Homemade Thin Crust Pizza Recipe
Published February 3, 2021. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
If you’re a fan of a thinner crust then you will absolutely love this easy to prepare Italian homemade pizza crust recipe.
We obviously eat a lot of Italian food in our house and are always looking to try out new Italian recipes. If you’re in the same boat then definitely check out my Chicken Cacciatore or Spiedini.
Thin Crust Pizza
Thin crust pizza is innately Italian, and most people who think of thin-crust pizza think of New York style or Neopolitano. This is the pizza that is thin in the center with a thick fluffy crust around the outside. When I think of thin crust, I think of mid-west style pizza which is thin all the way around and may or may not have a little bit of a crust around the outside.
Thin crust pizza is great if you’re looking to consume a lot at one time since there is a lot less dough. This pizza dough recipe is actually very similar to a New York style or Neopolitano except the proof time is much shorter. In a thin crust, you don’t need a full proof which can last several hours, so the shorter time won’t allow the crust to rise that much, making it thin but still fluffy.
How to Make It
To make this tasty thin crust pizza recipe, follow along with these easy steps:
Whisk together some warm water, sugar, and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer until combined and let stand for 5-7 minutes until a raft forms.
Next, add in the flour, semolina, and salt and knead at low to medium speed using the hook attachment for 10 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a container with a lid and proof in the oven only with the light on for 45 minutes or until doubled in size. Make sure your oven is not on.
Remove the dough and place it on a clean surface and divide it into 3 dough balls.
Knead each dough ball for a minute and then cover with a towel and let stand for 15 minutes.
Next, when you’re ready to use it, flatten out the dough on a clean surface dusted with flour until it’s about 12” to 15” in diameter.
Feel free to add toppings such as pizza sauce, cheese, meats, etc., and then bake in a preheated pizza stone at 500° for 7-10 minutes or until browned and the cheese is melted and browned.
How to Get the Crust Crispy
The key to getting a pizza crust crispy is by cooking it on a preheated pizza stone and for the oven to be at high temperatures. It’s important to watch the pizza while cooking because it can burn if not closely monitored. The other option is to brush the outside edge and bottom of crust with a little bit of olive oil.
Can You Make Pizza Crust Thinner?
The secret to making pizza crust thinner is by rolling out as thin as you can without tearing the dough. This can be achieved by using a rolling pin and about ½ to ¾ of 1 dough ball for this recipe. If this is the route you’d like to go then it will also cook more quickly in the oven so start by cooking it for 5-7 minutes.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: Pizza is usually meant to be eaten right when it comes out of the oven. If you want to make it ahead of time, you can make the dough up to 1 day before and keep it in the refrigerator.
How to Reheat: Place your cooked pizza on a preheated pizza stone at 350° and bake for 2-4 minutes or until hot. You can also heat in the microwave until hot.
How to Store: Place the dough balls covered and in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. You can freeze them covered for up to 1 month. Thaw the dough ball in the refrigerator for 1 day before using. If you have already cooked your pizza, it will last up to 3 days covered in the refrigerator. Cooked pizzas do not freeze that well.
chef notes + tips
- If you cannot find 00 flour, then substitute with bread flour. If you don’t have bread flour you can use all-purpose flour, but you will need to decrease the amount of water by 5%.
- You can absolutely make this recipe by hand, just use a regular bowl and whisk to active the yeast then mix everything by hand.
- If you only have instant yeast, you can forgo the procedure of waiting for the raft to form.
- The pizza stone needs to be preheated for about 30 minutes total.
More Italian Recipes
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Video
Homemade Thin Crust Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cup warm water, 115° to 118°
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons active yeast
- 3 1/3 cup packed 00 flour
- 1 cup packed semolina flour
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- pizza sauce
- shredded mozzarella
- sliced mozzarella
- fresh basil leaves
- dry oregano
Instructions
- Add a pizza stone to your oven and preheat to 500°.
- Add the water, sugar, and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until completely combined, and let sit for 5-7 minutes until a raft forms on top.
- Next, add the flour, semolina, and salt to the bowl and knead the dough with the hook attachment on low to medium speed for 10 minutes.
- Cover the dough and keep it in a warm place for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Punch the dough down and transfer to a clean surface and divide into 3 dough balls.
- Lightly knead for 1 minute and form into a ball. Cover with a towel and let sit for 15 minutes.
- When ready to cook, stretch out a dough ball until it is about 12” to 15” in diameter. Transfer the rolled-out dough to a pizza peel or cutting board dusted with cornmeal.
- Add on desired toppings and slide onto the preheated pizza stone and bake in the oven at 500° for 7 to 10 minutes. After 3-4 minutes rotated the pizza 180°.
Notes
- Make-Ahead: Pizza is usually meant to be eaten right when it comes out of the oven. If you want to make it ahead of time, you can make the dough up to 1 day before and keep it in the refrigerator.
- How to Reheat: Place your cooked pizza on a preheated pizza stone at 350° and bake for 2-4 minutes or until hot. You can also heat in the microwave until hot.
- How to Store: Place the dough balls covered and in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. You can freeze them covered for up to 1 month. Thaw the dough ball in the refrigerator for 1 day before using. If you have already cooked your pizza, it will last up to 3 days covered in the refrigerator. Cooked pizzas do not freeze that well.
- If you cannot find 00 flour, then substitute with bread flour. If you don’t have bread flour you can use all-purpose flour, but you will need to decrease the amount of water by 5%.
- You can absolutely make this recipe by hand, just use a regular bowl and whisk to active the yeast then mix everything by hand.
- If you only have instant yeast, you can forgo the procedure of waiting for the raft to form.
- The pizza stone needs to be preheated for about 30 minutes total.
Finally found the perfect recipe!
Great recipe! First project for my Church Breadmaking Class this month! Rest of the year’s projects based on your recipes Chef Billy!!
I have tried and failed a few thin crust pizzas. It is tricky handling a 500 degree stone. I made two and what I learned was I should have switched top to bottom. Lower crust got a little too brown. Great tips on this, thanks chef.
Excellent! It really give you confidence to do this all the time! Thank you!!!
Great flavor! I had to use bread dough, but I’ve ordered 00 (Italian) from Amazon for next time. My dough was a bit too, sticky. I am new to the KitchenAid. Maybe I needed it up on 4-5 the entire ten minutes. I love your videos, BP! Thanks for all the inspiration and help!
I just started making pizza dough and I’m trying difference recipes. This is by far the best one so far! I didn’t have 00 flour but did use bread flour and semolina. The dough was very sticky so I think I need less water. I used pink salt and some thought it wasn’t salty enough so may try different salt (kosher or sea salt) next time. Definitely a keeper!
I first time I made the dough I followed the recipe. My family really enjoyed the texture of the dough – very light and crisp, and thought it needed more salt. The second time I made the dough I added 1 Tbl of salt and 1 Tbl of EVOO … good enhancement!
Best pizza dough
When I adjust the servings size on the recipe from 12 to 6, it adjusts all the ingredients BUT when I go to print it for my files, it jumps back to 12 servings.
Can I print off only the 12 serving size pizza crust recipe ?
I don’t think you can print the adjusted version…
How long should I let the dough sit after removing it from the fridge?
Straight to forming it and baking it.
What flour can I use instead of semolina flour?
You can use all 00
At what point do I put the dough in the fridge to use later ?
after the proof
Hi. My pizza stone recently broke (hubby didn’t know pizza stone rules). It was a gift, so I’ve never purchased one. What stone do you use? I didn’t see it listed in your list of kitchen essentials.
Thank you
Here is the one that I use, this is an affiliate link that allows me to make a few $$ on the sale: https://amzn.to/3suNES1
I have wondered how to get dough to rise in a cold kitchen. Thanks!
how can i use this same recipe for a little thicker crust that my husband will like?
proof it for 4-6 hours or tripled in size. Then after rolling into a ball, proof if for another hour.
I love it❤❤❤❤❤