Rustic Italian Pizza Dough Recipe Video
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The best, easy, thin and crispy crust rustic Italian pizza dough recipe you will ever make. Step by step how to video included below.
Italian Pizza Dough Recipe – Homemade Neopolitan Style!
A quick, authentic, thin and crispy crust that is also perfect for freezing.
With a name like Florentina you would probably be willing to bet that I live La Bella Vita Under the Tuscan Sun and can toss a pizza like nobody’s business. The truth is I do live La Bella Vita but under the California sun and I can’t toss a pizza for the life of me.
Although you can make this authentic Italian pizza dough recipe by hand, it is way easier to use a mixer. Fail proof, No tossing required! Honestly this is the real reason I got a Kitchen Aid mixer and a pizza stone, so we can make the best homemade pizza ever.
After constantly trying new recipes and formulas, and after having gone to Italy in search of the perfect rustic authentic Italian pizza dough, I am even more confident that this is the best recipe out there. Beep-beep!
What makes this the best Italian pizza dough recipe ever?
- Quick and easy to make by hand, food processor or Kitchen Aid Mixer!
- Made with Instant or  active dry yeast, (<–amazon), flour and COLD water (no proofing required).
- Thin and crispy crust, yet still a little chewy.
- Make ahead and refrigerate for tomorrow, freeze for later or use right away.
- Naturally vegan, perfect for garlic knots, Stromboli, calzone, focaccia, bread sticks and even for the outdoor pizza oven.
What Is the best flour for pizza dough?
In my humble opinion, an organic unbleached all purpose flour is ideal especially when making a thin Neopolitan crust. No fancy flour is required.
What is a Neopolitan Pizza Crust?
An authentic Italian thin crisp crust pizza with charred edges and only a few toppings.
Simple Topping from Casa Florentina
- A thick homemade pomodoro sauce, arrabiata, puttanesca or marinara sauce.
- ricotta meatballs
- roasted cherry tomatoes
- fresh vegan mozzarella cheese (<–sooo good)
- spinach & artichoke
- caramelized onions
- heirloom tomatoes & fresh basil
- marinated roasted peppers.
The Secret to Italian Pizza Dough Perfection
- You must bake your rustic pizza on a Pizza Stone! Lightly brush it with some olive oil and as soon as the pie comes out of the oven top it with wedges of fresh heirloom tomatoes, basil, oregano and slices of fresh mozzarella di buffala.
- There’s no food on Earth like a homemade pizza, but even the best recipe will be lacking something without the magic of a pizza stone. Even the most basic one gives you a close result to a wood burning pizza oven. Just remember to heat it up with your oven so it won’t crack. Give it plenty of time to warm up, eve an hour or more if you aren’t in a rush or it’s cold outside.
Note Worthy
If you are looking for those authentic charred little fire kisses on the edges of your Italian pizza crust but your oven doesn’t go higher than 500″F, I strongly suggest finished it under the broiler, just for the last minute or so. It will give you a similar effect as a wood burning pizza oven with a subtle smokiness. Magical!
watch how to make the best Italian pizza dough
Rustic Italian Pizza Dough Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 cups all purpose (or 00 flour ) + some for dusting
- 1.5 tsp instant dry yeast (or active dry yeast)
- 1.5 tsp sea salt
- 2.25 cups COLD water
- 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Favorite Toppings
- Caramelized onions
- Arrabiata Sauce
- Heirloom Tomatoes
- Fresh Basil
- Green Onions
- Smoked Mozzarella Cheese
- Sauteed Mushrooms
- Ricotta Meatballs
- Roasted Peppers
Instructions
- Preheat your oven as high as it will go for at least 45 minutes to one hour with the pizza stone already inside. (I baked at 525"F but check your pizza stone for max temperature).
- In the bowl of your kitchen aid and using the paddle attachment mix the flour, sea salt and yeast on low speed until all is incorporated then add the COLD water.5 cups all purpose (or 00 flour ), 1.5 tsp instant dry yeast, 1.5 tsp sea salt, 2.25 cups COLD water
- Switch to the dough hook and mix together on low speed for 8 to 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and sticky but should not stick to the sides of the bowl, only a little to the bottom.
- NOTE - If the dough sticks to the sides sprinkle in a little more flour, if it is too dry then add a bit more water. This will vary every time you make it so keep extra flour handy.
- After the 8 minutes have passed remove the dough from the mixer and cut it into 6 pieces and form them into rounds. Place them on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and drizzle with 1 tbs or so of extra virgin olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature and rise for 2 hours in a draft free area, I prefer the cold oven. ( At this stage you can also freeze the dough individually or place in the fridge overnight or a couple of days).1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- Sprinkle the counter with a little bit of flour, take one piece of dough and press down on it with your fingers until you have 1/2" thick circle or oval. Using your fists and knuckles start stretching the dough until 10" in diameter making sure not to tear it ( this should be easy since it is a small pie).
- Dust your pizza peel (or a piece of cardboard) very well with semolina flour or corn meal and set your pizza dough on it making sure it slides easily when moved. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of the pizza sauce in the center and spread it around with the back of a spoon leaving 1 inch of space at the edges and making sure not to get any on the peel. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and add your favorite toppings. ( Don't add too many toppings, keep in mind this is a thin crust and a couple of toppings will suffice ).Arrabiata Sauce
- Gently slide the pie on the preheated pizza stone in a hot 525"F degree or more oven, and bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. When making the breakfast pizza I find that the egg cooks perfectly in 6 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the basil and freshly grated parmigiano reggianno. Allow to rest for a few minute for the cheese to set.
By Hand Method
- Pour the flour into a large bowl. Add the yeast, salt and cold water and using a wooden spoon mix to combine well.
- Sprinkle some flour on a work surface/kitchen counter and dump the pizza dough. Sprinkle some more flour on top and using your hand knead the dough for about 10 to 15 minutes until a smooth ball forms but still a little bit sticky on the bottom. Follow the steps above afterwards.
Video
Notes
- Make sure to preheat your oven with the pizza stone in it for at least 45 minutes, and finish cooking the pizza under the broiler for a nice charred touch.
- If topping with heirloom tomato slices, make sure to use the firm ones, otherwise the pizza would be watery. Thin firm slices is what you want.
Nutrition
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Any chance of getting the measurements in weights and not just volume? I don’t see anything to do a conversion inside the recipe. Volume measurements are so inaccurate.
Hey James, I could probably do that, however the idea of pizza dough is not as simple as all flour will require different amounts of water so you will have to always add a little more flour until just the perfect consistency of the dough is achieved. The dough has to be a little sticky, it’ slice to stick to the bottom of your mixer bowl but not the sides which would imply it is way too wet. So you always need a little extra flour around and if you make this Pizza Dough a few times you will notice how the amounts vary with each batch of flour. I hope I am making sense and will try to add those measurements for you, still I recommend to use the original recipe as printed 🙂 ~ Florentina
Not sure if I missed this but where does the rack with the stone sit in the oven? At the lowest level?
Also, can I put this on the bbq or my charcoal bbq? Would that work?
Middle or bottom third rack is fine, whichever you find easier and more comfortable to work with considering everything is so hot. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for this easy pizza dough recipe , is made it yesterday and it was a hit .I used it omni pizza cooked pizza at 850 to 900 degrees with great success!! ,within 2 minutes we had pizza,thank you!!
So happy about this, thanks for reporting back Peter! Enjoy the pizza!~ Florentina
When it comes to the freezing…I made the six balls and only want to make two pizzas now. Do I freeze the remaining four right now or after the two hour covered rising?
Hi Elliott, you should freeze the dough balls after shaping, no need to proof them now, they are going to perfectly proof when you defrost to bake. Report back ~ Florentina
First time making pizza dough and was wondering if I can just cook the pizza directly on oiled grill grates?
Hi Marlene, you sure can, make sure the grill is very hot when placing the pizza on it and you should have no problem. Report back! ~ Florentina
My husband and I both like the recipe alot. We hate thicj dough. I made a Margerita pizza with all homegrown v , tomatoes , garlic and basil. Delish ! The only issues I have with the recipe is that once you freeze the dough for future use there are no intructions on how to thaw and use. I took one frozen out this morning and put it in the refrigerator and plan on cooking it around 5pm. I hope this works. I’ve made a lot of pizza dough in my life and so I assumed that I should thaw it throughly and skip the 2 hour 2nd rise period. I will take it out of refrigetator about 2 hours before cooking to bring to room temp. Also I think that people unfamiliar with this type of pizza dough and small size pizza may be disappointed. Since it’s just me and my husband one was enough. They also make great appetizers if we happened to have a couple guests. But for a family of 4 and God forbid a teenage boy be in the mix at least 2 if not three of this size would be needed. Or 2 and a salad. This crust recipe was the closest to the one I had in Mestra Italy outside of Venice. It was Quatro Formaggio Funghi. It was simple and absolutely fantastic ! I hope this has been helpful to that family with the teenage boy !
Great crust, thin and crispy. Can this be mixed in a food processor?
Thanks
If using a high heat wood oven, what is the highest temperature you suggest for this dough?
Also, can I slow ferment in the refrigerator for 2-3 days to develop some flavor?
Yes you can slow rise the dough in the fridge and bring out to room temp about one or two hours before baking. If using a wood pizza oven you can go up to 800″F if you like and depending on how thin you stretched out your dough it will cook really fast 2-3 minutes. Report back! ~ Florentina
I’ve tried so many pizza dough recipes trying to find one that enabled me to make something approaching authentic pizza at home and this blows the others out of the water. It was so good, even without a pizza stone. I’m going to try a slow rise in the fridge next!
This pizza dough recipe has been a go to for our family! I’ve recently had to go gluten free and was wondering if you had any experience making this recipe with gluten free flour?
Hi Priscilla, I have not made this dough gluten free but I suspect it would actually work quite well since this is a thin crust..I’d love to hear back if you give it a try with gluten free flour before I do. ~ Florentina
I have used this recipe for gluten free and it comes out great.
Can I use pizza crust yeast? Is that same as Active Dry Yeast?
That should be fine, it’s an instant type yeast, let me know hoe it works out! ~ Florentina
This is the best pizza dough recipe I’ve come across! I tried making it once, and it’s been my go to for every pizza I make! A pizza stone or pizza skillet makes the biggest of a difference. Perfect crust from top to bottom! I would like to know if I can use this dough recipe to make bread with it? I’m very curious but haven’t tried yet.
Yes, actually I have a separate recipe for the bread, let me know if you ahem any questions and make sure to watch the video tutorial for step by step instructions 🙂 https://ciaoflorentina.com/rustic-crusty-bread-recipe/
I absolutely loved it , its fresh and crunchy , I will keep it for my family well done
Regards Chantal Carver
Can I leave in fridge after I ball to cold ferment for 2 to 3 days so I can get more flavor.
YES, absolutely! I’ve had success with it even for a week. Let me. know how it goes!
Do I bake the pizza on the same temperature as the preheated pizza stone?? the highest my oven goes?? mid way through proofing the dough, I preheat the pizza stone and when it’s time I leave the oven in the same temperature and that’s how I cook it?
Yes you leave the temperature the same!However it’s important to make sure that your pizza stone is safe to a certain temperature. I’ve been using the Emile Henry stone for way over a decade and it’s safe up to 900″F or so, however my new induction oven only goes to 575″F. Depending how thin you stretch the pizza it should take anywhere between 3 minutes to 8 minutes to be done, so keep a close eye on it until you are comfortable with your own ideal set up. Report back ~ Florentina
hello!! i want to try the recipe but i don’t have a pizza stone. is it still going to work?
Yes it will work. D
If you have a cast iron griddle or skillet you can use that instead preheated with the oven, otherwise just use whatever heavy duty baking dish you have. Let me know how it goes! ~ Florentina
Best pizza dough ever! As a second timer, the first pizza I made with a different recipe came out doughy and without that crusty satisfaction. This was so easy, with no modification needed. The recipe was so perfect that it came out of the mixer with no need for more water or flour. I used an Italian pizza wheat flour. Even without a pizza stone, the crust was crispy and thin. With a pizza stone I’m sure this would be even closer to perfection but for an at home pizza this blew me away. Best part is the baking only took 10 or so minutes so it’s quick to make personal pizzas for the whole family.
This makes me so happy Carol! For the future keep in mind that you can heat up your oven to the max and get an even crisper pizza that also cooks faster depending on how think you stretch it. You could literally have it perfectly cooked in less than 5 minutes (think +600″F hot oven) ~ Florentina Xo’s
This recipe took our homemade pizzas to the next level! Even with my family who like to load on the toppings it was fantastic, won’t be using another recipe from now on.
You have no idea how happy this makes me 🙂 Thank you for reporting back and making my day ~ Florentina Xo’s
The best dough I’ve made by far. My go-to for family pizza night!
For space reasons, can I put it in the fridge overnight before separating into 6 rounds or is it best to refrigerate individually? Thanks!!
Hi Alyssa, it’s best to divide the dough before refrigeration as it will do a slow cold rise overnight and you don’t want to run the risk of overworking the dough later in the process. It’s so much easier wrapped individually and you can even stack them on tope of each other for space reasons. You could also freeze some for later use, here’s a step by step guide: https://ciaoflorentina.com/how-to-freeze-pizza-dough-tutorial/
I used a Bakerstone oven box in my bbq with this dough, and it was the best pizza ever.
I am so happy to hear that and thank you for taking the time to report back on the pizza! Hope you will enjoy and pass down the recipe to your friends and family! ~ Florentina Xo’s
We LOVED this! So yummy. Dense, soft, kinda chewy, and so simple. I didn’t even allow it to raise two hours, more like 1! Ran out of time. It was still wonderful!
I put the raised dough that I hadn’t used for the pizzas into the fridge (in ziplock baggies) and used it the next day to make a garlic herb bubble bread! It was perfect. I took it straight from the fridge and rolled into quarter sized balls, rolled into a garlic butter, then into a herb/parmesan cheese mixture. No need to raise it again either, just baked it right away.
Next time I may attempt the freezing process. Dough has always been so intimidating to me, and this made me feel like a pro! (Especially when my husband who usually has nothing to say (good or bad) about my cooking, asked me where I got that recipe, because he really enjoyed it!!) whoop whoop
Thank you for such a great recipe! My family loves pizza – but who doesn’t. I appreciate that I can make this the day (or night) before, which makes meal planning so much easier. We were previously buying premade dough – but I didn’t like some of the ingredients. The last time I made it, I substituted half of the flour with whole cell crushed wheat to pump up the nutrition profile. So so good!
Can I follow this recipe and process if I am using a breadmaker machine? Does anything change (i.e. rising process, etc.)?
Great recipe! I use it all the time. Only problem I seem to keep having is that my dough is very “springy”. It keeps springing back when I try to roll it out. How can I fix this?
Hi Shann! If the dough is too springy it’s probably been overworked so needs to rest a little more at room temperature for the gluten to relax. However you should not try to “roll it out” but instead press down on the dough ball with the palm of your hand to flatten it, then gently pull and stretch to the sides going all around the circle until desired size and thickness. Please watch the video above recipe card for step by step instructions. Hope this helps and makes things easier 🙂 ~ Florentina
I’m not an expert, but my first guess is too much flour. When I did it, it was on the verge of being almost too sticky, but it didn’t spring back in the least!
If I am going to put it in the fridge or freezer do I let it rise first and then put it away for future use or do I skip the step to let it rise and just go straight to the fridge freezer (and then let it rise for 2+ hours before use)?
Elizabeth, you can put the dough straight in the fridge or freezer then set on the kitchen counter a couple of hours before you plan to cook it. Here are detailed directions on freezing pizza dough: https://ciaoflorentina.com/how-to-freeze-pizza-dough-tutorial/