Home » Recipes » Pizza » The Best New York Style Pizza Dough and 14 Tips for Success!!

The Best New York Style Pizza Dough and 14 Tips for Success!!

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 late great Dough Doctor, Tom Lehmann.

best New York Style pizza dough recipe

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!

best new york pizza dough recipe cheese

My Favorite Pizza Dough: 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.

slices of ny style pizza

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.

Essential Equipment

Please note that as an Amazon affiliate, we earn a small commission if you purchase a product at no additional cost to you.


I adore my baking steel; it’s transformed my home pizzas into restaurant-quality and better. You will love this! A kitchen scale streamlines measurement with remarkable accuracy, while a pizza peel is essential for smoothly sliding pizzas into the oven. And proofing boxes provide an optimal storage for pizza dough fermentation, enhancing flavor, texture, and elasticity.

Baking steel

$99.99
02/18/2024 02:36 am GMT

Kitchen scale

$55.49
02/18/2024 02:51 am GMT

Pizza peel

$28.98
02/18/2024 02:46 am GMT

Proofing

$45.99 ($23.00 / Count)
02/18/2024 02:26 am GMT

Please visit our SHOP page for more recommended tools and equipment to make restaurant-style NY-style pizza at home!

How to Stretch the Pizza Dough

A nice video (from The GoodFellas Pizza School of NY), showing how to stretch the dough:

YouTube video

How to Freeze Homemade Pizza 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!

Have More Questions?

Please See My NY Pizza FAQ

If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below! SUBSCRIBE for more recipes.

📖 Recipe

photo of a NY style pizza with slice missing

The Best New York Style Pizza Dough

The best, authentic NY pizza dough recipe for making pizza dough at home. This is the best thin crust pizza ever! You will never want take out again!
4.90 from 660 votes
Author: Marie
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Resting time 1 day
Total Time 1 day 21 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 32 slices
Calories 91 kcal

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

Weighing Ingredients 
  • 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.  
TO MAKE MORE OR LESS DOUGH
KNEADING
  • 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.
TO FREEZE THE DOUGH:
  • 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). 
BAKER’S PERCENTAGES:
  • calculate your own using baker’s percentages: 62% hydration, 0.4% yeast, 2% salt, 1.5% oil, and 1% sugar or use my new pizza dough calculator. 
Have more questions? See our pizza dough FAQ
Nutrition is estimated for one slice of pizza without any toppings. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1SliceCalories: 91kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 3gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gSodium: 183mgPotassium: 29mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 0.5IUVitamin C: 0.001mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 1mg
Want More Recipes? Subscribe Today

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 

1,823 Comments

  1. Hello,
    I wrote you privately but still I need to know how to cook a 14 inch thin pizza in the middle before the cheese and sauce get cooked fisrt? I cook it for 10 to 12 minutes and it still isn’t enough time? Also how much flour do I use for a 14″ inch pie? I have a pan with holes. Can I use with a pizza stone or without? Where do I put this, bottom rung of oven or top or broiler? for how long? I appreciate all your help. I don’t taste anymore since my stroke but I want to do this for my husband,
    Thank you,

    1. Hi Selenia – the dough recipe on my site is for four fourteen inch pizzas. Each dough ball will weigh about 11.5 ounces; if you like a thicker NY style pizza, the dough should only be stretched to 12inches. The rule to get a foldable yet crisp crust for that size is no more than 6 minutes back time at high high temp, 550 degrees on a very hot stone that has been preheated for an hour. YOu will need to add sugar to the dough since most home ovens can’t compare to a commercial pizzeria’s oven. You can put the pizza pan right on top of the pizza stone on the top rack in the oven (slide in the pizza/pizza pan on top of stone after it has been preheated). I hope you regain your taste sensation soon – that must be tough:(

  2. 5 stars
    Marie,

    You’re a sweetie! Thanks for sharing this recipe and your tips with us. Thru the years I’ve tried to make my own dough only to be frustrated to the point of abandonment until I try again a few years later and the frustration starts all over again ( along with the abandonment.) Finally after 20 odd years, I have made a pizza dough I actually adore, and I have you to thank! Thanks again, you’re the best!

    1. I’m so happy to hear this! I can totally relate – it took me a while too and finding this recipe was the catalyst for this website as I wanted to share the recipe and shout from the rooftops! Ejoy:)

  3. 1 star
    OK, I’m getting mixed messages everywhere I look for pizza recipes& this site has more contradictions than most. Not to mention it isn’t too clear. The 1st thing asked for is 28 oz. of either all-purpose or bread flour, which supposedly is 779g, when in fact, that converts to about 793.78g, & making matters even more confusing, in parentheses under that we’re told to use 6.5 cups of King Arthur Brand or 6 cups of Gold Medal. do we use that in addition to the 28 oz, or in place of it? All the other ingredients have faulty conversions, too. 1 tsp. is 4.92g, not 3.5. 2.5tsp+12.32g, not 15.6. 2 tsp. is 9.85g, not 7.8. and 3 tsp. is 14.78 ml, not 11.8. You need to do some serious editing on this page.

    1. Hi Aaron – I use King Arthur brand flour, which weighs 4.25 oz per cup. So, if you take 28oz and divide by 4.25 you will get 6.58 oz, which I rounded to 6.5 cups. Also, the weight measurements are more accurate than the volume based measurements. My pizza dough is based on baker’s percentages. For example, if a recipe calls for 0.4% yeast, which might equal 3.5 grams or 0.75 teaspoons, I’m not going to tell the reader to add 0.75 teaspoons of yeast. The weights are always more accurate but I myself do not even weigh the yeast, I just round it and it comes out fine. I appreciate your comment though and will try to make things clearer. No doubt, it’s difficult because everyone is using a different brand of flour and some folks are using volume measurements while others are using grams or ounces.

  4. 5 stars
    I’ve been trying to perfect my pizza making skills for more than 20 years. This is the crust I’ve been so desperately searching for. This is the missing link! Without a doubt this dough along with my original sauce and topping combinations is quite possibly the best pizza I have ever had any where ever! I’ve been using too much yeast for all of these years I guess, I can’t believe that 1tps. For 6 cups of flour would work but it does along with the slow Rise in the refrigerator excellent! Thank you so much.

  5. 4 stars
    Hi Marie. Thanks for all your efforts so that we all might benefit the rewards. 1 question: The dough I made over the weekend did not rise after it’s 24-48 hr trip to the fridge (we only used one ball so far). Other recipes I’ve tried have risen (doubled) as per their instructions. Is that the IDY? The dough was delicious tasting, but I too had some trouble stretching out to 14″. It got might thin; thinner than the NY pizza I grew up on in Jersey. I feel I’m skirting around the edge of something wonderful here and will experiment a few more times. Oh, by the way, I used High Gluten flour. Might it need a little more water?

    1. Hi Bill – the dough does not rise much – just some bubbling on the bottom. If you’d like the pizza a little thicker, stretch to 12 inches instead of 14 inches. It also depends on how much dough you are leaving around the edges for the crust.
      The flours that I use are either 11.5% protein or 12.5% protein – perhaps yours was a higher protein content? Try adding more water because it sounds like you have a very high protein flour.

  6. When using your recipe above with 00 Flour (Napoli Antimo Caputo-The Chef’s Flour) what is the weight or measurement I should use? I usually take the 2.2 lb bag 1 Kg, and mix a batch that makes 4.5 pizza’s ( 18 inch pizza). I will modify your measurements so I can still mix a full small bag of flour. I am looking forward to trying your receipt given I have not had much luck with my dough stretching with my current recipe although the recipe I’ve been using is close in ingredients, I am thinking it’s all about the type of yeast (and maybe I’ve been using to much) and the process of the cold rise.

    1. Hi Mike – I don’t have much experience with the 00 flour. From what I understand, it’s a popular flour for the Neopolitan type pizzas. That said, I know the hydration factor is important when using the 00 flour and it will be much runnier compared to when you use an all purpose or bread flour because the 00 flour is milled so finely. That said, if you really want to use the 00 flour, I’d experiment by using less water than called for in my recipe – maybe add water a little at a time until you get a nice consistency or use a few ounces less? I’d also consider making 2 different batches both (use OO in one batch and another batch with bread flour) and see what you like better. Yeast type shouldn’t make a huge difference but the amount used sure does and the cold rise works wonders too!

  7. 5 stars
    This dough recipe is just perfect, I tried with a stone and only using the oven trays, both came out just perfect. I have been looking for ages to get a good tasting pizza base and this one does it, a little sprinkle of corn meal over the base before the topping finishes it off for me!

  8. great dough,,use to live in usa n.j and now in greece,,, miss the good pizza but with this recipe brings back a lot of memories thanks so much,,,

  9. Marie,
    I just found this site. I really like it! I have just in the past few months started making pizza at home. I have been using Kenji Lopez’s (Serious Eats) recipe for NY style using a food processor. It is very similar to yours. My question is my dough comes out tough and difficult to stretch. I used fleishmans active yeast added directly to the dry ingredients (KA bread flour) in the processor. I also divide the dough after mixing with very little kneading and place it in the fridge. I usually use it in 4 to 5 days. Is the elasticity and toughness of the dough due to the active rather than rapid rise yeast, the long time in the fridge, or some other factor? I thought that it was how it was how it was supposed to be until I asked the guy at my local pizza shop to show me how he stretched his dough and after purchasing a disc of dough from him and getting it home to experiment on found his to be soft and pliant and held the stretch without tearing. Sorry for all the questions but the info you have provided to others on here is great and was hoping you could offer some advice. Gonna mix up a batch using your recipe while the games are on today.

    1. Hi Doug – how did the dough turn out Sunday? When I hear of tough dough, I often think that the hydration is too low; in other words, too little water. Others have said that overmixing can produce a tough crust but that doesn’t seem to be the problem with your dough. I would increase the water slightly in the recipe until you find a consistency that works for you. It’s definitely not the kind of yeast you are using -that shouldn’t make a difference. When dough is hard to stretch, it’s usually because the gluten is not properly developed. It either hasn’t rested enough or not mixed enough. I usually don’t have much luck with doughs that are unmixed. Incorporating a warm counter rise may help.

      1. Thanks for the reply. The dough came out about the same. The taste is fine but It is difficult to stretch. Since I have so little experience with pizza dough maybe it is only me who is being difficult. I will try adding more liquid next time. I will let you know.
        Again thanks

  10. Thanks for your replay. So with the dough on the parchment paper I can slide in the pizza putting the pizza and parchment paper on a flat cookie sheet and then slide it in. Do I leave the parchment paper in during cooking? Just place pizza and parchment paper on stone?
    Also, I guess I was not aware that there are two different kinds of yeast you can get. Active Dry vs. Instant/Quick. I will have to investigate and experiment with that. I have always used Fleischmann’s Active dry that comes in a jar. – This one here:
    https://skyrisefoods.com/store/pc/Fleischmann-s-Quick-Rise-Instant-Yeast-113g-570p8654.htm
    But in the title for this page it says Fleischmann’s Quick Rise Instant Yeast – but says Active Dry Yeast on the jar. Are they the same or different? Guess I need to study up on yeast and really understand this amazing stuff. 🙂

  11. 5 stars
    Make this pizza yesterday for diner (dough was make 3 days before like u say and keep in the fridge) on pizza stone on bbq and must say was amazing…my husband say that was a perfect dough and wish and my buns to look the same!! Anyway I was happy and must say this is the perfect recipe (read and all tips)!! THANK U !!!!!!!!

  12. 5 stars
    10 stars! We have been searching for several years for the perfect crust recipe. I have tried it all, even spending a big chunk of change ordering Tipo 00 flour from Amazon, only to be disappointed. Made a batch of this dough on Friday afternoon and just tried one ball of it today – made a beautiful pizza for our lunch. Hubby said it was the best dough ever and wanted to know where I found the recipe. 🙂 Thank you, I finally have a ‘keeper’ recipe. I hope to use another ball of the dough to make calzones tomorrow night for dinner. Any tips? Should I use the same temp/cooking time? Please help me make the perfect calzones so I will forever be a heroin in the eyes of my man. 🙂

    1. So glad to hear you like the dough! I’m not an expert on calzones though, but if you have a good dough, I’m sure that’s half the battle. Good luck!

  13. Great looking recipe! Going to try it.

    2 questions: 1.) How to you recommend I get the dough onto the hot stone if I have no peel. What would be the best method? 2.) You add yeast and salt together in the water and the water is cool. I have been making Italian Bread for yours and have always added the yeast to warm water mixed with sugar. I was always taught that yeast does no like salt at all when letting the yeast activate in the warm water. In fact, your recipe does not even call for the yeast to go in the water at all. You mix flour, salt and yeast together dry. That is so different than what I have ever done for bread. But I guess pizza crust is a lot different than bread, huh?

    I will fallow all your steps exactly and see how it goes. Excited to try this! 🙂

    1. Hi Anthony – if you dont have a peel, you can use parchment paper instead. Open your dough ball and lay it gently on the parchment paper. you can then use a pizza pan or cookie sheet to slide it in. To answer your second question, I sometimes vary this a bit, but the directions on the site are to mix the salt and yeast into the flour (if you are using instant/quick rising yeast). This is a little different than adding them both to the water. you can still do it the way you describe but instant/quick rise doesn’t need “activating” or “proofing” – active dry yeast sometimes needs to be dissolved in water to activate it. Some newer brands of active dry yeast allow you to use it the same way that instant yeast is used (that is, doesn’t need proofing). I’d recommend reading the manufacturer website if you’re using active dry yeast.

  14. Can you use regular yeast instead of quick rise? Is so what change would I have to make in making the dough. Or should I just use the quick rise?
    thanks

    1. Sorry for the delayed response…do you mean active dry yeast? If so, yes, you certainly can. For many manufacturers, it’s a 1:1 substitution with the instant/quick rise. It’s best to look at the manufacturer’s website (the FAQ) because I noticed there are some differences..

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating