There are so many versions of pizza dough – from sourdough to deep dish – but most stem from the same simple ingredients.
Anyone looking for a reliable recipe can whip something up with a mixture of flour, salt and water, but the best dough is made with yeast, according to the food experts at Ooni HQ.
Sharing their “classic pizza dough” recipe online, the Ooni recipe creators said: “Say hello to our classic pizza dough recipe, which is sure to become a beloved staple for your household.
“The beauty of making your own dough is the delicious texture and flavour, coveted puffy crust, a soft, easy-to-fold slice and, of course, the fragrant, freshly baked bread aroma.”
The dough cooks in just 1-2 minutes using an Ooni pizza oven, and yields three 330g dough balls for 16-inch pizzas.
Ooni pizza dough recipe
Ingredients
368g lukewarm water
One heaped teaspoon of active dry yeast
613g ’00’ flour, plus extra for dusting
Three teaspoons of sea salt
If you can’t get hold of active dry yeast, substitute it for one teaspoon of instant dried yeast, or one tablespoon of fresh yeast.
Method
Take a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk the water and yeast together until thoroughly blended. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt, then add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
If using a mixer, first fit it with the dough hook and pour the flour and yeast mixture into the mixer bowl. Turn the machine on at a low speed for five to 10 minutes, or until firm and stretchy. To mix by hand, stir the wet and dry ingredients together until a dough starts to form.
Continue mixing by hand until the pizza dough comes together in a ball, then place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead with both hands for about 10 minutes, until it’s firm and stretchy.
Return the dough to the bowl. Cover with a dish towel and leave to rise in a warm place for about two hours, or until doubled in size.
To save this dough for later, portion and freeze it in a lightly oiled, airtight container after the two-hour proving period. If using it straight away, divide the proven dough into three or four equal portions.
Place each piece of dough in a separate bowl or tray, cover it with a dish towel and leave to rise in a warm place for another half an hour, or an hour if needed for it to double in size again.
Before stretching and topping your dough, fire up the pizza oven and allow it to preheat for 15 to 20 minutes. The Ooni experts said: “Aim for 450C and 500C on your baking stone. You can check this quickly, accurately and from a safe distance with an infrared thermometer.”
When the dough has proven again, turn onto a lightly floured surface, flour your hands and use your fingertips to press the dough into a small, flat disc. Working from the centre, push the dough outwards while spreading your fingers, making the disc slightly bigger.
Pick up the dough and gently pinch the perimeter of it, allowing gravity to pull it downwards into a circle. Neapolitan-style pizza bases are very thin, so you should be able to see through the base when you hold it up to the light – but be careful not to tear it.
For those without an Ooni, cook the dough in a preheated oven set to 200C. Other classic pizza dough recipes include this easy 10-minute formula made with three ingredients, and this chef-approved Neapolitan dough.
