The Best New York Style Pizza Dough and 14 Tips for Success!!
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This NY style pizza dough recipe has been winning over home pizza makers for nearly 15 years, earning rave reviews from professional pizzaiolos and native New Yorkers alike. Many years ago, my own quest for the perfect crust lead me to this tried-and-true formula based on wisdom from the pizza masters at www.pizzamaking.com and the late great Dough Doctor, Tom Lehmann. With thousands of successful bakes and countless testimonials from both pros and Big Apple natives who say “this is the real deal,” this recipe continues to help home bakers achieve that authentic New York pizzeria experience in their own kitchens.
Important Variables
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!
The Big Secret (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) – this is the big secret. 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
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.
Stretching the Pizza Dough
A nice video (from The GoodFellas Pizza School of NY), showing how to stretch the dough:
Freezing the Dough
- After mixing dough and dividing into balls, place dough in refrigerator for at least 24 hours.
- Place dough balls on baking sheet lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper, cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze until firm (~ 2 to 3 hours or up to overnight).
- Wrap frozen dough balls individually in plastic and store in zipper-lock bags for up to 4 weeks.
- When ready to bake, transfer unwrapped dough into the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours before making pizza.
- Bring dough to room temperature for 20 to 60 minutes before baking (less time for hot kitchen/summer and more time for cool kitchen)
Pizza Dough Calculator
Need more dough? Less dough? Try out our new Pizza Dough Calculator to calculate the weights to get it just right!
More questions? Please see my NY Pizza FAQ
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The Recipe
📖 Recipe
The Best New York Style Pizza Dough
Equipment
- pizza stone or pizza steel for baking
- Standing mixer optional or hand knead
- kitchen scale highly recommended instead of volume measures
Ingredients
Original Recipe for Four 14-Inch Pizzas; want to make more or less? Use the pizza dough calculator
- 6.5 cups (796 g) all purpose flour or bread flour (weighing is most accurate!)
- 2 1/4 cups (493 g) water barely cold water (17.4 oz per 2 1/4 cups)
- 1 teaspoon (3.5 g) instant dry yeast
- 2.5 teaspoons (15.6 g) salt
- 2 teaspoons (7.8 g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon (11.8 g) olive oil
1 Pound of Dough (~454 grams) (use the pizza dough calculator to make more or less dough)
- 2 1/4 cups (274.5 g) all purpose flour or bread flour
- 3/4 cup (170.2 g) water
- 1/2 teaspoon instant dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
Mixing 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)
Dividing and Rising
- 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).
Assembly and Baking
- 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
- Use of weight based measurements is highly recommended instead of US Customary. You will need a kitchen scale.
- METRIC amounts DO NOT correspond exactly to the US Customary amounts because, for example, 796 grams equals 6.4 cups (and most can’t measure 0.4 cups or 0.22 cups). Recipe was based on grams.
- Use the Pizza Dough Calculator
- If you want to use the dough the next day, knead a little more (slow speed for about 8 to 10 minutes)
- If you have time to let the dough rest for 3 days, knead for 4 to 5 minutes, low speed or hand knead.
- After mixing dough and dividing into balls, place dough in refrigerator for at least 24 hours.
- Then, place on baking sheet lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper, cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze until firm (~ 2 to 3 hours or up to overnight).
- Wrap frozen dough balls individually in plastic and store in zipper-lock bags to store for up to 4 weeks (longer may work, but results might vary).
- Before using, transfer unwrapped dough into the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours before making pizza.
- Bring dough to room temperature for 20 to 60 minutes before baking (less time for hot kitchen/summer and more time for cool kitchen).
- calculate your own using baker’s percentages: 62% hydration, 0.4% yeast, 2% salt, 1.5% oil, and 1% sugar or use my pizza dough calculator.
Your pizza crust recipe is head of the class. The longer it ferments, the better it tastes. I haven’t tried fermenting any longer than 3 days yet but that’s my next pizza dough experiment. My family loves it and I’m making tastier pizza than most of the pizzerias in my area now, and that never used to be the case! Thank you so much for blogging not only your recipe, but all the information behind your methods. My family thanks you too 🙂
How much room should be left in the container to allow room to rise while in the fridge
I usually use a container that is at least double the size of the dough ball
Hi, Marie. THANK YOU for this awesome recipe. My 1st experience in executing it was a beginner’s blessing, even with my not-so user-friendly discs of 69 hour cold-proofed dough. Because of its very soft consistency, simply trying to shape it was a bit suspenseful as the dough’s elastic behavior attempted to tear upon lifting. I used my digital kitchen scale and rechecked the measurements. I even made another batch days later and followed the recipe to a T, but I still can’t figure out how to firm it up enough to handle with less stress. I used the same King Arthur All Purpose flour and the water was “luke cold” as specified. Moreover, I used the proper yeast. Maybe I am not kneading it correctly in our Viking mixer because I don’t time it exactly 5 minutes as I forget to turn on the stopwatch. Please help!
Hi, is the dough too strong or is it too extensible? If it’s too sticky feel free to dust lightly with flour…I’m unsure what you mean by trouble handling there dough?
Thank you for replying, Marie. The dough is the opposite of strong, it’s too delicate. Gravity pulls it down every time I tried to pick it up to flip over, nearly losing it’s circular shape. My mother makes homemade flour tortillas frequently and she has concluded that I’m using too much water because it’s a sticky mess when I try separating the dough mixer into equal weight balls before proofing. I ordered Caputo 00 flour today and I’m going to try the exact measurements to see if it’s just me.
oh! What brand/type flour were you using? Less water will help, higher protein flour, and maybe even a bit more salt
I used King Arthur All Purpose, but next time I will try the Caputo 00 since I keep reading how many pizzerias use it. I think I will knead the dough by hand and keep adding more flour until it no longer sticks to my hands. I’ve already taken up too much of your time and I appreciate the help.
To freeze the dough do you just stick it in the freezer directly after you make it? Or do you let it cold rise in the refrigerator for a few days first and then freeze? I tried this dough and it was AMAZING! Wanting to stock our freezer up to have it on hand!
I usually let it cold
Proof for a day or two first and then freeze it. I haven’t tried freezing right after making it…
You said to refrigerate up to 72 hrs but you used it 5-6 days after making. Just wondering how long its good for in fridge without freezing
Hi Brian, sorry I thought I answered this below….so 3 days is ideal but if I don’t get to use to by then I’ve found it’s still good on day 5 or 6
I think I just answered my own question about my dough not rising. I just weighed one teaspoon on instant yeast and it weighed about half (a tad more) of the 3.5 grams called for. The two times I’ve been more pressed for time, I’ve not measured and both times: no real rise after 36 hours. The other times, lovely. I don’t know if others have experienced this, but I thought my experience might be useful. Takeaway: weigh, don’t measure by cups and spoonfuls.
Glad to hear that you figured it out! Sorry for late response..
Hi, I love this recipe and have made wonderful pizza with it but a couple times now, I find the dough doesn’t rise and is kind of hard, not spongy.. I’m not an expert baker but Im not a beginner, so this is puzzling to me. Any ideas what I’m doing wrong. Could this t be because I’ve used bread flour, not all purpose?This recent batch, I hand kneaded for about 8 minutes. Thanks for any advice!
Hello
Is it necessary to have a machine to mix this dough or can it be done by hand?
It can be done by hand, sure. It would of course take a bit longer. I find that kneading for a few minutes (3 or 4 mins) following by short rest (5 or 10 minutes) helps a lot when hand kneading. I’d do this a few times (can’t say exactly because I use machine but guessing about 3 cycles or so)
I’m serious, after I don’t know how many years of trying recipe after recipe, method after method, the starts finally aligned for me with equipment/abilities, and now, finally, your perfect recipe for crust.
I’m pleased as a hog in s*&t (local vernacular) with how this pizza turned out.
This was after just 30 or so hours, I can’t wait for 72 hours out!
Thank you so much!
BTW, If anyone is having problems making a decent dough, even with this recipe, you are probably like me and can’t follow directions LOL. Get a scale and use that sucker!
hi I’ve been experimenting with lots of different dough recipes & flours including King Arthur and imported Caputo 00. But recently I found an even better flour ALL TRUMPS High gluten Flour . It but those other brands to shame. I’ve been using your recipe on all brands I’ve tried. I have a kitchen aid mixer but I mix mine by hand less dishes to wash . The Trump’s flour stretches so perfect . I take it out of fridge and stretch . I do only make 3 dough balls out of your recipe. .I shoot for around 16 inch pies . I worked in a few pizza restaurants . I’m from long island NY but living in Oklahoma outside US army base food here sucks. But know that I have your recipe I’m rocking on the great pizza I can produce here using good bottled water fresh fresh mozzarella ,Romano cheese home grown Roma tomatoes I’ve been turning on some of the local Oklahomans to good pizza they tell me to open a restaurant ?thanks again
PS never herd of reballing nore did we ever do that in restaurant. as to making thin crust if your putting toppings on do not make crust to thin it will break or tear as to crispy crust get your stone hotter if it’s not crispy enought. I put stone high up in oven then put oven on broil for 30 minutes then switch oven to bake both temps high as oven can go 500-550
I’ve made this recipe before and the dough turned out perfect, I’m just wondering how thick each ball of dough should be stretched out to make the actual pizza?
If you like authentic thin crust stretch to 14 inches but do 12 inches if you are more used to standard thin crust. If you’re unsure try one of each since this makes enough for 4 pizzas
I have been using this recipe for a very long time now, and have not looked elsewhere since using this recipe! it is amazing.. I am also glad that comments are still being made and answered.. so I have a question for you guys.
one thing I have never done is reballing. I actually only heard about it today.
So from what I understand, one you bring the dough out of the fridge, you “reball” it again by tucking the dough back under itself to create a nice ball again. and then do you leave it for a hour or so before turning into a base?
Also a question about freezing. I have always pulled the dough out of the fridge and straight into the freezer as is.
Would it be better to reball it and then put it into the freezer? whats the best method you all use for this?
Thanks once again!
Hey Ryan! You are correct about your approach to re-balling the dough. I don’t always do it but sometimes I do just as you describe. For freezing, I’d probably opt to reball after it defrosts instead of before (as I feel the dough loses its shape a bit after defrosting)…happy baking!
Ok.. yes, this is the most amazing pizza dough recipe!!! I let it slow proof in the fridge for 3 days.. ahhhhhh-mazing!! We used our Alfa Ciao wood burning oven and it was serious!! Thank you for sharing this with us! If I could post a pic I would!
Tip 11 says “use the right by about of sauce”
Thanks Bert! I’ll fix that later today ….
Fantastic
Hi,Marie. Thank you very much for this recipe, definately it’s a keeper. Can you kindly let me know your sauce to cheese ratio on that gorgeous cheese pie? It looks so NY style legit! ?
I wish I could say exactly! I put a landle full of pizza sauce – the photo in the post maybe will give you an idea of how much cheese but perhaps one of the more important parts is that I’d strongly recommend using “good melting” mozzarella. Polly O and Trader Joes get highest marks according to serious eats