Homemade Pizza Dough — Thin and Crisp, with Time Instead of Yeast
Yvonne Ammann VegetarianKnead 500 g flour, 3.2 dl water, 3 g fresh yeast, 10 g salt, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 hour at room temperature, then 4 balls for 24 hours in the fridge. Bake at the oven's highest temperature on a preheated tray for 8 minutes. Little yeast and lots of time give the flavour — the one-hour quick dough tastes of yeast.
Chilled-aisle pizza dough is convenient but tastes of nothing. Homemade takes five minutes of kneading and a day of patience — the time in the fridge is what makes the dough taste like a pizzeria's, not the yeast. The rest is an oven on its highest setting and a preheated tray. Four balls in the fridge mean Friday is pizza night, with no shopping.
Ingredients
- 500 g Flour (white or tipo 00)
- 3.2 dl Water (lukewarm)
- 3 g Fresh yeast (a hazelnut-sized piece)
- 10 g Salt
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
Topping
- 4 dl Tomato sauce
- 2 pieces Mozzarella (125 g each)
- 1 bunch Basil
Method
- 1
Knead the dough
Dissolve the yeast in the water. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl, add the water and oil, mix by hand into a dough and knead on the worktop for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic. It is sticky — that is right; do not add flour.
- 2
First rest
Dough into the oiled bowl, cover, leave 1 hour at room temperature until visibly bigger.
- 3
Fridge
Divide into 4, shape into balls, individually into oiled containers or on an oiled tray under film. 24 hours in the fridge — up to 3 days. This is the step that makes the flavour.
- 4
Oven and shaping
Take the balls out 1 hour before baking. Preheat the oven with the tray or pizza stone on the lowest shelf at its highest setting, at least 30 minutes. Press and stretch one ball on a floured surface with your fingers from the centre outwards into a 28 cm circle — do not flatten the rim.
- 5
Top and bake
Dough onto a piece of baking paper, spread thinly with tomato sauce, torn mozzarella on top, sparingly. Slide with the paper onto the hot tray, bake 7 to 9 minutes until the rim is browned and blistered. Basil after baking.
Tips
- The oven matters more than the dough. Highest setting — 250 or 275 °C — and preheat the tray at least 30 minutes. A pizza stone or steel for 40 CHF makes the base crisper than any other purchase.
- Less topping than you think. Too much sauce and cheese make the centre soggy. Three toppings per pizza is enough.
- Dough balls can be frozen: after the fridge day, individually in bags, up to 3 months. Into the fridge in the morning, pizza in the evening.
What can I substitute?
Mix straight into the flour. For the quick version in 2 hours: 10 g fresh or 3 g dried yeast, 1.5 hours at room temperature — tastes yeastier.
Semolina makes the base crisper, wholemeal nuttier. More than a fifth wholemeal turns heavy.
Swiss cheese melts well and is stronger. Buffalo mozzarella goes on after baking — it is too wet for the oven.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my pizza base soft instead of crisp?
Oven too cool, tray not preheated, too much topping. Highest setting, tray preheated 30 minutes, pizza straight onto the hot tray, lowest shelf. And top thinly — the moisture from sauce and cheese must be able to evaporate.
Why so little yeast and so much time?
Because the flavour develops during rising, not from the yeast. Slowly in the fridge the dough develops aroma like bakery bread and becomes more stretchy. Lots of yeast in a short time gives dough that tastes of yeast and springs back when stretched.
Roll or stretch?
Stretch. A rolling pin pushes the air out and the rim turns flat and hard. Press with fingertips from the centre outwards, leave the rim, drape the dough over the backs of your hands and stretch. If it tears, rest 10 minutes and continue.
How much does a homemade pizza cost?
About 2 CHF per Margherita — the dough costs 30 centimes, sauce and mozzarella the rest. The delivery pizza costs 20 CHF.
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