Learn to make the Best NY style pizza dough!
So, you want to know how to make the Best NY style pizza dough recipe? This is my favorite recipe for pizza dough! I promise you, it won’t disappoint. It’s easy to make too! A quick mix and the refrigerator does all the hard work.
I’ve been making a lot of this NY style pizza dough recipe …. The obsession started a while back, and I’ve finally found a recipe that I love the best! After years of experiments (and I mean years!), I am now using this recipe based on recommendations from the many fine pizza makers at www.pizzamaking.com and the Dough Doctor, Tom Lehnmann.
Making pizza dough
Making NY style pizza dough is definitely somewhat of an art form. There are so many variables that can be changed aside from the ingredients alone. For example, these variables include:
- oven temperature
- temperature of the water used to make the dough
- proofing methods (room temp vs cold rise)
- order of adding the ingredients (yes, this makes a big difference!)
- mixing time
- use of autolyse
- use of poolish (I don’t do this or the one before, although I have in the past)
And then of course, the toppings which can be simple or as complex as you’d like. But don’t worry too much about all of this – my method is easy and straightforward. Plus, you will make better dough than 99% of the pizza chains out there. You will not want take out anymore!
My favorite pizza dough
My all-time favorite dough is NY style dough. This dough contains water, flour, salt, instant yeast, and olive oil (and sugar). After it is mixed, it is proofed in the refrigerator for a minimum of 24 hours and up to 72 hours (it can also be frozen). And, I’ve used the dough up to 5 or 6 days afterwards, so you can essentially prepare dough for the week.
This recipe produces a crisp yet foldable crust that is tender, light, and flavorful and will make enough for four 14-inch pizzas. And, you can easily double or half the recipe to make 2 or 8 pizzas.
Fourteen tips for success:
Tip 1
Use high-quality flour – I like to use King Arthur’s all purpose or bread flour; higher protein (ie, bread) flours work best. However, I prefer all-purpose flour because I like a lighter, airy crust.
Tip 2
Do not add instant dry yeast (IDY) directly to cold or cool water – you may shock the yeast (add the IDY to your flour instead) (please note that IDY differs from active dry yeast, which must be activated by adding it to water).
Tip 3
Use only enough yeast to “get the job done” – yeast eats the sugar in your flour to produce its leavening effects – I find that if you use too much, your dough will be tasteless (this is just my opinion); however, it is a fact, that too much yeast can make your dough taste bad. Most recipes out there, some of them in well known, published books contain too much yeast!
Tip 4
Always use your refrigerator. The best NY style doughs “ferment” or “cure” in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours and up to 48 72 hours. This is called a “cold rise” (vs warm rise on your kitchen counter).
The refrigerator is used to retard (or slow) the dough’s fermentation, allowing that distinctive flavor to come through (ever wonder why some pizza crust tastes different than others, despite the fact that they are both made from just about the same exact ingredients? – this is a big reason why!)
When your dough rises too quickly, the flavor will not develop optimally. Slow rise = MUCH better flavor.
Tip 5
Use a scale to weigh the flour instead of using a measuring cup – it is much more accurate and will yield superior results. I’ll admit, I resisted doing this for a loooong time. Just do it. You’ll be glad you did and your dough will be more consistent and much improved.
Tip 6
Mix the oil in as the last step, after the flour has all been incorporated. This is important to allow the flour to hydrate properly.
Tip 7
Before tossing or opening your dough balls, flour them *very* well on each side (if you are a beginner) to ensure they do not stick to your counter or pizza peel. I sometimes use a bit more flour after I begin spreading them.
Tip 8
Take care not to “degas” the rim of your pizza as you are spreading your dough! Do NOT ever use a rolling pin! There are many different methods to spread/open your dough ball. I hope to add a few pictures someday of this process.
Tip 9
Ensure that your oven is preheated for a sufficient amount of time (about 1 hour) and bake the pizza within 6 to 8 inches of the top of your oven (ie, your broiler) so that the tops browns sufficiently in conjunction with the bottom of the pizza.
Do not place the stone near the bottom of your oven. I made this mistake for too many years.
After your stone has been preheated sufficiently, the heat from the stone will cook the pizza from the bottom and you can switch the broiler on if you find you need more browning on the top (I now use the broiler to bake my pizzas…more on this sometime in the future).
If you find that your cheese is browning well before your rim attains sufficient color, use partially frozen cheese (ie, place shredded cheese in the freezer while the oven is heating up) and cold sauce or you can drizzle just a bit of olive oil on top of cheese.
Tip 10
Use a pizza stone if you have one. The stone with draw moisture out of the dough and produce a beautifully crisp crust. I use a pizza steel because my stones kept breaking.
Tip 11
Do not use too much pizza sauce – it will make your pizza soggy
Tip 12
Do not use low fat cheese to top your pizza or preshredded cheese (the former will not melt sufficiently and the latter contains additives that prevent the cheese from sticking together and therefore does not melt very well). The best is low-moisture, whole milk mozzarella.
If you must use preshredded cheese, I’ve found that adding the sauce on top of the cheese helps with the melting. Also, do not use too much cheese; apply it sparingly so that you can achieve that mottled NY pizza appearance.
Tip 13
Use semolina or flour on the bottom of your pizza peel to prevent the pizza dough from sticking but be careful not to overdo it because it will burn.
Tip 14
Give the pizza peel a few very small quick jerks to make sure the pizza will easily slide off your pizza peel before attempting to transfer pizza to the oven, and more importantly, rub flour into the peel before placing the dough on top.
A nice video showing how to stretch the dough:
The Best New York Style Pizza Dough
The best, authentic NY pizza dough! This recipe make four 14" pizzas (about 2.5 to 3 lbs of dough). You will never want take out again!
Ingredients
- 6 cups Flour, all purpose or bread (see note) 28 oz (796 grams)
- 2 1/4 cups Water 17.4 oz (493 grams or mls)
- 1 teaspoon Instant dry yeast (3.5 grams)
- 2.5 teaspoons Salt (15.6 grams)
- 2 teaspoons Sugar (7.8 grams) (optional but highly recommended)
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil (11.8 ml)
Instructions
To mix the dough
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Place water in mixing bowl.
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In a separate bowl, mix salt and yeast (and sugar if using) into flour
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Combine flour/salt/yeast mixture into water and mix until all the flour has been incorporated.
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After flour has been totally incorporated, add oil and knead for about 4 to 5 minutes (see note)
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Test final dough temperature, which should ideally be between high 70s to low 80s (optional)
Diving the dough and letting it rise
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Divide dough into 4 equal pieces (using a digital scale if possible; each ball should weigh 11.5 oz [~326 grams]), shape into a ball, and place in greased, sealed quart-sized container or oiled/greased freezer bag and refrigerate overnight or up to 72 hours (After much experimenting, I have concluded that I like 3 days best but day 2 is good too).
Assembling and baking the pizzas
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The following day, remove your dough balls within 1 hour or less of baking and allow the dough to come to room temperature. (the dough will tend to blister more if the dough has not been allowed to come to room temperature however, I often bake coldish dough without problems, just some bubbling)
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In the meantime, place your pizza stone in oven and preheat at 550 degrees (depending on thickness of your stone and your oven's power) for at least 1 hour
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Open each dough ball using care not to degas, transfer to a pre-floured pizza peel (or on parchment paper), and top with your favorite sauce, cheese, or other toppings.
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Transfer pizza from peel to oven or slide parchment paper onto preheated pizza pan/stone and bake for 4 to 6 minutes each until browned on top and cheese has melted but not burned.
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Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Weighing the flour is *highly* recommended. Using a cup to measure will typically yield inaccurate results, plus different flour brands have different weights If you want to use the dough the next day, knead a little more (slow speed for about 8 to 10 minutes) or if you have time to let the dough rest for 3 days, knead for 4 to 5 minutes, low speed or hand knead.
Baker's percents: 62% hydration, 0.4% yeast, 1.5% salt, 1.5% oil, and 1% sugar with a thickness factor of 0.08 using this calculator: http://www.pizzamaking.com/dough-calculator.html
Like this recipe? Try these other popular recipes from Feeling Foodish:
Italian desserts:
Italian wedding cookies (so easy!)
Pignoli cookies (chewy just like the bakery!)
Italian rum cake (the best cake on the planet!)
Italian cream puffs with vanilla ricotta
Pizza toppings and pizza sauce:
Buffalo style (one of my absolute favorites)
White with prosciutto
White with spinach and feta
Pizza sauce
Leftover dough? Try these:
Garlic knots
And how about some greens on the side?
Utica greens recipe
Fantastic dough. I make it weekly and it’s always delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Greetings from Downunder 🦘
I built a brick pizza oven 18 months ago and have been experimenting with different Store bought and home made bases ever since. I have tried some “secret” recipes from local Italian friends but your recipe is the best. Thanks for your help, my friends and I truly appreciate it.
Just got a kitchen Aid mixer and I’m going to try your recipe for the first time. Any idea how long and what speed I should do the kneading with the dough hook?? Thanks
I would say on low speed
(2 or 4) for about 5 min or so.
How many 16″ pizza crusts down this recipe make?
In the FAQ section you’ll find a link to a calculator to customize the amount of dough. I believe as it stands this makes just under 3 pounds so almost three sixteen inch pizzas
Can semolina or 00 flour be used?
I’ve never tried semolina. 00 flour can be used depending on the protein content. I have used Caputos for bread and pizza with good results
Just had to comment and say Wow so good. Can’t wait to try it with proper resting and fridge rising.
Used room temperature tap water (not warm).
Did 1 hour raise in oven with just oven light on.
Then 1hour-90 min on counter (cold house, winter).
Stretched and baked and phenomenal!
Thanks for a great recipe.
I only have active dry yeast. How do I handle that for this recipe?
You can use it in place of instant dry yeast. I use 1:1 ratio to substitute for this recipe
When you say 1:1 ratio do you mean? 1 TSP per 1 Cup of Flour or Water? Thanks I’m new to making pizza dough, breads, etc…..
For example, for every 1 teaspoon of active dry yeast, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of instant dry yeast. 1:1 meaning you substitute the same exact amount of one ingredient for another (in this case yeast). I believe this is the only relevant example for a 1:1 substitution in this particular recipe. Does that help?
Add the active dry yeast to the water a minute or so before adding the water to the flour – that type of yeast needs to hydrate first
I appreciate the amount of effort you put into this pizza recipe. I will definitely check out the rest of your Blog.
Can’t his recipe be cut in half to make just 2 doughs?
Yes absolutely
Have you ever made this dough at elevation? I live at almost 7000 ft. Do you have any suggestions to modify the recipe for elevation?
Hi, I have not heard of any adjustments since this is a cold fermented dough. Here is more info from a forum thread
What if I don’t have a pizza stone? I only have cookies sheets. Any suggestions there? I’m excited to try this!
You can flip the cookie sheet upside down and use that. I used to do that for a while before I purchased a baking steel
First time making dough. Did a half receipe. Used Gold Metal bread flour. I weighed out exactly three 8ounce portions. Once adding the flour mixture to the water it was very dry. Could not get the dough moist. I had to add another 1/4 of cup of water incrementally to make the workable. My measuring cup was about 2 ounces light. I also ended with 2 500 gram dough balls. Is the receipe based on a weighed amount of flour?
The dough should not be dry at all. Is it possible that you measured wrong? Let me know what you ended up using for flour volume/weight and water volume/weight
I intend to use this recipe for my pizza, but it’s enough for four pies. I only want to make one pie at a time. Can this dough be frozen for future use; and if so, when in the process would it be frozen?
Yes, it can be frozen. I usually place each dough ball into its own freezer bag and freeze until needed (within 1 month ideally). I will take the dough and place in the refrigerator in the morning and then bring it to room temperature an hour or 2 before needed (depending on room temp). you will likely need to dust the dough ball with flour after defrosting.
I feel like this is a silly question, but…I really want to try making this dough for our weekly pizza this week, but I only have active dry yeast. How would the recipe change using active versus the instant yeast your recipe calls for? Thanks so much, im looking forward to trying this pizza dough!
I’ve made this with active dry yeast before and it’s turned out just fine. Hope you enjoy!
This is probably a dumb question, but after I split the dough do they each go into their own container or combine them all into one container. Won’t they just combine into one big ball?
Not a dumb question! The easiest is to put each into a separate container or ziploc type bag (I spray with oil to prevent sticking). If you have a large proofing tray where you can place each dough ball and have ample space (imagine they double in size just to be safe) then use that provided it has a cover..
I’m going to make another post about this dough because I just have to. Like the author, I have been experimenting making my own dough for years. This recipe is it! The ingredients aren’t really different from what I have been using but the technique is what separates the end result to the other method I have used. Also weighing the ingredients is just as important as the rise method. Talk about simple too. My other method required me to leave the dough out to rise twice. 2 hours each rise. This recipe has the dough rise in the fridge.
All I can say is don’t deviate from the instructions. Use the King Arthur flour, all purpose. Weigh everything on a digital scale. Don’t use hot water, the author says room temperature and I’ve never done that before but I do now. I mix the dough by hand. Add the oil last, after you already mixed the dough. Sometimes I add a tad more olive oil to keep it from sticking to my hands and that helps the final result because I am able to mix it better. Allow it to cold rise at least 24 hours. I’ve made this recipe about 7 times now and I’ve cooked with the dough after 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 4 days. Honestly it’s just as perfect after 24 hours. I’m have a counter top pizza oven that I crank up all the way but I cook the pizzas on a metal round pizza pan until it’s done, then I take the pizza off the pan and place it directly on the oven stone and allow the bottom to brown for about 30 seconds.
I just want to thank the author for posting this dough masterpiece. I’m so happy I don’t have to be looking anymore for something better because there isn’t anything better. Try a white pizza sometime. Omg so good! I also make calzones with this dough.
Make some pizza guys!
I’ve been using this recipe for a few years now. Saw your note about your pizza stones breaking. You should check out California Pizza Stones. That’s where I got mine and they’re basically indestructible. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thanks for the tip !
Maria, two questions. How long do you knead the dough? Also, I like the bottom of my crust soft but I can’t find a recipe that does that. Been to many pizza restaurants that have soft dough. Do you know how they do it?
I usually knead the dough for about 4 to 5 minutes. I’m not a soft crust expert but you probably should try kneading a minute or so less, don’t use bread flour (use all purpose), double the oil in the recipe, and do not bake the pizza more than light tan color (the more you bake, the crust can get crispier). Good luck and let us know your results!
A little prep goes a long way…. this recipe is absolutely spot on and the flavor is all in the timing. A three day old pizza dough is definitely the key to the subtle but rich flavor that makes NY pizza, NY PIZZA! I will use this recipe for years to come!
Been making pizza for three years now and your dough is the best I have gound. Three day rise is the way to go. One tip I have found that you didn’t include is when you take the pizza out of the oven putting it on a cooling rack where air gets to the bottom of the crust makes for a crisper, better crunch.
Now a question: Is it necessary yo divide the dough before the rise or can it rise and then be divided before cooking
Paul
Hands down best crust recipe! Have dabbled with many but this one is fantastic. Have even frozen and given to friends, now they’re spoiled.
Hey Marie, I accidentally mixed the oil in before I added the water. The dough balls are currently proofing in the fridge, is there anything I could do to make it better?
Also, what do you mean by opening the dough balls slowly to prevent gas released?
Hi Alex – sorry for the late reply. hope the pizza turned out well. Opening the dough balls means when you form the balls into the pizza shape
You call for 2 1/4 cups of water….
Warm water?
Cold water?
Room temp is just fine – the dough will go right into the fridge anyway. keep in mind that if you use water that is too hot you could kill the yeast
Room temp works well
Hi, just one thing I just do not get it, in your recipe you put the salt in with the yeast…. yeast goes flat..
why not sugar to start the yeast proofing? and add the salt in the flour and whisk it! you even talk about this
in your tips, but in your steps you put salt in the yeast. I am from ozone park, Queens, n.y.
I bake as to keep my stress level in check, I have P T S D from the miliatry after 28 years… just like baking
lots of different breads, and pizza
I have tried many pizza dough recipes.
This is it!! Best pizza dough ever.
These tips are very helpful too.
What if I don’t have that much time and need to make it tonight? Will it be ok?
I’d try to leave it at room temp until it rises (doubles) and then ball it up and refrigerate until 1 hour or so before needed. but probably won’t get same flavor as the longer fermentation. try both and see what you think
Best pizza dough demonstration ever seen. Thank you so much to the chef.
I’ve been making this dough for months, and last week I tried making it the day of, no refrigeration. It was still very good, and the difference is not hugely apparent.
Interesting Sam! How long did it take to proof? Do you remember what water temp you used?
In the beginning you state that one of the variables is water temperature. The list of ingredients does not say anything about what temperature you should use. Can you please let me know about what temperature you use when making your pizza dough?
I just use room temp water. I know that is confusing but since we are placing dough in the refrigerator right away I don’t feel the water temp matters too much unless it’s so hot that it kills the yeast or causes the dough temp to rise too much. you may need to “bloom” your yeast, depending on the brand you use – I use a brand of yeast that doesn’t require activation
How does this recipe work with 00 flour?
I have never tried it, sorry – I do use the 00 flour for a neopolitan pizza but I think it would work well!
I use 00 flour also I. Don’t use tap water I buy bottled water much better mix yeast water Sugar. Mix salt with flour. Then add wet ingredients I try same day dough But best I’ve made was 5 days old I make 3 balls and eat lots of pizza all week using up the balls as week progresses But yes I’ve Tryed all kinds of different flours. 00 is the best for my taste also easier to stretch. Manga I only use this recipe booked marked in my phone Tryed tons of so called new york recipes. This is the BEST. From a New Yorker.
Is 72 hours after a strict cutoff for this dough. I know some recipes say you can leave in the fridge for up to 2 weeks
Nah definitely not a strict cut-off but I’m not sure I’ve ever had luck waiting quite that long…maybe a week out and it was still good though. I can’t hurt to try though – the worst case, you could make flatbread on the grill since it might not rise as much after baked if it’s 2 weeks old – let use know how it work. But 72 hours is definitley not a strict cut-off just a “sweet spot” according to some folks