Thin Crust Pizza
There’s an unwritten rule in our house. My Chief Culinary Consultant can’t casually mention pizza as a meal option and not fully expect to be eating it within one hour. Pizza is one of those words that, once I hear it, I can’t un-hear it. Once it’s mentioned, I will immediately crave and won’t be happy until I have a cheesy piece sitting in front of me. I love all kinds of pizza – deep dish, thick crust, thin crust, coal-fired, wood-fired, delivery, homemade… you get the picture. I’ve been making my favorite basic pizza dough for years now (and love it), but I’ve wanted to give a thin-crust version a try.
While my regular dough recipe isn’t terribly thick, this one is definitely much thinner. The amount of sauce used is minimal, as well, which lets the crust and the cheese and toppings shine. My kind of pizza, for sure. I’ve been known to throw a “light on the sauce” in there when ordering a pizza. Our favorite pizza topping is pepperoni, but you could use anything you like, or just leave it plain cheese.
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I especially like this recipe because you mix together the dough in less than 10 minutes, then put it in the refrigerator overnight. It can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 days, which makes it easy to plan weeknight dinners. If you’re a fan of crispy, thin crust pizza, you’ll definitely want to give this recipe a try. Just don’t mention pizza to me, or I’ll need to come over for dinner.
One year ago: Homemade Tropical Trail Mix
Two years ago: Buttermilk Doughnuts
Three years ago: Homemade Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches
Four years ago: Spumoni Ice Cream Terrine
Thin Crust Pizza
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 3 cups (375 g) bread flour, plus more for work surface
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) instant, rapid-rise yeast
- 1⅓ cups (333.33 ml) ice water
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for work surface
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) salt
For the Sauce:
- 28 ounce (793.79 g) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) ground black pepper
For the Toppings:
- ½ cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups shredded)
- Pepperoni slices
Instructions
- Make the Dough: In a food processor, process the flour, sugar and yeast for 2 seconds to combine. With the machine running, slowly add the water through the feed tube and process until dough is just combined and no dry flour remains, about 10 seconds. Let dough rest in the food processor for 10 minutes.
- Add the oil and salt to the dough and process until the dough forms a satiny, sticky ball that clears the side of the workbowl, 30 to 60 seconds. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead briefly on a lightly oiled surface until smooth, about 1 minute. Shape the dough into a tight ball and place in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours (the dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days).
- Make the Sauce: Process all of the sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Bake the Pizza: One hour before baking the pizza, adjust the oven rack to the second-highest position (the rack should be 4 to 5 inches below the broiler). Set a pizza stone on the rack and heat the oven to 500 degrees.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it in half. Shape each half into a smooth, tight ball. Place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet, making sure they are at least three inches apart. Cover them loosely with a piece of plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside for 1 hour.
- Coat one ball of dough with flour and place on a well-floured surface. Using your fingertips, gently flatten the dough into an 8-inch disk, leaving an inch or so of outer edge thicker than the center. Using your hands, gently stretch into a 12-inch round, working along the edges and giving the dough quarter turns as you stretch it. Transfer the dough to a well-floured pizza peel and stretch into a 13-inch round.
- Spread ½ cup of the tomato sauce in a thin layer over the dough, then sprinkle with half of the Parmesan cheese and half of the mozzarella cheese. Top with pepperoni slices, if desired.
- Slide the pizza carefully onto the stone and bake until the crust is well browned and the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pizza halfway through the baking time. Remove the pizza from the stone and place on a wire rack for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Repeat steps to shape and bake second pizza.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Hi there,
I have a question about using the ice water. I’ve always made huge batches of pizza dough basically like a bread recipe. Warm water, adding the yeast, sugar, gradual flour, then oil and salt. (and it makes for a huge, very bready pizza…I’d love to make a more thin, chewy dough.) My thought has always been that the warm water will “grow” the yeast. I’m very curious of the use of the ice water? Does the yeast work while the dough is in the fridge?
Thank you!
Hi Denise, Yes, the cold water works in the fridge to develop the gluten slowly. This is definitely a less “bready” crust than my regular one.
I accidentally forgot to let my dough rest for the required 10 minutes :(
The dough is currently sitting in the fridge.. is it going to be okay? I’m too tired to make another batch..
Hi Maria, The rest period gives the gluten a chance to relax. Skipping this step won’t ruin the dough, it just might change the texture a tad.
Made this last night and it was amazing! This will be my new go to recipe.
Made your thin crust recipe for Christmas Eve…and we all thought it was fabulous! We think we have a new tradition!
THANK YOU!!!
After trying a regular pizza recipe we were left with a feeling like, yeah, it’s good but… not like those thin-crust ones in a good pizzeria…
Then I tried this (and watched some Italian you tube videos to see how they wield a pizza peel).
It came out very good!!! It even pleased my very difficult and discerning husband, which is saying a lot, believe me.
I made it with the pizza stone preheated the full hour and all.
The only thing was that I subbed a half-whole wheat grey ‘traditional’ flour instead of modern bread flour, which we liked. It gave it a kind of olden days feel. But it came out exactly like the photo here.
Just one thing – I’ll allow the 2nd pizza to brown more next time because it cooked slightly less in the center than the first one, I’m assuming the stone wasn’t quite as hot for the 2nd one?
This looks PERFECT for my family-yum!
I haven’t had the chance to make the dough, but I LOVE the pizza sauce! It’s so easy to make and so delicious. In fact, my boyfriend, who will happily eat anything I make and never say a word (good or bad) about my cooking, asked, “What are you doing with the homemade pizza that’s different? It’s really good.”
Hi Michelle,
Making this great pizza dough again this evening! Since we divide it into two pieces, could one be put into the freezer? If so, what point would it be best to do so?
Thanks!
Fred
Hi Fred, I’ve done this with my other pizza dough and I think it would be fine for this one as well. I would freeze it after the rise. Enjoy!
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for the reply. I made the dough, and after overnight refrigeration I split it in two and put one half in the freezer just this last Friday. i will pull it out this week and give it a go. The thaw time will be the next question? I figure and hour at room temperature or so after pulling from the freezer. Gingerly microwave to speed thawing? Or just pull it out of the freezer in the morning put in the frig and it should thaw by evening possibly.
Also, I posted using cornmeal instead of flour in my pizza peel. However, your flour idea makes a better tasting pizza! So i am a convert to flour now!
Thank you for your efforts!
Fred
Hi Fred, I would not use the microwave. I recommend placing it in the refrigerator the morning you plan to use it and it should be thawed perfectly by dinnertime. Enjoy!
Hey Michelle. I just made this dough (twice!) and it definitely didn’t go as described. It never came together into a shiny ball in the food processor, it was just a sticky mess that spun around the bottom and then when I turned it out of the FP bowl it was a super gluey mass that just puddled onto my silicone mat once I scraped it all out. That first time, I did leave the dough in the FP about 7 minutes longer than instructed, so I thought maybe that was it. So I did it again and timed it precisely and it was the same. I’ve made many yeast bread/pizza/pasta doughs before and also weighed the flour — so I’m puzzled. Especially since it’s a Cooks’ Illustrated recipe and they are typically so reliable. So I’m wondering if you’ve got any ideas based on when you made it. Thanks!
Hi Emilie, That’s really bizarre, I’m not sure why your dough would be so soft; mine wasn’t loose or soft at all. Maybe there is some extra humidity in your air; try reducing the amount of water and see if that helps.
Yes, I’d wondered after-the-fact if the summer season might have had something to do with it. I’ll give it another try with a bit less water (although I didn’t pitch the second batch; I just kneaded it with enough flour to bring it together and put it in a bowl). So I might just have some awesome thin-crust pizza tomorrow despite the floppy dough:) Thanks for the reply!
Love love love thin crust pizza! Does the recipe note how many ounces of bread flour to use? I love my kitchen scale for making yeast dough and find it easier to weigh the flour than measure in cups.
Hi April, 3 cups of bread flour is 12¾ ounces. I always use this chart when recipes don’t include the weight; I love using my scale, too! http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/master-weight-chart.html
Absolutely glamorous! Hand down Pretty! Yummy undoubtedly!
Making pizza from starch would be one hell of a gutsy move for me but I’m willing to take the risk. (I simply can’t take my eyes off of your red-hot-vavavoom pizza!)
I have heard about using semolina flour for pizza dough. Have you ever used semolina flour?
Hi Pat, I haven’t, but I do use it to coat the pizza peel!
What is a pizza peel? Can I make them personal size and cook 2 at a time? Yum
Hi Bethany, A pizza peel is a large wooden or metal surface with a handle that you use to transfer pizza into and out of an oven. This is the one I have: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001T6OVPO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001T6OVPO&linkCode=as2&tag=broeyebak-20.
You could make them smaller, but whether you can fit two or not depends on how large you make them.
Damn, damn, damn girl! If you only knew what you have gone and done! How, I ask you, do you expect to post this recipe and not have practically ALL of us goin’ NUTS till we can get our hands on it. Well, I have news for you. It is 12:14 am and I am getting up and making this pizza. Oh yes I am!
This pizza looks like it came from a pizza restaurant! So impressive! Whenever I eat pizza I always get it without sauce – I’ve never liked tomato sauce!
The pizza dough is a sticky little devil to work with! Bit I like the end product! One of the best homemade pizza’s ever! We used sliced sautéed baby belle mushroom, fresh garden basil, sundried tomatoes a blend of mozzarella , provolone and ramano cheeses. I used cornmeal under the pizza to help slide from peel to stone instead of flour. An old trick.
Thanks again for another great find and new favorite!
I will definitely try this one! My husband is a thin-crust-only guy!
This pizza looks better than take out! Pizza is my go-to meal ALWAYS but I never make them at home..ever….until now..:)
Thank You
Okay, you are cruel! That pizza looks absolutely perfect. My problem would be having to share any of it with someone else! Yum!!
I’ve always loved a thin crust than thick crust. It is amazing! Thank you! x
I’ve always loved thin crust than thick crust. Thank you. It is amazing! x
http://www.danceonflour.com/
I am the same way with pizza! Once the idea of it is in my head It is all I will want to eat! Can’t wait to try this recipe! <3
What size fod processor do you need to accommodate the dough? I am not sure mine is big enough. I really want to try this–I can’t get the photos out of my mind!
Hi Lonna, Mine is pretty big (16 cups); I think you would probably be okay with a 7-cup or larger food processor.
I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love this pizza recipe – it’s the best, and I’m not even a thin crust person typically! I wish I could reach through the screen and grab a slice – love the pepperoni :)
We are giant pizza lovers in this house. We even have official plates that we eat pizza on that are customized. Pizza is serious! This recipe rules, going to try very soon!
A perfect thin crust pizza – the best kind! My 8-yr old would swoon. Pepperoni is his favorite. Looks mouth-wateringly good!
Hey … my Dough is in the refrigerator. . Made sauce but mine was watery…just wanted to ask the consistency of the sauce. ..should I sieve it before putting on the pizza?
Hi Mareeha, The sauce is on the thinner side. No need to put it through a sieve.
This pizza looks delicious, but I don’t know if I would consider it “thin” crust. It’s looks more of a “hand tossed” thickness. Maybe it’s just the pictures? Come to St. Louis if you want to see real thin crust pizza! Still won’t stop me from trying the recipe!
Pizza is definitely a trigger food for me. This looks great, but there’s no way you had it done in an hour, so did you have to call Dominos?
What if you don’t have a pizza stone? Could I use a pizza pan with holes in it? I really want to try this as all of your recipes are awesome & I LOVE pizza!
Hi Barb, If you don’t have a pizza stone, use a baking pan, upside down, with a piece of parchment paper on top. Enjoy!