Perfect pizza dough has long been the holy grail of my home kitchen. I’ve tirelessly toyed with ingredient ratios and rise times, hoping to one day achieve a simultaneously crispy, bubbly, and chewy crust.
Despite my weekly efforts, the perfect crust has eluded me, until recently. Combining bread flour and all-purpose flour in a 1:1 ratio is the secret to my success in producing an elastic dough that will bake to perfection in a 550 degree oven. Be sure to make your dough early, at least 8 hours in advance of when you plan to cook it. This will ensure a proper rise (and in the case of pizza dough, timing is everything). Once it’s ready, minimize handling of the dough. Excess heat and oils from your fingers will have a negative effect on the end product. This dough will produce a crispy, tender Neapolitan style crust.
Print
Perfect Pizza Dough
- Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 3-5 servings 1x
Description
Discover the secret to a perfect Neapolitan-style pizza crust with this dough recipe, featuring a blend of all-purpose and bread flours for an ideal crispy, chewy texture.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) bread flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 1 cup (240 ml) hot water
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour, and kosher salt. Whisk together to ensure they are evenly mixed.
- In a measuring cup, combine the hot water and active dry yeast. Stir gently and let sit for about 5 minutes, or until the yeast is fully dissolved and the mixture is slightly frothy.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the yeast mixture and extra virgin olive oil.
- Mix the ingredients together with a wooden spoon or your hands until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place for at least 8 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Once risen, gently punch down the dough to release excess air, then divide it into desired portions for your pizzas.
- Shape each portion into a ball, cover with a damp cloth, and let rest for 20 minutes before rolling out and using for your pizza.
- Preheat your oven to 550°F (or the highest temperature your oven allows) and bake the pizza until the crust is crispy and golden brown.
Notes
- Make the dough at least 8 hours in advance to ensure a proper rise.
- Minimize handling the dough to avoid excess heat and oils from your fingers, which can affect the texture.
- For best results, bake in a very hot oven, ideally at 550°F.
- Prep Time: 8 hours
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 0
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 33
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 0
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Secrets to the Perfect Homemade Pizza Dough
- Homemade Pizza Napoli: Simple Ingredients, Big Flavors
- Sourdough Pizza Crust Recipe
- How to Make Stromboli
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this recipe combine bread flour and all-purpose flour instead of using just one?
The article identifies the 1:1 ratio of bread flour to all-purpose flour (1 1/2 cups each) as the key to the author’s success after years of experimenting. Bread flour’s higher protein content adds chew and elasticity, while all-purpose flour keeps the dough from being too tough — together they produce a crispy, bubbly, and chewy Neapolitan-style crust.
Why does the dough need to rise for at least 8 hours?
The article says to make the dough at least 8 hours in advance and that timing is everything for pizza dough. The long, slow rise develops flavor and allows gluten to relax fully, making the dough extensible enough to stretch thin without springing back when you shape it.
Why should I minimize handling the dough after it has risen?
The article explicitly warns that excess heat and oils from your fingers have a negative effect on the end product. Once the dough has risen, handle it gently and briefly — shape it into balls, let it rest for 20 minutes, then stretch it without pressing out all the air bubbles that give the crust its texture.
Why bake the pizza at 550°F instead of a lower temperature?
The recipe calls for the highest oven temperature possible — ideally 550°F — to mimic a wood-fired pizza oven. The extreme heat sets the crust quickly, producing the charred spots and crispy base characteristic of a Neapolitan style crust, which the article is specifically targeting.
