How to Make the Best Homemade Pizza Dough

Making pizza at home has become a true art for cooking enthusiasts. Nothing compares to the enticing aroma of fresh dough and the authentic taste of a pizza made by your own hands. The secret to a successful pizza lies primarily in the dough.

If you want to impress your family or friends, it’s worth learning how to make the best pizza crust.

Choosing the Right Ingredients for Classic Pizza Dough

To obtain the best classic pizza crust, you need simple but carefully chosen ingredients. Each plays an essential role in the final texture and flavor of the dough:

“00” flour – very fine, ideal for an elastic dough that’s easy to stretch;
Yeast – dry or fresh, active and properly measured;
Warm water – helps activate the yeast and form gluten;
Salt – balances flavor and strengthens the dough’s structure;
Sugar – accelerates yeast activation;
Olive oil – adds aroma and improves elasticity.

Combined correctly, these ingredients form the base for the best pizza crust, perfect for both conventional ovens and pizza stones.

Essential Steps for Kneading the Dough

Proper kneading is a crucial stage in obtaining a successful dough. If you want to make the best pizza crust, don’t rush! Quality dough requires patience and technique.

1. Preparing the Dough

In a large bowl, combine the flour with salt. Separately, dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water (approx. 35–37 °C) and let it activate for a few minutes. Pour the liquid over the flour and start mixing with a spoon or by hand. After the dough begins to form, add the olive oil.

The actual kneading takes 10–15 minutes. By hand, push the dough with the heel of your hand, then fold and rotate it. Repeat until it becomes elastic, uniform, and slightly tacky but not soft. If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook at medium speed.

A well-kneaded dough yields an airy interior and crispy edges—just like in authentic pizzerias.

2. Proofing Time and Useful Tips

Proofing is perhaps the most underestimated stage in dough preparation, yet it directly affects taste, texture, and digestibility. To achieve a great pizza crust, it’s essential to pay attention to this process.

After kneading, shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap. You can choose two proofing methods:

Room-temperature proofing: 1–2 hours until the dough doubles in volume;
Cold proofing: refrigerate for 8–48 hours. This method develops complex aromas and an airy texture—a secret used by professionals to achieve the best pizza crust.

Important: After cold proofing, divide the dough into 280 g balls and let them proof at room temperature for another 60 minutes. Bring the dough to room temperature for 30–60 minutes before shaping. Avoid over-proofing, which makes the dough hard to handle and slightly sour.

3. Shaping and Baking Correctly

After proofing, shaping and baking transform a simple recipe into a culinary masterpiece. To make the best pizza crust, pay attention to every detail.

Shaping must be done gently to preserve the air bubbles formed during proofing. Lightly flour your work surface, then take a piece of dough and press it with your fingers from the center outward. Avoid using a rolling pin, which presses the dough too hard and destroys its airy texture. Stretch the dough to the desired thickness, keeping the edges slightly thicker.

Baking is when everything comes to life. Preheat your oven to its maximum temperature (ideally over 250 °C) for at least 30 minutes. Use a pizza stone or steel plate if available—they mimic wood-fired ovens and provide quick, even baking. Otherwise, use a preheated pizza tray placed as low as possible in the oven.

Baking time varies between 6 and 10 minutes, depending on dough thickness and oven temperature. The crust should be crispy on the outside yet soft and airy inside.

Gluten-Free Pizza Dough

Ingredients for 4 dough balls:

540 g gluten-free flour,
430 ml warm water,
17 g salt,
10 g dry yeast (gluten-free),
15 ml olive oil

Preparation:

Activate the yeast: Mix two-thirds of the water in a bowl. Heat the remaining water to boiling and add it to the bowl to reach the optimal yeast temperature. Add salt, yeast, and olive oil, mixing well.
Form the dough: In another bowl, place the flour and pour in the yeast mixture. Stir with a spoon until the dough forms. Transfer to a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until firm and smooth. Gluten-free dough won’t be as elastic but will become smooth and glossy.
Let the dough rise: Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for 1–2 hours until doubled in volume.
Portion the dough: After rising, divide into 3 or 4 equal portions, each around 250 g. It’s normal if the dough relaxes slightly.
Second proofing: Place the portions in lightly oiled bowls, cover, and let rise in a warm place for at least 1 hour and up to 5 hours, until doubled.
Shape the crust: Press gently with your fingers in the center and stretch outward, avoiding the edges to maintain a rim. Work carefully to avoid tearing.
Check release: Dust a peel or tray, place the dough, and tap lightly to ensure it’s not sticking.
Bake the pizza: Preheat oven to 250 °C. Slide the pizza in and rotate every 20–25 seconds for even cooking. Gluten-free crust may need a bit longer; watch for light browning.
Enjoy: Remove from oven, let cool slightly, slice, and serve.

Neo-Neapolitan Pizza Dough

Ingredients for 4 dough balls:

588 g bread flour,
66 g whole wheat flour,
131 g sourdough starter,
20 ml olive oil,
425 ml water,
20 g salt

Preparation:

Prepare the starter: Begin feeding your starter 5 days in advance. Feed it 10 hours before making the dough at around 18 °C.
Mix ingredients: In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. In another bowl, mix starter, water, and oil, then add to dry ingredients and stir to form dough.
Knead the dough: On a floured surface for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Bulk proof: Cover and let rise 4–5 hours at room temperature until doubled.
Portion the dough: Divide into 4 balls, rest covered at room temperature for 60 minutes.
Cold ferment: Refrigerate for 48 hours to develop flavor and texture.
Shape and bake: Bring to room temperature 2 hours before shaping, stretch on floured surface, and bake at 250 °C, rotating every 20–25 seconds for even cooking.

Happy cooking and enjoy!