NY Pizza FAQs

Use our Pizza Calculator tool and select the size and number of pizzas you'd like to make. Our default baker's percentages are already filled in for your convenience.

No, this dough does not rise much in the refrigerator but you will see some bubbling activity on the bottom, if you use a see-through plastic container

The dough can be a little sticky. I flour the top and bottom of the dough pretty well before I form the pizza which helps with the stickiness and also I oil the plastic bags or containers that the dough gets stored in before refrigerating it.

Please note that bread flours absorb more water than do all purpose or other lower protein flours so the lower the protein content in your flour, the stickier your dough will be.

This can happen if the gluten is not relaxed enough. Usually you can just let the dough sit for a few more minutes (10 to 15 minutes) and it becomes easier to stretch. That said, this recipe usually produces a fairly extensible dough that is easy to stretch. 

The amount of dough needed for a round pizza can vary depending on the desired thickness of the crust and the size of the pizza.

However, as a general guideline, you can use the following estimates:
*** Personal-sized pizza (8-10 inches): Approximately 6-8 ounces (170-225 grams) of dough.
*** Medium-sized pizza (12-14 inches): Around 12-16 ounces (340-450 grams) of dough.
*** Large-sized pizza (16-18 inches): About 18-24 ounces (510-680 grams) of dough.

These estimates assume a regular thickness crust. If you prefer a thicker crust, you may need slightly more dough. Similarly, if you prefer a thinner crust, you can use slightly less dough.

Keep in mind that these estimates are rough guidelines, and the exact amount of dough you need may vary based on personal preferences.

You can use active dry yeast or even cake yeast. I use Red Star yeast, and the amounts between instant and active are interchangeable for that particular brand.

I recommend Googling your brand to see what the conversion is between instant and active because it may not be 1:1. Red Star is an excellent site for more information on yeast and I highly recommend their brand or SAF brand.

See here to convert between cake yeast and dry yeast (instant or active).

According to the Red Star yeast website, instant yeast is dried in smaller particles which causes it to act faster than active dry yeast; instant yeast doughs will proof 50% sooner than active dry yeast doughs. 
Read more about yeast on Red Star yeast's site.

Salt is an important flavor enhancer and it amplifies the fermentation flavors in the pizza dough.

Salt also acts to tighten the gluten network in the dough (ie, gives strength and helps with final product volume) and delays fermentation, enhancing flavor. 

According to America's test kitchen, 1 tablespoon of table salt equals 1.5 tablespoons of Mortan kosher salt or 2 tablespoons of Diamond Crystal Kosher salt. Our recipe and pizza dough calculator call for table salt.

I delay adding the salt until after the dough comes together because salt tightens the gluten network, and so delaying the addition of salt is supposed to facilitate the kneading process. 

All purpose flour has less protein in it compared with bread flour. Bread flour will absorb more water and also makes a bit of a chewier and crispier/denser bread/pizza crust.

I highly prefer unbleached, unbromated flour. I typically use King Arthur all-purpose (which has a relatively high protein content compared with other national all purpose brands); I also have used King Arthur bread flour. 

This list gives some guidance. I have not been able to find a more comprehensive listing.

Yes, with the help of vital wheat gluten, which I always keep on hand. Use this handy gluten enrichment calculator to determine what amount of vital wheat gluten to convert your all purpose flour into bread flour.

Sugar is needed to help the top of your crust brown before the pizza dries out or the cheese burns.  It is typically recommended for home ovens but you can skip it if you have a pizza oven, which uses much higher temperatures to bake the pizza (technically that would be a Neopolitan pizza).

Adding a small amount of sugar also helps cold-retarded doughs perform better as the sugar provides additional food for the yeast. 

Oil will help to make the crust more tender, more flavorful and, at higher percents (3% or higher), helps to speed up the stretching of the pizza dough. It also makes the dough easier to stretch (ie, extensible).

The most commonly used cheese is mozzarella cheese. The BEST cheese to use is low moisture, WHOLE milk cheese.

Experiment with different brands as some melt nicer than others.

Most markets carry the part skim mozzarella cheese which burns faster and just doesn't melt as well. 

A few well know pizzerias are using a combination of grated cheese, fresh mozzarella, and low moisture mozzarella, which is chefs kiss good!

At the time of this writing, I have switched to 7/11 ground tomatoes. I love this sauce! It is hard to find, unfortunately. I'm buying it at a local Italian market. 

In my oven, I have found that the best method is to use a pizza steel or pizza stone which has been placed within 6 to 8 inches of the top of the oven. Preheat at 500 degrees for about 45 mins and then slide the pizza in the oven.

The goal is to cook a 14 inch pizza in 6 mins or less (otherwise, the crust begins to dry out and lose that crisp yet flexible quality)

Some people also use two stones or steels and place the pizza between the two.

First, make sure you are using whole milk, low moisture mozzarella. The part skim cheese will burn much sooner! Other tips would be to use a touch more sauce or to use frozen shredded cheese. 

The shorter bake times help ensure that your crust does not dry out and remains crisp yet flexible, a hallmark of NY style pizza!