# making pizza crust **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 3, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326 "2005-11-03T18:21:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326/1 "2005-11-03T18:21:14Z")
I want to make a pizza tonight but I’ve never made a crust before from scratch. I googled for recipes, but they vary a lot so I’m not sure what to try. Some involve refrigerating the dough overnight, which I’d rather not do because I want to make it tonight, some have a few hours rising time (that’s fine) and some have no rising time at all. Any advice? Can anyone recommend a recipe? I’ve made bread before, so in the house I have bread flour, whole wheat flour and all-purpose, as well as yeast, eggs, olive oil, sugar and honey and all the basics that were involved in a number of these recipes. Mmmmm…pizza. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326/2 "2005-11-03T18:25:29Z")
When I had a roommate we made pizza sometimes. By ‘we’, of course, I mean ‘I’. Oh, yeah, the roomie was all for homemade pizza. He just didn’t want to do the kneeding. :mad: Anyway, we found a recipe online. I don’t remember it, but it seems that it involved mixing warm water, sugar (?) and yeast and letting it sit for five or fifteen minutes. Then it was added to flour. Maybe eggs? Milk? I don’t remember. Anyway, there was a dough. This was left to rise for a little while. Certainly not overnight. Half an hour, maybe? Then it had to be kneeded for about 15 minutes. We never got the hang of flying it in the air, so we just rolled it out onto aluminum foil with a rolling pin. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326/3 "2005-11-03T18:31:47Z")
I remember - many years ago - using pre-made biscuit dough. Thing is, I don’t remember how it turned out. But seems like it should work pretty well. You’d probably have to buy a jumbo tube of pop-n-fresh (giggles) biscuits and mush them all together, then roll it out into a big circle or square. Let us know how it turns out. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326/4 "2005-11-03T18:42:11Z")
[A previous thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=332440) on pizza. A good one at that. Also contains a good bit of information about bread in general. Overnight refrigeration/rising of the dough will produce more flavor in the crust, but it’s not required. A simple first rise, then punch down and shape into your dough. I tend to make my pizza crust a bit drier (less water, or more flour) than my bread doughs… 3 cups Flour 1 cup water 1tbs salt 1tsp yeast 2 tbs Olive oil (more = crisper crust) Mix the water and yeast, and set aside. Mix the salt with the flour, then add the water/yeast. Nead, adding more flour if required, to get the dough soft and silky feeling, without being sticky. 5-10 minutes. Put the dough in a large bowl, which has been given a light spray of vegetable/olive oil, and cover with an oiled piece of plastic wrap. Let rise about an hour, or until doubled in size. Punch down and divide into 2 pieces. Shape into pizza shape (in a cast iron pan, or frying pan is a good start for beginners), top and bake. 450-500F for 10-15 minutes. good luck. -Butler ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326/5 "2005-11-03T18:44:55Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > Anyway, we found a recipe online. I don’t remember it, but it seems that it involved mixing warm water, sugar (?) and yeast and letting it sit for five or fifteen minutes. Then it was added to flour. Maybe eggs? Milk? I don’t remember. Anyway, there was a dough. This was left to rise for a little while. Certainly not overnight. Half an hour, maybe? Then it had to be kneeded for about 15 minutes. We never got the hang of flying it in the air, so we just rolled it out onto aluminum foil with a rolling pin. No eggs, no milk. Check _The Joy of Cooking_; their standard pizza crust is what I generally use and it comes out very well. IIRC, (and as I make it frequently I do recall) this is the recipe: 1 tbls yeast let activate in 1/4 c of lukewarm water for 5 minutes 2-1/2 c of all purpose flour 1 c cold water 3 tbls olive oil 1/2 tsp salt Any spices (rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, pepper, et cetera) you want to add. Combine together in a bowl with a spoon or spatula until well-mixed. (Should be tacky but not overly sticky.) Place on a well-floured surface and kneed in another 3/4 to 1 c of flour until well-kneeded and non-tacky. Lightly oil a large bowl, put the dough in it, turning once to oil the whole surface, cover and let rise for 15-30 minutes. Remove from bowl back to floured surface, divide into four equal parts (or more if you want smaller pies), and roll each part into a ball. Let rise, covered, on floured surface for 1 hr. Alternatively, cover with plastic wrap and let them rise overnight in the refrigerator. When ready, press out the dough with your fingers, working around and around to get it progressively thinner. (Rolling flat with a pin will give you the wrong texture, too flat and tough. Hand working the dough will give it a lighter and crisper texture.) So you can see it shouldn’t take you more than a couple of hours, start to finish. You can also freeze the risen dough; it seems to come out with just a slight loss of resiliance. For best results, use a baking stone and slide the pizza on and off with a highly floured peel. (Use corn meal to keep it from sticking to the stone.) You can use a pizza pan, too, but it won’t be as crisp. Now, the real question is…what are you going to put on top of the pizza? Stranger ---
**Author:** ![The\_Big\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@The\_Big\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Big_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326/6 "2005-11-03T18:46:26Z")
I make mine so it fits a jelly roll pan. 2 3/4 C flour 1/4 C cornmeal 1 C warm water 2 packages of yeast. sprinkle of olive oil - Heat up the water, for me 1 minute in the microwave is perfect, dump in the yeast. Wait until it foams up-5 minutes or so. - Dump the water in the flour mixture, add a little olive oil. - Mix it up real good. - Put on floured surface and knead it for 5 minutes or so, until it gets elastic-ish. - Put back in the flour bowl you just used, put a bit of olive oil on it and swish it around the bowl so it’s coated and the bowl is coated. - Put in warm spot for 45-60 minutes. I warm up the oven for 5 minutes while I’m doing all the above, and put it in there after turning off the heat. Not too hot at all. - When risen, dump back on floured surface, and stretch it out, you can use a rolling pin if it’s easier. Put cornmeal on jelly roll pan first, and strectch out the dough to fit it. Put ingredients on. Bake at 450 for 9 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326/7 "2005-11-03T18:47:53Z")
> [@Stranger On A Train](#): > > Lightly oil a large bowl, put the dough in it, turning once to oil the whole surface, cover and let rise for 15-30 minutes. Remove from bowl back to floured surface, divide into four equal parts (or more if you want smaller pies), and roll each part into a ball. Let rise, covered, on floured surface for 1 hr. Alternatively, cover with plastic wrap and let them rise overnight in the refrigerator. Self-correction; let it rise in the bowl for an hour, then let the balls rise for 15-30 minutes. Bon Appetit! Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326/8 "2005-11-03T18:53:09Z")
This is probably too late to help, but if you want a video which shows how to roll out and toss a pizza crust, rent _I Love You to Death._ Seriously. It’s how I learned. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326/9 "2005-11-03T18:57:01Z")
Thanks for all the replies! Does anyone know if these recipes need to be altered if I used part whole wheat flour instead of all all-purpose? > [@Stranger On A Train](#): > > Now, the real question is…what are you going to put on top of the pizza? > > Stranger Half plain, w/ just sauce and fresh mozz. The other half (MY half!) will have that plus kalamata olives, pitted and sliced up and sundried tomatoes, the kind in the bag, not oil. I’ll probably have to re-hydrate them a bit before I put them on. Possibly some other stuff, but I forget what else I have in the fridge right now. Maybe some fresh garlic if it hasn’t dried out too much. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326/10 "2005-11-03T19:10:34Z")
Don’t forget the anchovies! Can’t have a proper pizza without anchovies! ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326/11 "2005-11-03T19:19:32Z")
Once you get the crust rolled out, work fast. Quickly add the sauce (not too much) and toppings a pop it in the oven on the bottom shelf. Use a high oven temperature too. This is all to stop the crust from rising too much; otherwise you will get something like a thick slab of bread with sauce and toppings, which will be chewy and not as pleasant as it could be. What you want is a thin, crisp crust. Or at least that’s what _I_ want when I make pizza. Some people like the thick crust, but not me. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326/12 "2005-11-03T19:22:20Z")
p.s… I normally just use Boboli crusts. Run like the wind, Ferris! ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326/13 "2005-11-03T19:26:52Z")
I’ve just dropped into my favorite pizza joint and asked them for a ball of dough. I know I like their crust already, and it’s a zillion times easier than making it myself. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326/14 "2005-11-03T19:28:58Z")
> [@badbadrubberpiggy](#): > > Half plain, w/ just sauce and fresh mozz. The other half (MY half!) will have that plus kalamata olives, pitted and sliced up and sundried tomatoes, the kind in the bag, not oil. I’ll probably have to re-hydrate them a bit before I put them on. Possibly some other stuff, but I forget what else I have in the fridge right now. Maybe some fresh garlic if it hasn’t dried out too much. I like fresh mozzerella cheese but it always ends up a bit runny for my taste when cooked. I like keeping pizza simple, with just a three or four ingredients, although I do a vegetarian supreme with roasted eggplant, zuchinni, a couple of types of mushroom, tomatos, roasted red peppers, carmelized onions, roasted garlic, cashews, basil, and smoked provolone and sauce that is decadent. Anyway, sounds like a good evening at the **piggy** household. Crack open a nice pinot or syrah (or a Peroni if that’s your pleasure) and enjoy a bite for me. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326/15 "2005-11-03T21:41:14Z")
> [@Stranger On A Train](#): > > I like fresh mozzerella cheese but it always ends up a bit runny for my taste when cooked. I like keeping pizza simple, with just a three or four ingredients, although I do a vegetarian supreme with roasted eggplant, zuchinni, a couple of types of mushroom, tomatos, roasted red peppers, carmelized onions, roasted garlic, cashews, basil, and smoked provolone and sauce that is decadent. > > Anyway, sounds like a good evening at the **piggy** household. Crack open a nice pinot or syrah (or a Peroni if that’s your pleasure) and enjoy a bite for me. > > Stranger Sounds really good. One question - how big of a pizza do each of the quarters of dough in your recipe make? Wow, that sentence was awkward. Anyway, dough is rising now, I’ll let you know how it works out tonight. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326/16 "2005-11-03T22:29:58Z")
> [@butler1850](#): > > [A previous thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=332440) on pizza. A good one at that. > > Also contains a good bit of information about bread in general. > > Overnight refrigeration/rising of the dough will produce more flavor in the crust, but it’s not required. > > A simple first rise, then punch down and shape into your dough. I tend to make my pizza crust a bit drier (less water, or more flour) than my bread doughs… > > 3 cups Flour > 1 cup water > 1tbs salt > 1tsp yeast > 2 tbs Olive oil (more = crisper crust) > > Mix the water and yeast, and set aside. > > Mix the salt with the flour, then add the water/yeast. > > Nead, adding more flour if required, to get the dough soft and silky feeling, without being sticky. 5-10 minutes. > > Put the dough in a large bowl, which has been given a light spray of vegetable/olive oil, and cover with an oiled piece of plastic wrap. > > Let rise about an hour, or until doubled in size. Punch down and divide into 2 pieces. > > Shape into pizza shape (in a cast iron pan, or frying pan is a good start for beginners), top and bake. > > 450-500F for 10-15 minutes. > > good luck. > > -Butler I would proof the yeast in a quarter cup warm water and a tablespoon sugar first. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326/17 "2005-11-03T22:30:19Z")
> [@Stranger On A Train](#): > > I like fresh mozzerella cheese but it always ends up a bit runny for my taste when cooked. Yeah, using straight-up mozzarella alone on a pizza usually results in “cheese soup in a bready bowl”. And I find that mozzarella alone is kinda bland; the cheese just doesn’t have much flavor. I usually use a pre-shredded blend, which includes mozz, parmesan, romano, provolone, and asiago. Much more flavorful, and the texture of the cheese is much less runny after the cooking. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326/18 "2005-11-03T22:33:23Z")
Whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid than allpurpose. I might up the water or your dough might be unmanageable stiff. Also, I’m not sure if yeast is as active in whole wheat as they are in allpurpose (lower sugar, higher fiber). My experience is that whole wheat doesn’t rise as high when same amounts of yeast are used. In sum, you might need more yeast and water than the recipe calls for. But you might be fine. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326/19 "2005-11-03T22:44:04Z")
> [@badbadrubberpiggy](#): > > Sounds really good. One question - how big of a pizza do each of the quarters of dough in your recipe make? Wow, that sentence was awkward. About 9-10" rounds. You can make it thinner, but then it tends to stick to the peel. The same size makes a honkin’ bit calzone; I usually find I can split in into sixths instead of quarters for calzones. As far as using whole wheat–you’ll want to add a little more oil–maybe another tablespoon–and you may want some more water. You’ll have to experiment. I’ve tried it but never gotten a satisfactory result; the crust has always ended up kind of chewy and not crisp, almost stale-textured. Changing the amount of yeast doesn’t seem to affect the final texture of it, though it will rise more. You might try adding some molassas to the dough, too, in half-tablespoon increments. I used to have a recipe for a polenta dough, which was good with braised spinach and chicken or basil pesto and red potatoes, but making the polenta is just kind of a pain so I stopped doing that. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![The\_Big\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@The\_Big\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Big_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326/20 "2005-11-03T23:03:42Z")
in summer, i love making this one: get fresh spinach from the farmers market. put that on top of the sauce, use more spinach than you think because it goes down a lot. then little crumbles of gorgonazola. then tyme & basil. that’s it. Put on sauce sparingly. I don’t use mozzarella, becomes a coagulated tasteless rubber mess. My aunt (from Sicily), who taught me, uses incanestrata, but it’s hard to find and $$$. I’ll use fontinella instead. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-crust/329326.md?page=2)