Crispy Pizza Dough Recipe
To be called authentic New York Style Pizza there are a few things that have to happen… First, it better have a thin and crispy crust. Second, the slice needs to be big enough that you have to fold it to eat it. Lastly, you better have some napkins ready to help catch that dripping grease from the cheese. Today we are going to talk about that thin crust pizza.
To get a crispy pizza crust, some say it’s the NY water, so much so that a few pizzerias on the west coast pay extravagant amounts of money just to truck water in from New York City…. here’s a nugget for you, its not the freaking water.
Could it be that the first pizzeria in the United States was started in New York City…. As much as I love Lombardi’s, nope thin crust pizza and crispy pizza crust stood the ground long before Gennaro Lombardi crafted pizza in America. However Lombardi is credited with developing the New York Style pizza, but its base was from training he learned back in Naples and brought with him to America.
So Kevin, what does it take to get that crispy pizza crust? Glad you asked, here is my favorite thin crust pizza dough recipe.
Thin Crust Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Warm Water
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
- 2 tsp active dry or instant yeast (one 0.25oz packet)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to its highest position. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees or its highest setting. If using a pizza stone, add to the oven.
- Dissolve the sugar and yeast into warm water. Let sit until foamy (about 5 minutes)
- While the yeast is soaking, combine 1 cup of flour and the salt into a separate large bowl. Stir until the salt is evenly mixed into the flour
- Pour the yeast water into the bowl of flour and mix until smooth
- Stir in an additional 1/2 cup of flour
- Move dough to a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, slowly adding up to 1/2 cup more of flour as you go. Be sure to add the flour slowly as you knead. This will prevent the dough from becoming too dry
- Rest the dough for 5 minutes
- Divide into 2 equal parts and form into balls. The second ball can be wrapped into plastic and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months if desired.
- Begin pressing the dough into a circular shape. Stretch at the crust evenly to make a larger pizza. You are looking for a 12-inch diameter with roughly 1/8 inch thickness. If needed you can use a rolling pin to help roll out the dough.
- If opting to use a pan, spray with non-stick cooking spray and add a dusting of cornmeal to help prevent the dough from sticking to the pan during cooking. If using a pizza stone, skip this step.
- Spread a thin layer of sauce over the top of your pizza dough and bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes or until the edges begin to show a hint of color
- Remove the crust from the oven, add cheese and the rest of your toppings
- Bake for an additional 7-10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden brown
Frequently Asked Questions
Why my pizza is not crispy?
This could be exacerbated if you’re selecting the topping. Toppings with high moisture can release more moisture, making pizzas soggy. In addition, there may be too many toppings in the pizza that are hindering its crisp texture.
Is pizza supposed to be crispy?
It’s necessary for any good pizza to have a heated oven so keep the dial set to 400 °F. Never stop in the 200°F range. So the dough cooks quickly and creates an attractive golden crust, super crispy inside, but still chewy inside.
What is thin and crispy pizza called?
Neapolitan pizza or Naples-style pizza has been called the original Italian pizza. Despite being thin and somewhat crispy in appearance, Neapolitan pizza has to meet certain specific specifications in order to become authentic Neapolitan.
Why is my homemade pizza crust not crispy?
To make it crispy enough water needs to evaporate at a heat source. Baking time and temperatures also affect the dough and the topping you make. Many people cook at the wrong temperature or take their pizza out too early; keep the dial set to 400 °F.
What flour makes crispy pizza crust?
Use all-purpose flour: All-purpose flour has between 9 and 11% protein and therefore 9 to 11% gluten. This percentage reaches about a halfway place between all types of flour so that the all-purpose flour is useful for virtually everything.
How do I make my dough crispy?
The only way to brown or crisp your crust – and increase your rise – is by cooking it with baking powder or baked steel. The rock or iron is superheated from a heating oven which causes it to pulsate quickly to rise up at its hottest place.
Why does my pizza crust not get crispy?
For the crispy surface, the water evaporates from the oven. Temperatures are crucial to the timing of baking the dough and toppings. You can reduce cooking time by baking the pizza longer at a less hot temperature. However, allowing too much cooking can dry it out.
Does olive oil make pizza dough crispy?
Olive oil softens and enlarges crusts and enhances their texture and crisping properties. But olive oils are not just good ingredients for topping a pizza but also a wonderful ingredient when poured over pizza after baking.
Does butter make pizza crust crispy?
Although fat helps crispy crusts, it also increases calories. Because you gain weight you are likely to consume more calories than you should eat. Using butter can increase your calorie count if used on pizza and also increase your calorie intake.
What is pizza crisp made of?
Pizza Crisp is a dough additive that consists of bleached flour, sugar, and salt. It’s not used in making pizza dough. Instead, you sprinkle on and press into the dough as a final step to preparing and forming the crust before adding toppings and baking. Pizza Crisp is tasteless and helps absorb moisture, eliminating soggy pizza and helping prevent the crust from burning.
Is sourdough good for pizza?
Fresh yeast and dried yeast are the main isolate types of yeasts that exist primarily since the first 100 yr. Before that pizzas could just be made using bread starters. It is possible that pizza is older than dried yeast, sourdough pizza may actually be the authentic pizza form.
What’s the difference between Sourdough Pizza and normal pizza?
In a typical pizza dough base, the main ingredients are yeast and lactic acid which react with gluten causing the dough to rise. Sourdough is essentially made using starter materials.
Is sourdough pizza more healthy?
The acid in bread reduces the sugary index and reduces blood glucose. Some people are also having trouble consuming yeast so may find sourdough easier to digest.
What kind of pizza pan is best for thin crust pizza dough?
If you are going to use a pan, make sure it is perforated. The more heat that hits the pizza crust, the crispier it will be. Our recommendation is to use a pizza stone in a preheated oven. Nothing beats sliding your fresh-made pizza onto a preheated pizza stone.
Can I make pizza dough ahead of time?
You can prepare the dough ahead of time, keeping it in the refrigerator at least 2 days or freezing for up to 3 months. However, nothing beats fresh pizza dough.
Can I freeze Pizza Dough?
Yeah! We usually make small batches some to enjoy now and the others for another time. Wrap dough into plastic wrap, then put it into a freezer secure zipper bag and freeze for three months. Make sure the mixture is frozen overnight before use.
Thin Crust Pizza with a Crispy Pizza Crust
A good pizza dough recipe can be hard to find, searching on google will leave you lost in a pizza dough recipes sea of madness. Is it the pizza dough, pizza sauce, bread flour, floured surface and knead, pizza oven, yeast mixture, use of a pizza stone, warm water? Nope, it all comes down to the pizza dough recipe.
Let us know how your crispy pizza crust turned out in the comments below, and don’t forget to fold that slice.
