This artisan pizza dough recipe creates the perfect pizza crust—crispy on the bottom, chewy with a light, airy texture, and large, blistered bubbles. The key to this delicious dough is using high hydration and a long fermentation process, which work together to bring out maximum flavor and texture. This dough can be made ahead, frozen, or shaped fresh for a perfect pizza every time.
Why This Pizza Dough Works
Great pizza starts with a great dough. The crust is the foundation for all of the flavors and textures you’ll enjoy, so it’s essential to get it right. Here’s what makes this dough so special:
- High Hydration Dough: The 75% hydration (ratio of water to flour) creates a dough that’s easy to handle and forms those beautiful bubbles and chewy texture. The dough is sticky, but not too difficult to work with.
- Long Bulk Fermentation: Using a small amount of yeast and allowing the dough to ferment for around 6 hours (or up to 2 days in the fridge) develops complex flavors and strengthens the dough for an ideal pizza crust.
- Hot Cooking Surface: Using a baking steel, pizza stone, inverted baking sheet, or cast iron pan ensures a super-crisp bottom and perfect char spots.
Key Ingredients:
- Flour: While 00 flour gives a delicate flavor and chew, you can use all-purpose flour if needed. Focus on technique for the best results.
- Yeast: Active dry yeast gives the dough the rise and fluffiness needed for the perfect crust.
- Water: Use warm water to activate the yeast and help the dough achieve the proper texture.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor of the dough and helps strengthen gluten.
Tips for the Best Artisan Pizza Dough
- Handling Wet Dough: High hydration dough is sticky and wet, so wet your hands while mixing and folding to avoid sticking.
- Folding for Gluten Development: After mixing, fold the dough once an hour to develop structure and texture. No traditional kneading is necessary.
- Fermentation Time: Let the dough ferment at room temperature for 5–6 hours, or refrigerate it for up to 2 days for better flavor.
- Shaping the Dough: When shaping the dough into a ball, create tension to hold the dough’s shape without losing air bubbles.
How to Make This Dough Ahead of Time:
- Refrigerating the Dough: After shaping the dough into balls, lightly grease them and store them on a greased plate or sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Shape the dough straight from the fridge when you’re ready to bake.
- Freezing the Dough: If you want to store the dough for longer, freeze it after shaping it into balls. Place the dough balls on a greased sheet pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and freeze overnight. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in a resealable bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.
How to Make Pizza with This Dough:
- Preheat the Oven: Place a pizza stone, baking steel, or inverted baking sheet on the middle rack and preheat your oven to 500°F (or the highest temperature possible). Preheat for at least 45 minutes.
- Shape the Dough: Lightly flour your surface and shape the dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a floured pizza peel or lightly greased cast iron pan. Add sauce and toppings, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges.
- Bake the Pizza: Slide the pizza onto your preheated stone or steel and bake for 5 minutes. For an extra crispy, blistered crust, turn on the broiler and broil for an additional 2-4 minutes.
- Cast Iron Pan Method: If you’re using a cast iron pan, bake for 15-20 minutes and broil for a few minutes at the end for a golden, charred crust.
How to Make This Recipe for a Crowd:
This dough recipe is easily scalable! Simply multiply the ingredients to make enough for your party. Typically, 1 batch of dough will make 2 12-inch pizzas, which feeds 2 people with leftovers, or up to 3-4 people if served with sides.
Tools You’ll Love for Perfect Pizza:
- Digital Scale: To ensure precise measurements, a digital scale is the best tool for pizza dough.
- Pizza Peel: A thin, wide pizza peel makes it easier to slide your pizza in and out of the oven.
- Baking Steel: A baking steel absorbs heat efficiently, creating a super-crisp crust without the need for constant attention.
More Pizza Recipes to Try:
- Best Homemade Pizza Sauce
- Buttery Garlic Pizza
- Wild Mushroom Pizza
- Hawaiian Pizza with Caramelized Pineapple
- Prosciutto Pizza with Arugula
This chewy, crispy artisan pizza dough is sure to impress, whether you’re making pizza for two or a crowd. With just a few tips and techniques, you’ll enjoy pizzeria-quality crust from the comfort of your own kitchen!
Chewy Artisan Pizza Dough Recipe
Yields: 2 12-inch pizzas
Ingredients:
- 500g (3 ¾ cups plus 2 tbsp) all-purpose flour
- 375g (1 ½ cups water plus 2 tbsp) warm water, divided
- 1g (¼ tsp) active dry yeast
- 10g (1 ½ tsp) fine salt
Instructions:
- Mix Dough:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and all but 1 tablespoon of the warm water. Stir until just combined, then cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, dissolve the yeast in the remaining warm water. Let sit for a few minutes to activate.
- Combine Yeast and Salt:
- Sprinkle salt over the surface of the dough. Stir the yeast mixture into the dough and fold the dough to incorporate. Wet your hands lightly to avoid sticking. Pinch and fold the dough several times until a shaggy dough forms.
- First Rest:
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 1 hour.
- Develop Gluten:
- After an hour, wet your hands lightly and fold the dough by stretching a section and folding it over the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat the folding process 4-5 times, until the dough forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl with the seam side down. Cover and let rise for 5-6 hours or until doubled in size.
- Shape Dough Balls:
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and cut it in half. Shape each piece into a ball by stretching and folding the dough edges into the center, then cupping it and pulling it towards you to tighten the dough. Place each ball on a greased plate, lightly oil the tops, cover, and let rest for 1 hour.
- Preheat Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 500°F (or the highest temperature possible). Place a pizza stone, baking steel, or inverted baking sheet on the middle rack and heat for at least 45 minutes.
- Shape and Bake:
- On a floured surface, flatten each dough ball into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a floured pizza peel or lightly greased cast iron pan.
- Add your desired toppings and slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or steel. Bake for 5 minutes. For a crispier crust, broil for 2-4 minutes until golden and bubbly.
- If using a cast iron pan, bake for 15-20 minutes and broil for the final few minutes.
Enjoy your delicious artisan pizza!