Perfect Thin Crust Pizza Dough

Step 1

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt and yeast. Add the olive oil and cold water and knead with the dough hook for 5-7 minutes, or 8-10 if kneading by hand.

Step 2

The dough should be smooth and elastic, and clear the sides of the bowl (it will be fairly sticky, but as long as it clears the sides of the bowl that’s okay - if if doesn’t clear the sides, sprinkle in a little more flour).

Step 3

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray it with cooking spray. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured countertop and cut it into 4 equal pieces (or 6 if you want smaller pizzas).

Step 4

Gently shape each piece into a ball with floured hands and place it on the prepared cookie sheet. Mist the dough balls with spray oil and lightly cover them with plastic wrap.

Step 5

Place the pan into the refrigerator overnight, or for up to 3 days.

Step 6

You can also freeze the dough balls at this point, by placing the oiled dough balls into individual freezer bags for up to 3 months, removing them to the fridge the day before using them.

Step 7

The day you want to make pizza, remove the dough to room temperature 2 hours before making pizza.

Step 8

On a floured counter, flatten the cold dough into 1/2 inch thick disks, spray lightly with oil and then cover them to rest for two hours.

Step 9

Preheat the oven 45 minutes before baking the pizza to 500 degrees F.

Step 10

With floured hands, stretch the dough out to 12 inch rounds, using the backs of your hands and your knuckles to do so. It will get quite thin without breaking. When it is stretched as large as you like, add the toppings you like (remembering it’s a thin crust so it’s best with fewer toppings!) and bake for 7-9 minutes or until lightly browned.

Step 11

I like to prepare my pizza on a sheet of parchment paper and then slide the paper with the pizza directly onto a hot pizza stone in the oven. If you don’t have a pizza stone, a cookie sheet turned upside down and heated in the oven works well too. Just place your stone or cookie sheet into the oven to heat when you turn on the oven.

Step 12

Once cooked, slide the parchment with the pizza back out of the oven onto a cutting board.

Step 13

Wait 5 minutes before slicing for the cheese to set.