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Hand-stretched pizza with pepperoni and basil sliced on a round cutting board.
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Homemade Pizza Dough

prep 15 minutes
cook 15 minutes
8 hours
total 8 hours 30 minutes
Serves 12 slices
The most versatile pizza dough recipe. I use it to make hand-stretched pizzas or pan pizzas. It can be made in a single day or overnight in any size you want.
Servings 12 slices

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 480 grams bread flour
  • 3.5 grams yeast, instant or active
  • 10 grams fine sea salt
  • 345 grams water, room temperature
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil , to grease pan and drizzle on crust

Toppings (total for both pizzas)

  • 240 grams marinara, or preferred sauce
  • 8-12 oz low-moisture mozzarella, freshly shredded*
  • toppings of choice.

Method

  1. This recipe is very simple and the baking is very flexible however, for hand-stretched pizza, I got the best results once I purchased a pizza stone and peel - worth every penny!
  2. Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Use the hook attachment on low speed to mix it, just until it comes together. Once the dough is formed, cover it and allow it to rest for 15-30 minutes.
    480 grams bread flour, 3.5 grams yeast instant or active, 10 grams fine sea salt, 345 grams water room temperature
    3. Can also do this with a large bowl and use your hands to mix it but I don't like touching the wet dough before it comes toghether lol.
  3. Now run your hand under cold water, grab a side of the dough and stretch it out as far up as possible without it tearing. Fold it over the dough and then turn the bowl 90 degrees until you've done four stretches. Cover the dough for another 15-30 minutes and do it again.
  4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge overnight or on the counter for several hours to rise until it's doubled in size.
    If refrigerating, take it out in the morning and continue with rising on the counter until it's doubled.
    5. The fridge overnight makes the dough stronger so it's easier to handle and gives it more time to relax which makes the crust feel a bit more fluffy.
  5. Once the dough has risen, split it into desired size - I usually do two 420 gram pizzas. I make one a Hand-Stretched Pizza and the other one a Pan Pizza (but you can also make them both the same).
  6. Pull the edges of the dough into the center and pinch them together to create a seam. Turn the dough over so the seam is facing down, then cup your hands around it and gently drag it toward you across the counter. Rotate and repeat until the ball feels tight and the surface is smooth.
  7. Place one dough ball on the counter and one in a 10"-13" cast iron pan with a drizzle of olive oil).
    Cover them both with plastic wrap and allow them to rise again until their about doubled in size and fluffy.
  8. 30-60 minutes before the pizza is ready to bake, preheat the oven to 500F (260C) conventional (NO FAN!) with the pizza stone in the oven.
    9. If you don’t have a pizza steel or stone, I would use a large cast-iron skillet and my last resort would be an uncoated, heavy metal sheet pan. Using them upside down can make it easier to slide the pizza onto the flat surface. Make sure the pan is rated for 500°F; thinner pans may warp at such a high temperature.
  9. For a hand-stretched pizza, lightly flour your hands, the dough and the counter. Gently press and stretch the dough outward, leaving the rim untouched. Then lift it over your knuckles and gently rotate it back and forth until it reaches your desired size. This stretches the center thinner while preserving the air around the edge for a thicker, puffier crust.
  10. Place the dough on the lightly floured counter and add pizza sauce, toppings and cheese. I prefer my toppings underneath the cheese so they don't burn.
  11. Slide the pizza peel underneath the dough - avoid picking up as much flour as possible - and slide it onto the preheated pan in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes or until the crust is a deep golden brown. Use the pizza peel to remove the pizza from the stone and transfer to a wire rack for a couple of minutes before slicing on a cutting board.
    Once it's on the cutting board, drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil around the crust to soften it.
    12. If you don't have a pizza peel, you can stretch it out onto a parchment paper and use that to transfer or bake it directly on the parchment. I find this difficult to do without help. The crust may be slightly less crispy if baked on the parchment though.
  12. Meanwhile, prepare the pan pizza. Drizzle a little more olive oil on top and gently dimple the dough, stretching it out to the edges of the pan. Spread sauce, toppings and cheese as far out as you want.
  13. Bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on the size of your pan. The edges should be golden brown and the cheese starting to brown a little. Remove from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before slicing.

Notes

*this is a real block of mozzarella that you need to shred - I know, I know but the pre-shredded one will burn. If you do use that one, I don't add the cheese until halfway through bake time. See blog post for more details. 

Nutrition

Calories: 227kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 10gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 552mgPotassium: 124mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 202IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 141mgIron: 1mg
Course: dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: hand stretched pizza, homemade pizza, pan pizza, pizza dough