Makes 4 10–12 inch pizzas

High-hydration pizza doughs are the key to success in making pizza at home. I strongly advise using mass measurements for everything in baking pizza dough, but at the very least, use a scale to measure the flour. Flour is compressible, and the same volume can vary in weight by as much as 50 percent, which will throw off the hydration level of your dough. A high proportion of water creates a pizza crust that stays crisp but tender during cooking. The amount of water used is also determined by your environment, humid or dry. You might need to play around with your hydration level to perfect it.

  • 4 cups (512 g) bread flour or all-purpose flour, plus more for assembly
  • 2–3 teaspoons (12 g) kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon (4 g) instant yeast
  • 1 3/4–2 cups (400–454 g) 110°F filtered water

If baking pizzas immediately, begin preheating the oven after the first step below. Place a pizza stone, baking steel, or pizza pan in the top third of the oven and preheat it to its hottest setting, 550°F. (Preheat your stone or steel for a minimum of 40 minutes.)

Whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast in a large bowl. Add water and stir with a spatula until the water is absorbed and you have a wet, sticky doughball. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 1–1 1/2 hours or until the dough has doubled in bulk.

Cover a work surface liberally with flour. The dough is very wet, so don’t hesitate to use more flour as needed. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and divide it into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball with floured hands. If you are baking right away, let the balls sit on their seams for at least 30 minutes without touching. Or, if you are not baking the pizza the same day, transfer each ball of dough to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator (see Tips).

Handling the dough as little as possible, shape each ball into a 10–12-inch round. If the dough has been proofed sufficiently, you should be able to pick it up and stretch it very easily using the back of your hands. Lay the stretched dough on a piece of parchment cut to match the size of your pizza. From here, top your pizza and transfer the pizza with the parchment to the preheated baking stone with a pizza peel or the back of a sheet pan. Cook time varies between 5 and 10 minutes based on toppings and the type of pizza pan used.

Tips

  • During the shaping process, it is essential to use a light touch. Gentle handling preserves the bubbles created during rising.
  • If time permits, make your dough ahead of time and refrigerate it—this contributes to flavor and browning. After proofing, place it in an airtight container and immediately transfer it to the refrigerator for at least 24 hours but as long as 5 days. Remove 90 minutes before you plan on baking and dough has risen slightly.
  • A 60–90 second parbake might solve your soggy-crust woes.
  • Because pizza is cooking at such a high heat, if you are cooking the pizza on parchment, ensure the parchment is the size of the pizza dough, as any excess may burn.
  • The beauty of instant yeast is that you can stir it directly into the flour with no need to bloom it.