Perfect Thick or Thin Pizza Crust
After many, many experiments, we’ve concluded that this is the perfect thick or thin pizza crust.
“Through thick or thin, it’s the best!”
Perfect Thick or Thin Pizza Crust
For a thick crust: Makes 1 16-inch crustFor a medium crust: Makes 2 16-inch crustsFor a thin crust: Makes 3 16-inch crustsDouble recipe: Makes exactly 2 thin and 2 medium jelly-roll pans
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (or 1 pkg)
- ½ tsp white sugar
- 1 ½ cups water (warm)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour (may need up to 4 cups)
- seasonings to taste (garlic salt, basil, oregano…)
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Allow to rest until foamy – about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the salt and oil then add 2 1/2 cups of flour.
- Knead the dough and add more flour until the dough is no longer sticky.
Thick or Medium Crusts:
- Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with a cloth. Allow the dough to rest until doubled – about 1 hour.
- Punch the dough down and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute then roll out.
- Thoroughly oil the pizza pan and generously sprinkle the pan with garlic salt, oregano, and basil. Transfer the rolled out dough to the pan.
- *If baking the pizzas later, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until time to preheat the oven. If baking now, continue with the recipe.
- When it is time to preheat the oven, remove the pizza pans from the fridge and allow to warm up on the counter while the oven is heating up. Preheat the oven to 500° (or as hot as it will go).
- When the oven is preheated, poke several holes in the dough with a fork (prevents bubbles) and prebake for 7-10 minutes, or until just starting to turn brown on the bottom.
- Remove from the oven, load with toppings, then bake the pizza until the cheese and crust are golden brown – about 15-20 minutes.
Thin Crust: (You will skip both rising times.)
- Roll the dough out.
- Thoroughly oil the pizza pans and generously sprinkle the pan with garlic salt, oregano, and basil. Transfer the rolled out dough to the pans and cover with plastic wrap.
- If you are baking the crust within the next 1/2 hour, place in the freezer. Otherwise, place in the fridge until time to bake.
- Preheat the oven to 500° (or as hot as it will go).
- When the oven is preheated, remove the crust from the fridge, poke several holes in the dough with a fork (prevents bubbles) and prebake for 5-10 minutes, or until just starting to turn brown on the bottom.
- Remove from the oven, load with toppings, then bake pizza until the cheese and crust are golden brown – about 15-20 minutes.
Notes:
Make Ahead: You can make this up earlier in the day and keep it in the fridge.
Difference between thick & medium crust: You just use 2x the amount of dough for the thick crust – otherwise, the directions are the same.
Difference between med/thick & thin crust: The med/thick crust rises once before rolling out and rises again while the oven is preheating. The thin crust doesn’t rise at all and goes straight from the fridge (or freezer) into the preheated oven.
Diet: Dairy Free, Egg Free