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 Lehmann.
Making pizza dough at home
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: the big secret is how you proof the dough
My all-time favorite dough is NY style dough, which really is classic pizza dough that is stretched out into a thin crust pizza. This type of pizza dough contains water, flour, salt, instant yeast, and olive oil (and sugar especially when baking in a home oven, to help browning).
After it is mixed, it is proofed (left to rise/ferment) in the refrigerator for a minimum of 24 hours and up to 72 hours (it can also be frozen). 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. You can easily double or half the recipe to make 2 or 8 pizzas.
Fourteen tips for success when making NY style pizza at home:
Tip 1: Choosing the flour
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: Adding the yeast
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: How much yeast?
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: Cold ferment that pizza dough!
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: Weigh those ingredients!
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: Add oil last
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: Flour your dough balls
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: Keeping those rims a bit puffy
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: Baking pizza in a home oven
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 or steel
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: Use just the right amount of sauce
Do not use too much pizza sauce – it will make your pizza soggy
Tip 12: Find the right kind of cheese
Do not use low fat cheese to top your pizza or pre-shredded 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 pre-shredded 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: Flour your pizza peel
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: Learn to launch that pizza
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.
How to stretch the pizza dough
A nice video (from The GoodFellas Pizza School of NY), showing how to stretch the dough:
Questions? Please see my NY Pizza FAQ
The Best New York Style Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 6 cups (6 cups) flour, all purpose or bread 28 oz (796 grams)
- 2 ¼ cups (2 ¼ cups) water 17.4 oz (493 grams or mls) Luke cold (means "barely cold")
- 1 teaspoon (1 tsp) instant dry yeast (3.5 grams)
- 2.5 teaspoons (2.5 tsp) salt (15.6 grams)
- 2 teaspoons (2 tsp) sugar (7.8 grams)
- 1 tablespoon (1 tbs) olive oil (11.8 ml)
Instructions
To mix the dough
- Place water in mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix salt and yeast (and sugar if using) into flour
- Combine flour/salt/yeast mixture into water and mix until all the flour has been incorporated.
- After flour has been totally incorporated, add oil and knead for about 4 to 5 minutes (see note)
- Test final dough temperature, which should ideally be between high 70s to low 80s (optional)
Diving the dough and letting it rise
- 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
- 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)
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Try these other pizzas and this NY pizza sauce:
Buffalo style (one of my absolute favorites)
White with prosciutto
White with spinach and feta
Pizza sauce
ellee says
After 36 hours in fridge, my dough has only slightly increased in size. Is that normal? [All the previous pizza dough recipes I’ve tried have called for rising at room temp and they’ve almost doubled in size. Granted, I have not been happy with the taste/texture of any of those attempts lol]
Marie says
Yes it’s typical. You may see some bubbling on bottom if you have a clear container but it should be fine…some people see more of a rise because their fridge temp is higher…mine doesn’t rise much either
ellee says
Thank you that is reassuring! Can’t wait to make my pizza tonight!
Mark Freeman says
This was super good. 48 hours in the fridge and a 2 hour relaxation on the counter before baking. We’ve been cooking a different regional pizza style each week and so far my wife says this was her favorite. Your sauce recipe was the perfect match.
Marie says
So glad to hear it! 🙂
Smith says
Great recipe, but seriously – what is “luke cold” water? Never heard the term before and searching only turns up lukewarm.
Marie says
I should change that…many questions over the years! Lukecold is barely cool.
Michelle says
That’s what I was just trying to figure out! Glad there was an answer… making it now!
Steve NJ says
If I use a pizza oven (ooni) and use Caputo flour instead of bread flour. Should I lower the hydration?
Marie says
I would probably just use the PizzaApp to make the recipe honestly – at those high temps you definitely don’t need sugar in the dough and using Caputo I feel you’re better served with a straight yeast/water/flour recipe. The app also recommends the optimal hydration …it’s free
Steve NJ says
Thank you for the quick reply Marie! Also so glad you posted the weights and the baker’s percentage in the recipe. You rock!
Mo Yeps says
This was a really great recipe! I have a question about my dough. I accidentally left the dough (rising 5-6 days) in the fridge and just transferred it to the freezer. Do I need to throw it out or can I still use it using the regular process (thaw + room temp)? Thank you!
Marie says
you can still use it…I’ve used mine for up to a week. sometimes it doesn’t brown as much because the yeast has used all the sugars for food. But it won’t spoil after 5 to 6 days so you’re good!
Jamie says
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe…it really is the best! And the video is almost magical—it shows a technique that never fails to create a perfectly round crust! Been making it for several years.
Marie says
I’m glad it’s helpful – homemade is the best isn’t it?!
Jake says
Hello, I tried to make a 1/2 recipe of this, but it seemed like not enough water to combine 3 cups of dough. I had to discard some of the leftover dough that did not combine. I hope it will still be ok. What did I do wrong?
Marie says
Hmmm, it’s really hard to say because the dough should not be dry at all. Is it possible that you measured incorrectly or lost track somehow? I’d suggest adding more water (a little at a time) to get a nice soft dough.
Jake says
Hi. I did measure correctly. 3 cups flour and 1 and 1/8 cups water. I should have said, I had to discard some of the flour which didn’t combine. Do you think I should start over from scratch or use the balls I have?
Marie says
So hard to say….I’d go with what I mixed and if it doesn’t work out try it again? Maybe try to let the ingredients rest a little after mixing so the flour hydrates really well
Joe says
Can I use Active Dry Yeast instead of IDY? If so, what is the amount and should I activate in water prior?
Marie says
yes, you can – I use a 1:1 substitution (because it’s not a large amount). For activation, it depends on what brand yeast you use. The Red Star brand can be mixed right in – follow the manufacturers directions and take water (and sugar if needed) from that included in recipe if needed to activate.
Chelsey says
I’ve made a lot of pizza at home and this may be my favorite. It was chewy and delicious. The only change was I kneaded my dough closer to 10ish minutes. I wanted the ball to slap the side of the bowl and have a shiny exterior. We kept it in the fridge for 2 days. I’m excited to try it at 3 days and to find out how it holds up in the freezer. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Ann says
This is the best recipe for pizza dough and I’ve tried plenty! I substituted two cups of all purpose flour for whole wheat flour and added a little more water to compensate. It turned out great proofing on the counter for a few hours. I can’t wait to use the dough I put in the fridge to proof correctly in a few days.
Dan says
Making this dough soon. Do you notice a big difference between using bread flour and all purpose?
Bill McLean says
Gonna try it soon, I can tell you that salt destroys yeast on contact so you should find a way to mix it last and you’ll see a lot more rise by day 3. Cant wait cause New York thin style is my favorite.
Marie says
I hear ya but this is mixing both salt and yeast into the flour when all ingredients are dry. It hasn’t affected my results at all. 🙂 Of course, feel free to tweak the recipe and hope you enjoy!
Dan says
This – along with pizza sauce recipe – is legit the best thing I’ve placed into my face hole. 11/10!!
Marie says
😂🤣 ❤️❤️❤️
Nomi says
I have a bread machine with a dough setting that takes app. 22 minutes to knead – would time frame be okay for this dough?
Marie says
Apologies I know nothing about bread machines and I’ve never tried making this dough using one …wish I could be more helpful
Farhana Mahalan says
This is THE BEST PIZZA 🍕 recipe that I’ve ever make!!! I’m eating it 🍕 right now! With your pizza sauce recipe! ( the best word in malay language ) TERBAIK 👍👍👍
Marie says
Yay! Glad you like it:)
Farhana Mahalan says
Can you believe…I just use hand mixer with only one dough hook! to make this pizza!🍕 Only one ☝🏻 😆 the other one were missing though ☹️ I did 2 batch since there’s 7/8 family members and I make one whole pizza for each person 🙃 Usually when my family went to Pizza Hut/Domino’s, we only ordered 2 big pizzas for 7 members since they were expensive! And there’s where I started to make my own pizza 🍕it’s more cheaper and everyone didn’t have to fight who gets the first and biggest slice of pizza 🍕 And I love/enjoy making it 🤙😎
Marie says
That’s awesome! I’ve never tried to use a hand mixer- I’m so glad it’s working out well! When you enjoy making it, I think it comes out even better!
dee says
This was the first time I’ve ever made pizza dough (or even worked with yeast) and this recipe was a winner. I had active dry yeast so I increased the yeast by 25% and hydrated it in warm water for about ten minutes, subtracting that water from the water in the recipe, before combining everything. With the flour and water I suggest going by weight, not measuring cups, if you can. I cold fermented for three days and my pizza turned out SO GOOD. Crisp, chewy, flavorful crust. I have no pizza steel or pizza stone and it still turned out great on just a plain old cookie sheet.
Thank you for the thorough recipe!
Carol Hitch says
This helped me a lot to. Learn the right way to do this.cant wait to make this
B says
My dough came out really dry and crumbly. I followed the exact weighted measurements. I don’t know what I did wrong. I ended up having to add way more water.
Dee says
I have *literally* spent years testing, tinkering and toying with pizza dough recipes to achieve the perfect, elusive combination of crunchy and airy but thin and bendable. And then I found this recipe. Amazing. I literally can’t get over how delicious (and yet, simple!) this dough is. it is now my go-to — I’ll never be able to thank you enough for sharing it!!!
Marie says
that’s great! Simple and delicious is always good in my book too 🙂
Charles Putzer says
best pizza dough recipe ive made so far i use king arthur bread flour . then add salt mix water sugar increased yeast to 2 1/4 tsp added to water with sugar get yeast working then add extra virgin oil mix good then add to flour in mixer after all incorporated then mix 4-5 minutes let dough rest 10 minutes then divide into 3 balls by eye i like 16 inch pies i cook each on very hot stone. sometimes use to make a stromboli, calzone, or deep dish pie whole milk mozzarella , san marzano tomatoes into a pizza sauce. Did i mention. Pizza is one of my favorites. my wife yells at me cause i could eat it every day ps better then the pies i made when i flipped pizzas in new york restaurant. Thanks
Marie says
That’s so good to hear, Charles! I have been meaning to make some stromboli and deep dish has been on my list for a while! So much to try so little time
Ken says
This recipe is just great! Super easy and straightforward too. The dough turned out a little less chewy than I like it, but that might be because I didn’t develop the gluten enough. My question is wether I can use Italian 00 flour instead of APF in the recipe? Or maybe even a mix of both?
Marie says
In haven’t tried it but I don’t see why you couldn’t ….I do use Caputo 00 flour but I reserve it for my pizza oven. One of these days I’ll have to try it in my home oven:)
Brittany says
Can I use active dry yeast in this recipe rather than instant?
Marie says
Yes you can
Bair Jodie says
So easy and so good!
Lynsie says
The only pizza dough we make!
Joseph says
Marie,
From my understanding, the dough goes straight into the refrigerator and doesn’t rise at room temp first? I divided the dough, placed in oiled freezer bags, and put it in the fridge overnight. However, my dough did not rise at all. I even weighed all of the ingredients as suggested. Not sure if I’m following the directions correctly.
Marie says
Hi Joseph, sometimes my dough doesn’t rise much at all. It should have some air bubbles on the bottom but it really doesn’t rise much. it is best by day 3.
Susan Lane says
My dough didn’t rise either and I weighted my measurements, total flop. Perhaps you could do a video
showing how you make the dough which would be helpful.
Thank you
Millie says
I can only find fleischmann’s RapidRise instant yeast packets, can I use one packet?
Marie says
You can use that brand but only use the amount required in the recipe. This dough is good because it rises slowly maximizing fermentation and flavor. If you add too much yeast the dough will rise too quickly
Kenny Whitney says
I let it rise for 26 hours. The crust was pale and not golden color. I used Fleischmann’s Pizza Crust Yeast. Any thoughts about why the crust was pale?
Marie says
Assuming the bottom of pizza was briwnwd enough (and that the entire pizza simply didn’t need more bake time?) my best guess is that you need to move your pizza stone higher up in oven… that’s when the heat from the pizza stone becomes like the new “bottom of the oven” and more heat will reflect off top to brown pizza more. Other issue is if I forget the sugar I get less browning
Stacey says
I am from Philadelphia area. I have been dying for east coast pizza.. I made this and the flavor and texture is right on. Did others have a hard time using this dough? I felt like it fell apart and was flimsy
Marie says
You may try cutting back the water by 2 or 3 tablespoons…hope that helps
Jacob says
I loved this recipe! I let the dough ferment for 2, 3, and 7 days. I didn’t notice a huge difference but each time it turned out incredible. I was wondering if the recipe could be done on short notice. Like 3-4 hours rising at room temp. Obviously wouldn’t be as good as intended but would it work?
Marie says
It would work but definitely not as good 🙂
Meg says
I haven’t made this yet but wondering if you cook on broil or 550
Marie says
You can yes but I only use oven temp to heat my pizza stone/steel and then I will switch to broil to finish the top.
Meg says
Thank you so much for the quick response. Ovens at 550 now. Will be trying a pizza very soon.
Meg says
Delish!
Shel says
Best pizza crust recipe I have tried. I just ate half of a pizza, I typically only eat 1 or 2 slices. Thank you for sharing!
Akom says
Love this recipe and have made it several times. It made me laugh today when I clicked on the “Print” option and read the pdf page it generated. There is definitely a typo, “ TO FREEZE: After mixing dough and diving into balls,”. … Funny!
Carlos Brunet says
Excellent!! Felt like I was back in NYC!!
Alys says
It’s my first time making this dough and I have a question regarding the instructions. It says: “ Open each dough ball using care not to degas, transfer to a pre-floured pizza peel…” however there are no instructions in regards to rolling out the door. Should I use a rolling pin? Or try and stretch it by hand? And how do I avoid degassing the dough? THANKS! I’m super excited to try the results when the dough is ready in 3 days time.
Marie says
Hi, and thanks for trying out the recipe 🙂 There is a super helpful video that is posted right above the recipe card. It is just below the title that says “how to stretch the dough” -hope that helps