Chewy Pizza Dough Recipe

💕 Why  you'll love this best pizza dough recipe

• This great recipe for pizza dough works really well on a hot pizza stone in the oven or in your backyard pizza oven. If you do not have a pizza stone, an upside baking sheet preheated in a conventional oven works well, too!
• A hands-off recipe - mix the ingredients, knead for a few minutes then place in the fridge overnight to get a good pizza dough rise. Then you're ready to cook pizza
• Easy pizza dough recipe that yields a super flavorful pizza crust that's chewy on the inside and crisp on the outside. It's (almost) an authentic napoletana pizza dough recipe that you're going to love

🧾 Ingredients & substitutions

Perfect pizza dough doesn't require many ingredients. It does require time to develop flavor, though. So be sure to plan ahead at least 12 hours.

As with most bread recipes, ingredients should be measured by weight using a kitchen scale rather than by volume (via measuring cup). This makes for more accurate measurements which makes a huge difference in the final product. The recipe card below lists the ingredients by weight, but also includes volume measurements for your convenience.

Here are the basic ingredients you'll need:

• Bread flour: Bread flour has a higher protein content than all purpose flour, which yields a chewy pizza crust. If you do not have bread flour or have trouble obtaining some, all-purpose flour may be substituted. The cooked crust may be slightly less chewy, but will still be delicious. You will need about 8 cups of flour so be sure you have enough before beginning
• Warm water: Using warm water helps to activate the yeast. Be sure the water is no hotter than 105ºF though, as this will kill the yeast, making for a dense pizza dough.
• Active dry yeast: You'll need about one packet of yeast for this recipe. Be sure to check the expiration date to ensure the yeast is still good. If not, your pizza dough will not rise and instead it'll be very dense. Instant yeast may also be used.
• Salt: As always, adjust the seasoning to your own taste and preference. I like to use fine or kosher salt in this recipe
• Olive oil: You'll need a little bit of olive oil (about 15 grams or 1 tablespoon) for the dough and a bit more for greasing the bowl in which the pizza dough will rise. This prevents the dough from sticking to the sides of the bowl.
• Rice flour: this is used for sprinkling on the pizza peel to allow the pizza to slide off easily onto a pizza stone for cooking. After trying many different ingredients such as every type of flour, I have found rice flour to work the best. Be generous when sprinkling it on the pizza peel, but brush off any excess from the sides of the pan, as the rice flour may burn in the oven. Semolina flour may be substituted for rice flour. I have found it doesn't work as well at preventing the pizza from sticking, however, it does work better than all-purpose or bread flour. I would not recommend placing the pizza on a piece of parchment paper then sliding this into the oven. Because of the high temperature at which pizza needs to cook, the parchment will burn
• Favorite toppings: the sky's the limit when it comes to creating your perfect pizza! I like to top with tomato sauce or pizza sauce then sprinkle with generous amounts of shredded mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with garlic powder and onion powder. Then, add whatever toppings are desired before cooking.

✨How to make chewy pizza dough

If you've ever wondered how do you make chewy pizza dough, here's step by step instructions.

Step 1

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, water, yeast, salt, and olive oil. With the dough hook attachment affixed, knead on low speed until the ingredients come together in a ball around the dough hook. Stop the mixer and cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel, letting the dough rest for 15 minutes.

Remove the towel and knead the dough on medium low speed (Kitchenaid speed 2) for 8-10 minutes or until the dough is soft and smooth. Alternatively, knead by hand on a clean work surface. The kneading process by hand may take up to 15 minutes. Rest your arms as needed!

Step 2

Lightly coat a large bowl or container with olive oil. Lightly coat your hands with some oil to remove the dough from the mixing bowl (this prevents the sticky dough from sticking to your hands) and shape into a ball with your hands. Place dough in greased the bowl, turning the dough over to coat with oil on all sides. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight, at least 12 hours and up to 72 hours.

The longer the pizza dough is in the fridge, the more flavorful the crust. Do not exceed 72 hours, as the dough will not rise well after this amount of time.

If preparing the dough in advance, allow it to rise overnight in the fridge, divide into 8 dough balls and freeze each in a freezer-safe plastic bag. Defrost overnight in the fridge or on the counter at room temperature. Continue to next step once the dough reached room temperature

Step 3

Remove the dough from the fridge about an hour before you plan to make pizza. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. You can eyeball it or weigh the total dough, dividing by eight to get the weight of each ball of dough. I typically portion off pieces that weigh 180-200 grams.

On a heavily floured surface, dip both sides of the dough into the extra flour then gently stretch each into an 8-10 inch circle. Stretch less for a thicker crust pizza or stretch more for a thin crust pizza dough. You can use a rolling pin, if desired.

If the dough resists stretching, cover it with a clean dry towel and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before stretching.

Generously sprinkle a pizza peel with rice flour and place dough on top. If you do not have a pizza peel, use an overturned cookie sheet sprinkled generously with rice flour. Top dough as desired and cook via preferred method

If cooking pizza dough in a conventional oven

Place a baking stone in the oven then preheat oven to 500ºF for at least 30 minutes. Alternatively, place an overturned baking sheet in the oven while it's preheating. Slide prepared pizza directly onto hot baking stone or overturned baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Time may vary based on the size and thickness of the pizza

If cooking in a pizza oven

Preheat pizza oven until it reaches about 700ºF. In the Ooni pizza oven, this takes approximately 30 minutes. Slide prepared pizza directly onto floor of the pizza oven and bake 1-2 minutes or until the crust is browned and the cheese is bubbly

👩‍🍳 Pro tips 

• I highly recommend using a pizza stone on which to cook the pizza. This allows the bottom of the crust to get perfectly crisp. The stone retains and distributes heat really well allowing the center of the dough to cook through as well.
• Looking for a 72 hour pizza dough recipe, similar to the Baking Steel pizza recipe? Allow the dough to rest in the fridge for up to 72 hours. The longer the pizza dough is in the fridge, the more flavorful the crust. Do not exceed 72 hours, as the dough will not rise well after this amount of time
• When stretching the pizza dough, be sure not to stretch it too thin or create any holes in the dough. If a hole forms, patch it well by pinching it closed to seal. If the dough has holes in it, the sauce and toppings will get on the pizza peel, making it impossible for the pizza to slide easily off the peel and into the oven
• If preparing the dough in advance, allow it to rise overnight in the fridge then divide into 8 dough balls and freeze each in a freezer-safe plastic bag for up to 1 month. Defrost frozen pizza dough overnight in the fridge or on the counter at room temperature. Prepare pizza for cooking as directed