A few years ago, one of our Italian friends gave us an Italian pizza dough recipe. Since then, pizza rules in our house on the weekends. It has never happened that someone knocked on our door and delivered pizza. We mix, knead, roll, add all kinds of goodies and bake it ourselves. Authentic italian pizza dough recipe is always the best. It’s going to blow you away, it’s so simple. Italian pizza dough can be made the same day or left overnight in the fridge. Perfect either way. Trust me it is the best pizza dough recipe. Any topping goes!
You can make small breads for soup from this dough, like pizza or flatbread, just add garlic, herbs and cheese. It turns out great.
Italian pizza dough recipe (Video)
What do you need to make Italian pizza dough?
Italian pizza dough recipe is made of six simple ingredients: flour, water, olive oil, yeast sugar and salt.
- Flour – It is said that best is “00” Italian flour. I think organic all purpose flour or spelt flour is perfect if you are making an Italian crust.
- Water – Make sure the water temperature is between 86-95F (30-35C°). Never use boiling water. It will kill the yeast microorganisms.
- Yeast – I like to use instant yeast. You can also try dry active yeast. It has the ability to increase the volume of dough through the production of carbon dioxide.
- Olive oil – softens the dough. Don’t forget to brush the dough with olive oil before adding the toppings, which prevents the crust from tasting soggy.
- Salt – adds flavor to the dough, making it less sticky and more elastic. Do not put salt in direct contact with yeast. It will block leavening.
- Sugar is indispensable, as it is food for yeast. It helps to wake up yeast microorgansms.
What is the secret to making good pizza dough?
Our friend Antonio made pizza for us. He is Italian. We watched the whole process. It was fun and so tasty. I think pizza and pasta are in their blood. Now as we’ve got the recipe we make homemade pizzas. Our children enjoy the whole cooking process. Of course, after that I need to clean the flour. It is everywhere and the whole house is white. It’s part of the fun, though. Cooking authentic Italian pizza has become a lovely tradition in our family.
The secret to making good pizza dough is that it needs 3 hours to rise, says Antonio. We make the dough on Saturday mornings. All hungry, we turn our kitchen into the best pizzeria in town. If you are like us, it could mean any day. Children bake pizzas. They love making delicious stuff. At the end, everyone gathers around the table to enjoy delicious pizza.
This Authentic Italian pizza dough recipe is essential for making pizzas of all flavors and shapes at home. You can make homemade round pizza, classic rectangular pizza, cornicione or crispy, thin Roman pizza.
What is the secret to Italian pizza?
Italian pizzas are covered all over with raw tomato sauce. This sauce is made from peeled fresh tomatoes blended with olive oil, salt, fresh basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme.
What kind of flour do Italians use for pizza dough?
I learned that organic spelt flour is ideal especially when making a thin Neopolitan crust. You don’t need fancy flour. Use all purpose flour. It turns out perfect.
How long should pizza dough rise for?
When the pizza dough is ready, form the crust and place it in a baking pan. Leave it to hang out at room temperature for a couple of hours so that the dough gets warm and rises a bit. Waiting at least 3 hours is worth it. During this time prepare the toppings. You can place it in an olive oil-greased bowl and leave it to rise overnight (24 h) in the fridge. I tried this, but I didn’t like it. The crust taste was too intense, overly fermented. Then, you still have to leave it to rise the second time after forming the crust as you ruin the texture when forming the crust. I prefer fresh pizza dough. It’s up to you. If you want to, you can make pizza dough the day before.
Kitchen Equipment
- Two strong hands or a dough maker / stand mixer
- Bamboo brush
- Kitchen scale
- Pizza wheel cutter
- Knife Block Set
- Cutting board
- Mixing bowls
- Bakeware Pizza Pan for Oven or Pizza Stone
- Sicilian Style Pizza Pan
- Pizza rocker cutter
Different techniques to cook authentic Italian Pizza
Baking in a wood-fired oven
Italian pizza is baked in a wood-fired oven that can reach temperatures of over 550°C/1022F and takes just a few minutes to cook. As a result, the crust becomes crispy on the outside and moist, soft on the inside. These are the characteristics of the perfect Italian pizza.
How to bake with a Pizza Stone?
If you have a pizza stone just remember to heat it up in your oven or it will crack. Give it plenty of time to warm up, even an hour or more if you aren’t in a rush.
How to bake pizza in oven?
If you don’t have wood-fired oven nor pizza stone bake in a preheated oven (220C/428F) on the middle rack for about 15 minutes. It’s best to add all toppings, let it cook and then add cheese and bake until melted.
I’m about to tell you how to make pizza dough recipe Italian style. It is easy to make it by hand or with a stand mixer. Ready? Let’s start with the ingredients.
What are the ingredients?
Makes 4 servings x 11 in (30 cm) pizzas
Preparation 30 – 45 min
Cooking 15 min
Rising 3-4 h
- 4 + 3/4 cups (600 g or 21.16 oz) all-purpose white flour, plus more for hands and surfaces (I use organic spelt flour)
- 1 + 3/4 cups (400 ml) warm 30°C/90F water
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) instant yeast. (9 g if you use active dry yeast)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) salt
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) sugar
How to make Italina pizza dough
Step 1 Activate the yeast
Add the warm (30°C/90F) water, sugar and yeast to a medium bowl. Let it hang out for like 6 minutes. Then give it a quick stir. Add olive oil.
Step 2 Knead the dough
Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour bowl. Next, mix everything with a fork until it starts to come together. Get the dough out of the bowl and knead it until it’s smooth and elastic. It takes approximately 6 minutes. If the dough is too sticky add some flour. Press down. If it bounces back it is perfect.
Step 3 Form four equal balls
Form 4 x 12′ dough balls. For each dough ball I use a different baking pan. Lay out baking paper on a baking pan, sprinkle flour. (If you want you can leave this dough in the refrigerator for 1 day. Just place the dough in an olive oil-greased bowl. The bowl must be large since the dough will rise and it must be covered in order to prevent the dough from drying.)
Step 4 Shape the dough and leave it for leavening
Sprinkle flour on your counter. To form the crust, lightly flour the top of the dough ball and press it down with your fingers. Stretch a little bit. Roll out the pizza dough using a rolling pin. Do your best to shape the pizza dough into a 12-inch circle. I like to start it on my counter and finish it up right on the baking pan. Once you get it to a good size leave it to stand at room temperature for a couple of hours so that the dough gets warm and rises a bit. Trust me, waiting at least 3 hours is definitely worth it. During this time prepare the toppings.
Step 5 Add the ingredients and bake
When the dough has doubled, brush the crust surface with just a little bit of olive oil, before adding any toppings. This prevents the crust from tasting soggy. Next, after you add the ingredients, bake in a preheated oven (220C/428F) on the middle rack for about 15 minutes. Let it cook, then add cheese and bake few minutes until melted.
If you use a pizza stone, you should preheat it in your oven for at least 45 minutes. Bake in a 525F degree oven for 6 minutes or until they are golden brown around the edges. Have fun!
Our Favorite Pizza Toppings list
- hearty marinara sauce or other your favorite pizza sauce (you can make fresh marinara sauce)
- tomatoes
- white mushrooms
- cheese (mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano or Gorgonzola)
- cramelized onions
- black olives
- fresh basil leaves or arugula
- Prosciutto, nduja, pancetta or guanciale and salami
Choose your favourites.
How to make pizza toppings
- Cut the onions into rings. Fry them on a low heat, add a pinch of salt, black pepper, sugar and olive oil. Leave it for 10 minutes until it caramelizes. Caramelized onions are one of those magical ingredients that can transform ordinary into extraordinary.
- Spread with tomato sauce and sprinkle with toppings. Place your favorite cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and olives. Add Italian ham or bacon. Be careful not to overload the pizza with too many toppings. Your pizza can turn out soggy.
- Bake in a preheated oven (220C/428F) on the middle shelf for about 15 minutes. Add some seasoning before serving: oregano, basil, marjoram. Serve with fresh basil leaves or arugula. Take a seat and have a taste!
There are so many topping variations to make real Italian pizza. Use what you like. I’ve used all of these above and have no favorites. Every time we bake different combinations. All of them turn out great. The classic authentic Italian pizza toppings would be tomato sauce, oregano or basil, salt, garlic, olive oil and mozzarella. Although you can layer your dough with whatever you desire.
You may like these too:
- Polish potato pancakes with cottage cheese and salmon
- Guanciale carbonara recipe
- Roasted stuffed chicken recipe
- Cranberry chicken recipe
- French quiche
Thanks for spending time with me. If you find this Authentic Italian pizza dough recipe to be tasty, please consider sharing it with your friends to enjoy. Buon appetito!
Add the warm (30°C/90F) water, sugar and yeast to a medium bowl. Let it hang out for like 6 minutes. Then give it a quick stir. Add olive oil. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour bowl. Next, mix everything with a fork until it starts to come together. Get the dough out of the bowl and knead it until it's smooth and elastic. It takes approximately 6 minutes. If the dough is too sticky add some flour. Press down. If it bounces back it is perfect. Form 4 x 12' dough balls. For each dough ball I use a different baking pan. Lay out baking paper on a baking pan, sprinkle flour. (If you want you can leave this dough in the refrigerator for 1 day. Just place the dough in an olive oil-greased bowl. The bowl must be large since the dough will rise and it must be covered in order to prevent the dough from drying.) Sprinkle flour on your counter. To form the crust, lightly flour the top of the dough ball and press it down with your fingers. Stretch a little bit. Roll out the pizza dough using a rolling pin. Do your best to shape the pizza dough into a 12-inch circle. I like to start it on my counter and finish it up right on the baking pan. Once you get it to a good size leave it to stand at room temperature for a couple of hours so that the dough gets warm and rises a bit. Trust me, waiting at least 3 hours is definitely worth it. During this time prepare the toppings. When the dough has doubled, brush the crust surface with just a little bit of olive oil, before adding any toppings. This prevents the crust from tasting soggy. Next, after you add the ingredients, bake in a preheated oven (220C/428F) on the middle rack for about 15 minutes. Let it cook, then add cheese and bake few minutes until melted. If you use a pizza stone, you should preheat it in your oven for at least 45 minutes. Bake in a 525F degree oven for 6 minutes or until they are golden brown around the edges. Have fun!
Ingredients
Instructions
Step 1 Activate the yeast
Step 2 Knead the dough
Step 3 Form four equal balls
Step 4 Shape the dough and leave it for leavening
Step 5 Add the ingredients and bake