that your cheese is browning well before your rim attains sufficient color, use partially frozen cheese (place shredded cheese in the freezer while the oven is preheating) and cold sauce from the refrigerator, or you can drizzle a bit of olive oil on top of cheese.
10. Use a Pizza Stone or Steel
Use a pizza stone if you have one. I had one for years (it was part of my wedding registry!) which ultimately broke, so now I’m on my second one. The stone will draw moisture out of the dough and produce a beautifully crisp crust. You can also use a pizza steel.
11. Use Just the Right Amount of Sauce
Do not use too much pizza sauce—it will make the dough soggy.
12. Find the Right Kind of Cheese
Do not use low fat cheese as it will not melt sufficiently, or pre-shredded cheese as it contains additives that prevent it from sticking together, and does not melt very well. The best is organic, local, low-moisture, whole milk mozzarella.
If you must use pre-shredded cheese, I’ve found that adding the sauce on top of the cheese helps with the melting. Also, do not use too much cheese; apply it sparingly to help it melt.
13. Flour Your Pizza Peel
Use semolina or flour on the bottom of your pizza peel to prevent the dough from sticking. I use a combination of the two. Be careful not to overdo it because it will burn.
14. Learn To Launch That Pizza
Give the pizza peel a few very small quick jerks to ensure the pizza will easily slide off the peel before attempting to transfer pizza to the oven.
How to stretch the pizza dough
To Freeze Dough
After mixing dough and diving into balls, place portions in individual reusable silicone zip top baggies and store in refrigerator for at least 24 hours. To store for up to 4 weeks (any longer and the results may vary), after 24 hours transfer baggies to freezer. When ready to bake, transfer dough portions to the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours before baking. Bring dough to room temperature on counter top for 20 to 60 minutes before baking.
Baker’s percentages: 62% hydration, 0.4% yeast, 2% salt, 1.5% oil, and 1% sugar with a thickness factor of 0.08 using this calculator: pizza dough calculator.
Nutrition Information
| Serving | 1 slice |
| Calories | 91 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 18g |
| Protein | 3g |
| Fat | 1g |
| Saturated Fat | 1g |
| Sodium | 183 mg |
| Potassium | 29 mg |
| Sugar | 1g |
| Calcium | 4 mg |
| Iron | 1.1 mg |
This pizza dough recipe can be made…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.
Have you tried this recipe? Have your own recipe to share? I’d love you to leave a comment below.
Sources:
The Best New York Style Pizza Dough and 14 Tips for Success
https://feelingfoodish.com/the-best-new-york-style-pizza-dough/
Published: August 17, 2012 | by Marie