Pizza dough is a notoriously tricky thing to get right. Interestingly, resting time is the main factor differentiating thin-crust pizza dough recipes from other pizza crust recipes. Nonetheless, if you are looking for how to make thin-crust pizza dough, you are in the right place.
The key to a good pizza is the crust. If you like your homemade pizza crust thin and crispy, it all starts with the dough. Thin-crust pizza dough is one of the quickest and easiest to whip up. In addition, it only requires 15- 30 minutes of resting time, meaning if you’re to bake your pizza immediately, it can be ready in an hour. Read on for thin-crust dough and thin-crust pizza recipes.
Thin Crust Pizza Dough Recipe
Image Credits: thursdaynightpizza.com
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Small bowl
- Dough whisk
- Plastic wrap
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
- ½ teaspoon white sugar
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour or 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
Instructions
1. Proof the Instant Dry Yeast
In a small bowl, dissolve sugar and instant dry yeast in warm water. Let the mixture settle for around 5 to 10 minutes or until the yeast softens and forms a creamy foam.
2. Mix Flour, Salt, and the Yeast Solution
Combine your baking flour and salt in a large mixing bowl, then stir for a few seconds to mix well. Next, add the yeast sugar solution and olive oil to the mixture and mix with a dough whisk until the dough comes together.
3. Knead the Dough
Image Credits: womensweekly.com.sg
Plunge your fingers into the dough and squeeze it through your fists. Flip it over and keep squeezing until all the dry flour bits are fully incorporated. Next, transfer the dough to a clean, floured worktop and knead like a pro for about 5 minutes turning it frequently.
Alternatively, you can also use a dough-kneading machine for home baking. If the pizza dough is sticky, add a little flour and continue kneading until the dough forms an elastic ball.
4. Let the Dough Rest
Cover the dough with a large bowl and let it rest for 20 to 45 minutes. Alternatively, drizzle a little oil into a wide bowl and roll the pizza dough in the bowl to coat it completely with the oil. Next, cover the dough bowl with a non-stick plastic wrap and allow it to rest at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.
How to Store Homemade Pizza Dough
1. Make the Pizza Dough and Let it Rest
Let the dough ferment for 20-30 minutes in a large, airtight bowl covered with plastic wrap. After the dough has risen, mold it into individual balls.
2. Get Your Pizzas Dough Ready for the Fridge
Do not leave the dough at room temperature for too long. This can make the dough overproof. Coat the pizza dough evenly with olive oil, then wrap it.
3. Store Your Pizza Dough
Image Credits: servedfromscratch.com
There are several storage options available for keeping your dough in the fridge. For example, you can put the dough in a sealed plastic bag, put it in an airtight container, wrap it in plastic wrap, or put it in a bowl or container and cover it with plastic wrap.
4. How to Freeze Pizza Dough
To freeze pizza dough, follow steps one and two from the above process and then do the following:
1. Prepare Your Pizza Dough for the Freezer
Proof the oiled balls of dough in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Next, place the proofed dough on a baking sheet and cover them loosely with plastic wrap, then freeze for about 3 hours or until firm.
2. Seal Your Pizza Dough in a Plastic Bag
Image Credits: crustkingdom.com
Take the frozen dough from the freezer and wrap each in a plastic bag. Remove as much air as possible and tightly seal the bag.
3. Store Dough in the Freezer for up to Three Months
For best results, use the frozen dough within ninety days of freezing. To thaw the dough, unwrap the balls and place them in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours before baking.
Thin Crust Pizza Recipe to Try
Image Credits: afarmgirlsdabbles.com
Thin-crust pizza is naturally Italian, and when you think about them, Neapolitan or New York-style pizza comes to mind. Plus, a thin-crust pizza is great if you want to consume a lot at once since there is less dough.
Follow along with these easy steps to make a tasty thin-crust pizza
Equipment
- Baking stone/steel, pizza pan, or baking sheet
- Pizza peel
- Parchment paper
- Rolling pin
- Pizza Oven
Ingredients
- Thin-crust pizza dough(we made earlier)
- Wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup Pizza sauce
- 1 cup Shredded cheese
- Toppings of your choice
Instructions
1. Prepare the Oven
Image Credit: bacinos.com
Place the pizza stone or baking steel in the upper part of the oven. Preheat the oven and pizza stone to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Once that oven is heated up to 500 degrees, let the baking stone heat for an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour. A hot baking stone is a key to producing pizza with a well-browned, crispy bottom crust.
2. Roll the Dough
While the oven and the stone/steel are heating up, start shaping the pizza dough. Place a ball of pizza dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough into a 10 to 14-inch diameter, depending on the size of your dough ball, using a lightly floured rolling pin.
Image Credits: afarmgirlsdabbles.com
Flip the pizza dough once or twice in between rolling. Add a little more flour to the rolling pin and working surface if the dough sticks. Once the dough reaches 10 inches in diameter, let it rest for 5 minutes.
3. Roll the Dough a Bit More
After resting the dough for a few minutes, it will easily roll out into an even thinner circle of dough. Continue rolling the dough until you have a 14-inch diameter circle, adding flour to the worktop and rolling pin if needed.
Remember, do not use excessive additional flour when rolling out the dough. Once the dough is perfectly shaped, fold it into half.
4. Prepare the Pizza Peel
Evenly spread a thin layer of semolina flour or cornmeal on top of the pizza peel. Ensure you spread the cornmeal or semolina up to the edges. This will ease the pizza sliding off the peel onto the hot stone.
5. Transfer the Shaped Dough
Transfer the folded dough onto the prepared pizza peel and unfold it. If you are baking the pizza on a baking sheet or pizza pan, roll out the dough on parchment paper, then slide it off into the pan using the parchment paper.
6. Assemble the Toppings
- Brush a thin layer of olive oil over the entire crust. This adds flavor and gives a little crispier crust and color to the finished pizza.
- Spread your favorite sauce. A thicker pizza sauce style with a deep, rich flavor is preferable for thin-crust pizzas.
- Also, do not overdo the sauce, as too much sauce can make the baked crust soggy. ½ cup is okay for a 14-inch thin-crust pizza.
- Sprinkle ½ to 1 cup of shredded cheese.
- Top with thinly sliced cured meat or vegetables, then season with salt, pepper, or any ingredient you choose.
5. Transfer the Topped Dough to the Oven
Shake the pizza peel to ensure no part of the dough is sticking to the surface. Place the pizza peel on the baking stone and slightly tilt it to let the pizza have contact with the preheated stone. Pull the peel towards you to make the entire pizza fall onto the hot stone.
6. Bake the Pizza
Cook until the crust is evenly browned on the bottom, golden brown at the edges, and the cheese is melted. This should take around 8 minutes on a preheated pizza stone and 10 to 15 minutes on a baking sheet or pizza pan
7. Remove the Pizza from the Oven
Once the pizza is ready, slide it onto the peel with the help of a spatula and transfer it to a wooden serving platter or cutting board. Let it cool, then slice and serve.
How to Make a Perfect Homemade Thin-Crust Pizza
Image Credits: fearlesshomemaker.com
i) Skip the Rising Time
The rising of the dough, also known as the fermentation process, allows yeast to digest the sugars in the flour, making the dough ball puff up, resulting in the fluffy consistency in Neapolitan pizza crust and loaves of bread. So, if you want your pizza crust tasty and thin, give the dough as little fermentation time as possible.
15 to 30 minutes is enough. However, depending on your schedule and taste, you can use more or less time.
ii) Roll it Out
A rolling pin easily shapes a ball of dough into a thin, pizza-size round. It also shoves out any air bubbles that might form during cooking.
iii) Bake it on a Hot Baking Stone/Steel or Dark Metal Pan
Dark metal pan transfers heat more efficiently than light metal, so choose the darkest one if you’re using a pizza pan or baking sheet. Use a preheated baking stone or steel if you like your thin-crust pizza extra crispy.
iv) Scale Down on the Toppings
Image Credits: unsplash.com
There are no rules with regard to thin-crust pizza toppings. However, I do have a few tips that have worked well for me.
1. Scale Back on the Sauce
Too much sauce prevents the thin-crust pizza from getting the crispy texture you are dreaming of. So, instead of pouring the sauce all at once, do it gradually as you spread it evenly. Ensure you can see swipes of the white dough through the sauce.
2. Use Light Toppings
Instead of slabs of eggplants, go for shaved Brussels sprouts, spring onions, or bell peppers, and instead of big hunks of cooked sausage, go for thinly sliced pepperoni.
3. Play with Flavor Pairings
The crust is thin and will not steal the show. Therefore, this is a great opportunity to try out interesting combos. For example, you can try tomatoes, salsa, jalapenos, green onions, and shredded cheese.
Bottom Line
Making a thin-crust pizza dough can be so versatile. This dough comes together in just a few minutes, and by skipping the rise, you can have homemade thin-crust pizzas for dinner any night of the week. An oven-baked thin crust connects the line between crisp and chewy.
Baked on the preheated baking stone, a thin crust is deceivingly sturdy, strong enough to hold traditional toppings to serve at your dinner party. So, if you have an hour or less, this is the pizza dough to make pizza at the last minute for family and friends.
Featured Image Credits: bake-eat-repeat.com
