Can you make pizza dough in advance and refrigerate it?

Yes, and you should! Making 00 flour pizza dough 1 to 3 days in advance and refrigerating it allows it to cold ferment, giving it superior flavor and texture compared to same-day dough. It's also a huge time-saver for quick weeknight meals. Plus, it makes it much easier to digest. No stodgy pizza dough here! See the 4 make-ahead options above.

Can you freeze homemade pizza dough?

Yes, I do it all the time! Freeze portioned dough balls in a lightly oiled freezer bag with the air squeezed out for up to 3 months. There are no negative effects of freezing pizza dough. I usually double the recipe and freeze half for easy pizza nights.

How do you thaw frozen pizza dough quickly?

Place the sealed bag of frozen dough in a bowl of hot tap water for 20 minutes, flip, and soak another 20 minutes. After 40 minutes, the dough will be thawed but cool. Let it rest at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before shaping.

What are the best ways to reheat leftover pizza?

Skillet method (my favorite): place in a dry cast iron pan, cover, and heat 4-6 minutes. Oven broiler (best for reheating large portions) : 3-4 minutes until bubbly. Regular oven (preheated): 375°F/190°C with foil for 6-8 minutes. Microwave works in a pinch, but won't be crispy.

How do you bring refrigerated pizza dough to room temperature?

Remove the sealed dough balls from the fridge, cover them with a bowl, sustainable cling film, or a clean lint-free kitchen towel (linen tea towels work great) to keep them from drying out, and let them rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. This allows the gluten to relax so the dough stretches easily without tearing. Don't rush this step.

What are the best pizza pans and surfaces to bake on?

Pizza steels and flame-proof pizza stones give the best results when preheated for at least 45 minutes at max oven temperatures. Cast iron skillets (inverted), blue steel, carbon steel, and heavy-duty sheet pans also work very well. The key is always preheating the surface for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Should I add sugar to my pizza dough?

You don't have to, but I recommend it for home oven pizza for better color. Two teaspoons of sugar doesn't affect taste, but it gives the crust a beautiful golden brown color you'd otherwise only get at higher pizzeria temps. Honey or maple syrup works as a substitute.

00 flour (aka type 00, tipo 00, doppio zero, or double zero) is the most finely milled flour in Italy's grading system. The "00" refers to how finely the flour is ground, not the protein content. It has a silky, almost powdery texture that produces smooth, elastic pizza dough and also fresh pasta . Most 00 pizza flours have between 11-13% protein.

Where can I buy 00 flour?

In the US, find 00 flour at Whole Foods, Italian delis, and online retailers like Amazon and King Arthur Baking. Caputo is the most widely available Italian brand. If you can't find it, King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose (11.7% protein) or bread flour are the best substitutes.

How long should pizza dough rise?

For same-day pizza, depending on the temperature of your kitchen, the first rise usually takes about 90 minutes (until doubled) , followed by a 30-minute second rise after portioning. For cold fermentation, the dough can rise in the fridge for 24-72 hours, which produces superior flavor, texture, and digestibility. Warmer environments speed up rising; cooler ones slow it down.

How do you knead pizza dough?

By hand: push the dough away with the heel of your palm, fold it back onto itself, rotate a quarter turn, and repeat for 10-12 minutes until smooth and elastic. In a stand mixer: use the dough hook on medium-low for 7-8 minutes or until the dough pulls cleanly from the bowl sides. If the dough climbs up the hook, stop the mixer, pull it back down into the bowl, and continue mixing.

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of 00 flour for pizza dough?

Yes! But not every all-purpose flour is of the same quality. I only recommend King Arthur Unbleached All-purpose flour or Hecker's All-Purpose (both around 11.7% protein), which work well in this recipe. You may need to add a little extra water, a tablespoon at a time, since American flours absorb more water than Italian 00 flour. If you have bread flour in your pantry instead, check out my bread flour pizza dough recipe , which is written specifically for that flour

Best 00 Flour Pizza Dough Recipe (Thin-Crust, 5 Ingredients)

Name: Best 00 Flour Pizza Dough Recipe (Thin-Crust, 5 Ingredients)
Prep time: 2 h 12 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 480g 00 Italian flour (4 cups) *see recipe notes for measuring if using cups; up to 300g warm water (between 110°F-115°F) (10 5/8 fluid ounces); 2 teaspoons Red Star Platinum instant yeast (9g) (sub active dry yeast)*; 2 teaspoons sugar (9g) (sub honey or pure maple syrup); 2 teaspoons kosher salt (8g); 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (30g) (sub other vegetable oil)*; 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (for oiling the dough bowl and dough balls); 1 tablespoon of 00 flour (for incorporating into the dough while kneading it); 1/4 cup pizza sauce per pizza; 1 cup to 1 1/3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese; 2 tablespoons grated Grana Padano (sub Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano); toppings of your choice; 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling over the top of assembled pizza before baking)

Description

This easy 00 flour pizza dough recipe takes just 12 minutes of active work to mix and knead. Made with only 5 ingredients plus water, this versatile Italian pizza dough makes crispy thin-crust pizza or thick, chewy hand-stretched pizza. Works beautifully in any home oven, even at temperatures below 500°F/260°C.

Ingredients

Units

For the Dough

480g 00 Italian flour (4 cups) *see recipe notes for measuring if using cups
up to 300g warm water (between 110°F-115°F) (10 5/8 fluid ounces)
2 teaspoons Red Star Platinum instant yeast (9g) (sub active dry yeast)*
2 teaspoons sugar (9g) (sub honey or pure maple syrup)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (8g)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (30g) (sub other vegetable oil)*

For Working the Dough

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (for oiling the dough bowl and dough balls)
1 tablespoon of 00 flour (for incorporating into the dough while kneading it)

For the Toppings

1/4 cup pizza sauce per pizza
1 cup to 1 1/3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Grana Padano (sub Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano)
toppings of your choice
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling over the top of assembled pizza before baking)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark even when your hands have flour all over them

Instructions

Preheat the oven and pizza stone/grill pan. Turn the oven on to its highest setting (in my case this is 482°F/250°C) and allow it to preheat with the pizza stone or baking pan in (it in the hottest part of your oven) for at least 30 minutes (and up to 45 minutes or 1hr).
Make the pizza dough. In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook) combine the 00 flour, instant yeast, and sugar and whisk well to combine. *If using active dry yeast, see recipe notes for instructions. Add the olive oil and salt and slowly start adding the warm water just until the dough starts to come together and you can form a ball that's not wet and sticking to your fingers. *I rarely use all of the water - depending on the humidity of your environment and the absorption potential of the flour you're using, you may not need all of the water, or you may need just a teaspoon or two more if the mixture is too dry. See the video below for what the dough should look like at this stage.
Knead the pizza dough and let it rise (1st rise). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it for 10 to 12 minutes until it's soft, smooth, and pliable. Add a sprinkle of flour every now and again if needed to keep the dough from sticking to the countertop as you knead, but be careful not to add too much. Place the kneaded dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise for 2 hours in the oven with the light turned on, or at room temperature (70°F/21°C) until doubled in size.
Portion and shape the dough. Punch down the risen dough to remove air bubbles and divide it into 4 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and roll them each on the countertop to seal the bottom and create a uniform dough round.
Let the dough balls rise (2nd rise). Place the dough balls onto a lightly oiled baking pan, brush them lightly with oil, and cover the dough with sustainable cling film, OR place them onto a lightly floured baking pan, dust them with a little more flour, and cover them with a clean lint-free kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes, or until they become puffy and hydrated looking.
Roll out the pizza dough: If using a pizza peel, sprinkle it with a little semolina or cornmeal and use the rolling pin to transfer the dough onto the peel (no parchment paper needed). If you don’t have a pizza peel, use the rolling pin to transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper (as you would with pie crust) and place a cutting board underneath it for support while you top it.
Top pizza and bake: Top the pizza with sauce, sprinkle with grated Grana Padano (or Parm), and top it with grated mozzarella and the toppings of your choice. Drizzle the pizza with a little extra virgin olive oil and transfer it to the preheated stone or pan. If using a pizza peel, slide the pizza straight off the peel onto the stone, with no parchment. If using parchment, slide the cutting board under the parchment and slide the pizza and parchment together onto the stone. Bake for about 8-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Notes

*A note about measuring flour: Measuring cups are not standardized and precise across the board from brand to brand. Always use the level-and-scoop method to measure the flour when using cups instead of a scale. Never just dunk the cup into the flour bag and get the flour that way, as you'll likely end up with way too much flour. That said, one standard cup of flour typically weighs about 121g. Just use the correct method to measure the flour and add the water carefully until you get the right consistency.

Scale down: To make just 2 pizzas instead of 4, halve the recipe.

Active dry yeast substitute: Bloom the yeast first by combining the sugar and half the warm water in a large bowl, sprinkling the yeast on top, and waiting 10 minutes until foamy. Then add the flour, salt, olive oil, and remaining water. Proceed with kneading as instructed.

Oil: Any vegetable oil works in the dough, but always use extra virgin olive oil when drizzling over the assembled pizza before baking. That drizzle is for flavor.

Yeast math: 2 teaspoons is just under one standard packet (which contains 2 1/4 teaspoons). Using the whole packet is fine, but not necessary.

Use a scale: Measuring flour by weight in grams is more accurate and consistent. If using cups, always use the scoop-and-level method: spoon flour into the cup until heaping, then level with the back of a knife. Never dig the cup into the bag.

Less is more with toppings. Too much sauce, cheese, or toppings makes for soggy, undercooked pizza. Slice vegetables as thin as possible (a mandoline is perfect for this) and pat them dry.

Pizza peel vs parchment: With a pizza peel, dust it with semolina, top the pizza right on the peel, and slide it straight onto the hot stone or steel (no parchment). Without a peel, top the pizza on parchment and slide the pizza and the parchment together onto the stone to bake.

Preheat your baking surface for at least 30 minutes and, even better, up to 1 hour at maximum heat. This is the single most important step for a crispy bottom crust.

Using a pizza oven or wood-fired oven? Omit the sugar. Those ovens bake hot enough for natural browning in just a couple of minutes of cooking time without it.

Prep Time: 12 minutes
Rise or Proofing Time: 120 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Category: Pizza
Method: Baked
Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 (12-inch) pizza
Calories: 505
Sugar: 2g
Sodium: 485mg
Fat: 9g
Saturated Fat: 1.5g
Unsaturated Fat: 7.5g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 92g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 14g
Cholesterol: 0mg