We've made the perfect pizza crust!! After countless flours, countless recipes, and countless methods of preparation, we've done it! The search is over! And what is the secret? As the many Italian pizzerias will attest to, it's the flour! Ever since we've started using the "00" flour we've found that our pizza comes out exactly as we want it -- thin, crispy, and chewy. We want to taste the wonderful sauce, cheese, and toppings. Let us show you how to make the perfect pizza crust recipe.
For this recipe you will need: Italian "00" flour, instant yeast, olive oil, water, sea salt.
The secret for the perfect pizza crust recipe
The secret is in the flour. The Caputo flour is imported from Italy and Italian flour is best for pizza crust and pasta. It's classified as 1 . . . .0 . . . .or 00.
This refers to how finely ground it is and how much of the bran and germ have been removed. The 00 is the most highly refined and it's perfect for making authentic Italian pizzas. You know, the pizzas that have a light crisp crust with a nice tender bite.
Have you ever tried to roll out pizza dough and it's a fight between you and that white ball?!
What do you do? If you were me before I found this flour, you let it rest, you cajole it, you even curse it. But still, no luck, it stubbornly retracts into a small round circle.
Not this dough! It's so relaxed, just hanging out to make the perfect crust for the pizza.
Where did we get the 10- 2-pound bags of Italian 00 flour? Where we normally get unusual items --Amazon. This particular vendor had free shipping so that's the way we went.
This Italian 00 flour isn't just for pizza dough, you can also use it for fresh pasta. We make lots of fresh pasta. Nothing beats homemade, that's for sure.
If you like fresh pasta here are some recipes...
Lamb Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage Sauce
Homemade Italian Ravioli with Meat and Cheese Sauce
Italian Spinach Ricotta Beef Ravioli
Triple Mushroom Ravioli With Cheese
Those little delicious pockets of pasta are scrumptious. Try them out!
How to form the easy pizza crust
Now for the pizza, once we rolled out the dough, we placed it on a peel, or you can put it on the back of a cookie sheet, sprinkled with corn meal.
We lightly coated the surface of the dough with olive oil then dressed it with our homemade pizza/dipping sauce with basil.
We added the fresh mozzarella slices on top and sprinkled a few arugula leaves on it.
You can add whatever toppings you like -- the pizza dough bottom holds the toppings and compliments whatever you put on it. We love personalizing pizzas and making them to everyone's taste.
How perfect are those colors? It's the Italian flag: red, white and green. Then we added a few shakes of red peppers to it.
We popped it directly in a preheated 550 F oven sliding the pizza onto our baking stone. Our stone never comes out of the oven . . . . and it looks like it too. It's as much a part of the oven as the racks.
We baked the pizza for 8 minutes and then let it cool for just a few . . . .PERFETTO!!!!!!
Chef note:
If you can't find "00" flour, use all-purpose flour in the same quantity. Our flour of choice is King Arthur flour but you can use another good quality flour.
Tutti a tavola è pronto!
Un caro saluto e alla prossima.
YOU MAY NEED...
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This is similar to the Caputo "00" Flour that we get from Amazon. If you're lucky enough to have an Italian Market nearby you'll probably be able to find it there. Unfortunately we'd love to have a lot of Italian products near us. I'd be at the store all of the time! Let me know if you have an Italian store near you. What is your favorite thing to buy there?
How to Make The Perfect Pizza Crust Recipe
Once you make this recipe you'll know that this is the only recipe you'll ever need or want. It's easy to work with and produces an amazing crust. It won't wimp out under your toppings. In fact, it is the ideal foundation for what ever pizza you want to build. We know you'll love it as much as we do.
If you like this recipe, please consider giving it a 5-star rating.
The Perfect Pizza Crust {Il Perfetto Crosta di Pizza}
Ingredients
- 4 cups Caputo Tipo 00 Flour (500 grams) Use all-purpose flour if you can't find the "00".
- 1 ½ Cups Water (355 grams) Approximate
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Sea Salt ( 9 ⅛ grams) If using table salt, use 1 ¼ tsp.
- ½ Teaspoon Active Dry Yeast (2 grams)
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin Olive Oil (27 grams)
- Pinch of Sugar
Equipment Needed
Instructions
- There are several methods of mixing up the dough: food processor {method we use}, table mixer, by hand.
- Food Processor: mix the flour, salt, yeast, sugar in bowl. Pulse a few times. Put the olive oil into 1 ½ cups of water. Slowly start the processor and add the liquid. If the dough seems too dry add more water -- a little at a time until it forms a smooth soft dough. Form into a ball.
- Table Mixer -- Mix the ingredients together in the mixing bowl to form a soft dough. The dough will still be tacky. Time varies but the dough comes off the sides of the bowl. Let rest for 10 minutes, then knead for 5 minutes.
- By Hand -- Mix all the ingredients together to form a soft dough. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then knead for 7 to 8 minutes until smooth.
- Once you've kneaded the dough, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise for 1 ½ hours to 2 hours or until the dough doubles in size. Punch the dough to de-gas it and divide it into 3 equal sized balls and place each in a zip lock bag that has been coated with vegetable spray.
- Keep in the refrigerator overnight. The next day you can either freeze the dough or make it into a pizza. Before using the dough be sure to let it warm to room temperature (72F or more) -- this is a must. Think of a pizza kitchen and how warm it is.
- When ready to bake - preheat oven to 550 ℉ or the highest your oven will bake. Bake your favorite pizza for 7-10 minutes or until the crust is done to your likeness. Every oven will bake differently so keep an eye on it.
Notes
- We have not been compensated by Caputo in any way.
Nutrition
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. PromiseThis recipe has been updated from the original April 2014 version in order to provide a better experience for our readers. Last update May 2019.
Sarah
Hi, Miss Marisa! Thank you for this wonderful recipe. My family loves it! I am making the dough on my own for the first time (my parents have been using your recipe for years!) and I used the food processor. I added all of the water until about 2 tablespoons were left, and the dough seems way too liquidy. It won't turn into a ball! What should I do?
Marisa Franca
Hi Sarah! It seems like you added too much water. There is also moisture in your flour and it all depends on the time of year and where you're at. The best solution is to add a bit more four to it. It doesn't take much. One of the pluses of your situation is that it's much easier to add flour to a dough that's too loose than adding liquid to a dough that's too dry. I hope this helps. Happy baking and pizza eating. Tonight is our pizza night.xoxo
Sarah
Thank you so much, Marisa! I've added more flour and it works like a charm 😀
Linda Cicero
Excellent!! Love your site and am enjoying your emails. Everything I have tried from you comes out the BEST and I always know I can trust your recipes and advise. Also love the Italian language inserts 🙂 Question: could I par bake this crust, stack in the freezer, thaw, top, then finish the baking? Thanks in advance!
Marisa Franca
Ciao, Linda. Sei molto gentile! We don't usually par bake this recipe so I don't want to advise you and not have it turn out as good as the fresh one does. The recipe we used in the pasta for par baking has potato flour in it. I'll email you the recipe, va bene (okay)? Look for the recipe in your email. xoxo
Ruth
Absolutely the best pizza crust I have ever made! FINALLY, a crust that doesn't taste like a flat loaf of doughy, crummy bread! It tastes like a pizza crust should and it isn't a battle to push it out into shape! The only recipe I will ever use from now on for my pizzas!
Marisa Franca
Hi, Ruth!! I'm so glad you like our pizza crust. We've been using it for years and we think like you do. Sending you a huge thank you hug!! Happy pizza making. xoxo
Byron Pearson
best recipe for pizza dough, soo easy and delicious havent ordered a pizza in months
Marisa Franca
Hi, Byron!! From one pizza lover to another - so glad you like our dough. It is easy and we had some last night. Tuesday is our pizza night and the weekend is when our kids and grandsons stop by for ----- you got it. Pizza!! Happy baking.
Marc
When making in a food processor, do you let the dough rest for 10 minutes and then knead it by running the processor. (If so, for how long)?
Marisa Franca
Hi, Marc! You mix it together and it doesn't take long. Just until it comes to a ball. You don't want it to overheat, which it will. It is totally different than kneading in a mixer. Once it comes to a ball, finishing kneading it on the counter for a minute and then let it rest. You'll soon get the "feel" of it. Let us know how it turns out.
Carl Pirro
Thanks Marisa, will be using your recipe for pizza.
Tricia Stimson
is it ok if you let it sit in the refrigerator a shorter amount if you for got to make it the night before?
Marisa Franca
Yes, it is. You can even make it the same day. The flavor just develops more, but it'll be just fine. Happy pizza night!!xoxo
Michael Lagana
did you roll out your dough with a rolling pin ?
Marisa Franca
Yes, I did and I do.
Vicki
This recipe was so good. At first the dough was very sticky, but after the fridge, it was much better. The dough was so easy to form a pizza. It was like a beautiful, fluffy cloud. It stretched so easy. One question tho, what is the purpose of the olive oil? I am cooking in an Ooni pizza oven.
Steve
Olive oil helps with the elasticity and pliability so the dough is not tough to roll out and remains nice and stretchy.
Marisa Franca
Thank you, Steve!! I'm glad you responded to Vicki and also Amarah!! Have a wonderful weekend.
Vicki
I just made the dough in my stand mixer. It is very sticky. Will it firm up a little after it rises and it's put in the fridge? Should I add a little more flour to the top?
Marisa Franca
Hello, Vicki! It may firm up a bit. I would just make sure your board is well floured when you roll out your pizza dough. In the warmer months, it seems like you could add about a tablespoon less water to your dough. Let us know how it turns out. Pizza -- yummy! We had ours last night. xoxo
Cornelia Whitaker
Best pizza I made with this recipe for the dough it was so good I ate too many pieces of pizza
Marisa Franca
Hi, Cornelia! I know how you feel - we do the same thing. Hope you have a wonderful day. xoxo
Nancy
Excellent! I have been looking for a dough recipe for years that comes close to one I used to buy from an Italian market. This is perfect. My results were everything I hoped. Thank you!
Marisa Franca
Hi Nancy! Thank you so much for your nice comment. We're glad you enjoy the pizza - we really like it too. BUT! We have a surprise coming up this week that I hope will interest you. It's the new craze in Rome that's spilling over to the US. We LOVE it. xoxo
A
Oh yeah! This is the recipe I've been looking for: Caputo 00 flour, SAS active yeast, stand mixer...all the things I've got at the ready! I'm having a backyard pizza party and I'll need quadruple the recipe, so I want to confirm my plan based on the containers I have handy: 1) Make 4 individual dough batches because my stand mixer is standard size; 2) Move the batches to a single plastic covered tub and let them sit in there together for 1-1/2 hours; 3) Punch down and separate into 12 dough balls 4) sit the balls on the floured bottom of covered dough trays; 5) lightly oil each dough ball and dome with plastic wrap; 6) transfer to refrigerator overnight; 7) bring them to room temperature hours before use. Questions for you: Is this the right plan? Any issue combining 4 batches into 1 tub, each approximately 20 minutes apart? Does the floured tray and oiled plastic wrap plan sound right instead of individual baggies? Thanks for the custom advice!
Marisa Franca
Hi There!! Steps 1-2 are fine or better yet put into 2 containers. Now, after the 1 1/2 hour rise, put the whole container/containers in the fridge. In the morning, measure/scale out your 12 balls, oil/cover them and let them rise. Bring the balls to room temperature. They will rise quite a bit, that's why we like putting them in a bowl. Just make sure they have enough room. Having them at room temperature and warmer will make the dough easy to roll out. This is a really great crispy crust. Happy baking and if you have any other questions we'll be happy to answer. Have a great 4th!
Anne Marie
Got it...that's exactly what I needed. Thanks for clarifying! I'll send along a picture or two. Since we're still social distancing here in NY, I'll have a few moments after pulling the pies from the pizza oven and my guests bridging the 6 foot divide.
Colin
What is the ideal diameter of the finished pizza per dough ball?
Marisa Franca
Hello, Colin! It all depends on how thin you want crust. We like it on the thin side and roll it out to 13-14 inches. You can experiment and see how you like it. We'd love to know how you like it -- thick or thin. Happy pizza baking.
jenny roethlisberger
Does the dough NEED to be put in the fridge overnight, or can it be cooked right away?
Marisa Franca
Hi, Jenny!! After it rises you can use it. The gluten in the dough develops more when it has a chance to also rests in the fridge. But you'll still get a delicious crust using it right away. We've done it before ( the family wanted a pizza ASAP). Let us know if you have any other questions.
xoxo Marisa
Belle
I have 00 Caputo flour and will be using a Kitchenaid stand mixer. How many minutes do I need to mix the ingredients? After which, the recipe says, let it rest for 10 min, then knead for 5 min. Can I use the stand mixer again instead of kneading it by hand?
Marisa Franca
Hi Belle!! Lucky you to have 00 Caputo - right now it's hard to find. The time to have it come together varies. The dough will be smooth and still a bit tacky. You don't want to add too much flour in it. Then just proceed with the time. And yes you continue to knead with the mixer. Let us know how it goes. xoxo
Anna Masone
you can find caputo flour in whole food stores
Aline
Best pizza dough ever!!!!!!! Thank you for the recipe!! We had a feast!
Karen
I'm so glad I stocked up on OO flour! This pizza looks classic and delicious.
Marisa Franca
Hello, Karen! Wish we would have stocked up on it. Now, it's all on back order. Happy cooking! xoxo
Celin
hello dear,
i have a question; i actually made the pizza dough and put it in the refrigerator for around 24 hours; now i would like to make one portion and freeze the other 2 portions which r already risen in my refrigerator; for freezing them, should i deflate them and then freeze or have to keep the bubbles un-touch and freeze in the same blown shape?
thanks,
Marisa Franca
Hello Celin! Deflate the two portions you are going to freeze and put each one in a vegetable oil sprayed freezer bag. Then when you're ready to use, take the dough and put it in an oiled bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Be sure to let the dough come to room temperature and even a bit warmer. This way it will make it easier to spread out. Cold dough can be quite stubborn. Happy pizza eating! xoxo
Jovina Coughlin
Your pizza looks fantastic. And I love the idea of using the Italian flour.
Chandice Probst
There’s nothing quite like homemade pizza crust! This is so easy to follow with great tips and tricks thank you so much!
Giuliana
Excellent crust!!!! Very simple to make too👍🏻
5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Marisa Franca
Thank you, Giuliana! Do you have a favorite topping? xoxo
Jaclyn
If I am using instant yeast, how much should I use? And does it HAVE to be refrigerated overnight or can I make it the same day?
Thank you!
Marisa Franca
Hi Jaclyn! You can use the pizza dough after the 2 hour proofing. If using Instant yeast I just use the same amount. We always use instant yeast. There isn't enough there to make any difference.
Paula Lawson
Hi Marisa,
Your recipe calls for 2tablespoons of olive oil but the oil isn’t mentioned in the instructions. Does it go into the dough or just to oil the bowl?
Marisa Franca
Hi, Paula. The olive oil is in #2 of the instructions. We put it in the water, then add it to the flour mixture. The pizza is fantastic - let me know how you like it. xoxo
Amarah
Quick question? What does the oil do to the dough? I noticed some recipes call for it and others don’t. Just trying to understand how this works. I’m using your recipe today. Thanks.
Marisa Franca
Hi, Amarah!! See what Steve said - it's true. It helps in the elasticity and pliability of the dough.
MMalka
Can you please post the recipe with the ingredients expressed in grams, for more accuracy?
Thank you
Marisa Franca
I'll be happy to add the measurement in grams.
Lois Christensen
I've never heard of this flour. I'll have to look for it because we do love making homemade pizza here too! Your's looks amazing!
Jolina
This does look perfect! I've never heard of Italian 00 flour before. I hope Amazon delivers to me! If not...would pulsing normal flour in a food processor do in a pinch?
Veena Azmanov
Looks delicious and perfect weekend Dinner option. My family to relish it.
Gloria
Homemade pizza dough is the best. With grilling season here, we LOVE making pizza on the BBQ. I am printing this off, and hanging it on the fridge. It will be my "go to" dough recipe for pizzas all summer long. I just know they will be delicious.
Denise
I’ve been trying to make the perfect pizza for years. I never knew it was the flour! I’m glad you said you can get it on Amazon. I might have to get my son into making pizza since he loves it so much. Great person and I can’t wait to try it with my son that is.
Collette
It says to b.ake it at 550 degrees or the highest your oven will heat. ItS at the very end of the recipe
Deb Steady
I would have given it 5 stars if the recipe shared what temperature to bake the pizza.
Marisa Franca
Hi, Deb!! This is one of those moments where you hit your forehead and say "Where was my brain?" Of course, I should have written in the temperature. We do it at 550 F. or the highest your oven will go for 7 to 10 minutes depending on how your oven bakes. I will make sure I add that to the instructions. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
Charles Putzer
Pizza dough takes time to master even following same recipe practice practice practice enjoy your pizza I'm such a pizza lover I built my own outdoor wood fired oven and the pizzas a fabulous
Marisa Franca
Oh! Lucky you!! I'd love to see your outdoor wood fired oven. I can just imagine the taste of the pizza -- out of this world. Send me a photo of your pizza!!
M. Byrd
There is an obvious typo on the amount of salt!
Marisa Franca
Thank you for catching the typo. When we switched recipe cards and I reread the recipe I must have missed that. It should be 1 1/2 teaspoons. I'll correct it right now.
Chuck
I have been using Caputo 00 flour for a long time.
I use four cups of Flour a cup and a half of cold water and a half teaspoon of dry yeast, a pinch of salt, sugar and a tablespoon of olive oil. I put all of the dry ingredients in together mix it and then add water.
It is the smoothest doughi’ve ever worked with.
I let it proof for two hours and the. Refrigerate it, but even after two days in the refrigerator and taking it out for an hour and a half or more it stretches, but not as easily as it should and I should be able to make a ten inch pizza with an eight ounce ball it does stretch, but not easily.
It cooks in 7-10 minutes on a pre-heated stone in a convection oven at 550.
I’m in Charleston, SC. Could it be the humidity?
Thanks
Chuck
Marisa Franca
Hi, Chuck!!It seems like you're ingredients are good. Now, if we aren't going to use the dough right away, we'll freeze it. When we make pizza - we let that dough out (covered with a plastic wrap - we use a cheap shower cap) all day. The first clue is that it's fighting you. Believe us, we've had that problem many times until we let that dough get nice and warm. If your room temperature is too cool we put it in the oven with the light on. But you have to watch it because it will get up to 90+ F. It won't hurt it to let it out all day. Whenever the dough fights you, cover it and let it rest for a bit and then stretch it again. We made pizza the other evening and that dough stretched easily. It had been out all day and it had been frozen. When we make pizza dough we usually make enough to freeze in portions. Let us know how this works out for you.
Nikki
Does water need to be warm to activate yeast?
** That's a great question -- thank you for bringing it up. I'll clarify in the directions.
Marisa Franca
Hi, Nikki! We use Instant yeast so it doesn't have to be warm. The other yeast would be best to use warm water to give the yeast a boost. Let me know how your crust turns out. Have a great weekend.
Michelle
Your recipe says Active dry yeast. This IS different than quick rise
Marisa Franca
Hi, Michelle. Actually Active dry yeast and Quick rise are the same. Instant yeast is different than the active rise or quick rise. To use instant yeast you don't need as much as the active rise. There are four types of yeast: 1. Active or quick rise, 2. Instant yeast, 3.Fresh yeast, 4.Wild yeast and starters. I hope that explains it. xoxo
Marc
Hi,
first of all, thank you for the recipe and for the time you take reading and answering to our questions.
I would like some more clarification on the yeast. From what I learned searching, the goal of Instant yeast is to skip the first rise. That would then allow you to use the dough right after the 2-hour period of rising mentionned in the recipe.
Q1. Since you mentionned you are using instant rise, why does the recipe calls for refrigerating overnight and re-rising while bringing it to room temp the next day?
Q2. I have Fleischmann Quick-rise but it also says Instant Yeast on thr label. I am kind of lost. On the bottle, it says the following :
‘’How to use quick-rise : mix with dry ingredients, then add liquids heated to 120F to 130F. Knead, cover and let rest for 10min. (Replaces first rise in 2-rise recipes). It will not rise during this time. Shape according to the recipe, cover and let rise. then cook.’’ I am lost here, do I have the right yeast? Is this really instant or quick rise?
Q3. My Fleischmann quick-rise instant yeast instruction suggests to use 2-1/4tsp to replace a 8g package. I see lots of recipe using 1tsp Instant yeast with hot water for 3.5 cups of flour, some call for the whole 2-1/4tsp for 3.5 cups of flour, why is there such a difference in ratio?
Q4. How tacky should the dough be prior to shaping into pizzas? Mine are hella tacky so i dust them with flour a lot to prevent them from sticking everywhere. I might add up to 1/4 cup of flour total per ball when shaping into pizza. Is this ok?
Thank you very much !
Marisa Franca
Hi Marc!
In answer to your questions:
1. I believe you misunderstood about Instant yeast and the rise. The goal of Instant Yeast is that it mixes quickly and you don't have to prove the yeast. The yeast particles are finer than Active Dry so you do use a bit less -- about 25%. So if the recipe calls for 1 packet of active dry yeast, use 1-3/4 teaspoons of instant yeast.
2. I'm not sure about the Fleischmann directions. I don't use their yeast packets - I purchase the Instant Yeast in bulk. My suggestion would be to follow the bread's directions and not the yeast packet unless you are making their bread recipe. The purpose of two and three rises is that the gluten in the flour develops. The slower it goes the more flavor you're going to get. This is where the Artisan bread has such a wonderful flavor.
3. As far as these directions go I'd have to see the particular recipe you're talking about. Also I've never seen the directions to use hot water with the yeast. You don't want to use all of the yeast's energy in the beginning. That's why dough is put in the refrigerator - to retard its growth and improve the flavor.
4. Tacky would be like paint that's been drying for a bit. Sticky but it doesn't completely stick to your hands. How wet the dough depends a lot on the type of dough and bread. Rather than putting a lot of flour on in the dough, flour your hands while shaping.
Hope this helps. If you have any other questions I'll be glad to answer.
Marisa Franca
Thank you it is delicious. I could eat pizza morning, noon and night!! 🙂
Diane P.
Marisa---This is fantastic!! I actually have 2 bags of this flour in my pantry right now. I bought it to make biscotti and pasta, which I did, but still have some hanging around. Hadn't thought of using it for pizza. But my dough, I would roll, and stretch, and roll some more, and flop over, and it would just withdrawn within itself like an amoeba!! I've been so tired of fighting with pizza dough that I just stopped trying! I think I'll try this over the week-end. Thanks! Diane P.
PS--I have made your mushroom, leek, and arugula dish 3 more times now. Lucky for me, my husband won't eat vegetables, so I HAD IT ALL FOR MYSELF!! YUM!
Jeanette
Does the dough not need to be kneaded if it is mixed in a food processor?
Marisa Franca
No you don't have to knead the dough if you use the food processor. In fact it is neat the way you can zip, zip, zip and it is done. I've found that all you need to do is process long enough that it comes together and has the texture you'd get from kneading it. If you refrigerate the dough just make sure it is very warm -- then it will do exactly as you want it to.
Sharon Proudfoot
I used the food processor method, do I have to knead the dough after it forms a ball?
Marisa Franca
Hello, Sharon. No you don't have to knead it any longer. You do have to let it rise, though. If you have any other questions we'll be happy to answer. xoxo
Carl
Hi Marisa,
How much fresh yeast would I use instead of dry ?
Thanks,
Carl
Marisa Franca
Hi, Carl! The rule of thumb is dividing or multiplying by 3: from fresh yeast to dry – divide amount by 3, eg. instead of 30 grams of fresh yeast use 10 grams of dry. from dry yeast to fresh – multiply by 3, meaning 7 grams or dry yeast becomes 21 grams of fresh. So, the Active dry yeast is 2 grams so you'd use 6 grams of fresh or 1/4 ounce. I'd love to know how it turns out. My Mamma always used the cake yeast when she baked bread. Happy baking.
Marisa Franca
Hi, Jeanette! Boy, I just saw this and I hope you get the reply. If you make it in the food processor you don't have to knead it. In fact, if you knead it too long the dough will be tough -- that's not what we want.
Ocean State Home
Thank you for sharing this. I've always wanted to try making my own pizza but have heard so many horror stories about how they turn out because the crust. I've kept it filed under "why bother" if you know you're doomed to failure. But now I have the it's not a secret secret. Thanks again.