Pizza is essentially a very thin flatbread, topped with a tomato sauce and baked in the oven. It’s usually topped with various ingredients like meats (salami, bacon, prosciutto), vegetables (spicy peppers, mushrooms, onions), cheeses (mozzarella, gorgonzola), and spices (pepper, basil, etc.). The word “pizza” first appeared as early as the 10th century in central Italy, but the “modern” pizza, the one we know and love today, has its roots in Naples, the southern region of Italy. Today, pizza is found everywhere: in restaurants, fast food joints, and markets, whether fresh or frozen, ready to be baked at home. Personally, just like pasta, pizza is one of my all-time favorite dishes!
There are countless pizza recipes out there, including some popular ones like Diavola, Capricciosa, Quattro Salami, Carbonara, Affumicata, Quattro Stagioni, Prosciutto Crudo, Quattro Formaggi, Pizza al Tonno, and many more. But today, I’m going to focus on one essential part of the pizza-making process—the dough. Pizza dough can be thin, soft, crunchy, or fluffy. My recipe is for a thin crust that’s simple and easy to make.
Thin Crust Pizza Dough
Equipment
Ingredients
1 kg wheat flour- 12 g fresh yeast half a cube of yeast
- 500 ml water warm
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 50 ml olive oil
Instructions
Activating the Yeast
- In a small cup, place the yeast and mix it well with the teaspoon of sugar. Add 50 ml of warm water, stir a little, then cover the cup and let the mixture rise for 15-20 minutes.
Making the Dough
- In a large bowl, add the flour, then pour in the activated yeast mixture and salt. Start mixing everything together with your hands. Gradually add the remaining water and knead the dough until it becomes smooth and slightly elastic, like bread dough. Toward the end, add the olive oil and knead a bit more. Once it's well combined, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size.
Preparing the Pizza
- Prepare your baking tray (or trays) by greasing them lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle a bit of flour onto a large wooden board or directly onto the countertop. Begin rolling out the dough with a rolling pin, aiming for a thickness of about half a centimeter—or even less, depending on how thin you like it. Here’s a little secret: you can stretch the dough by hand instead of using a rolling pin for an even thinner crust. Once the dough is the right thickness, transfer it onto the prepared tray. Bake in a preheated oven at medium heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown slightly.
Adding Toppings
- Once the dough is pre-baked, you can add your tomato sauce and toppings of choice. Be sure the tomato sauce is warm before spreading it on the dough. You can also spread the sauce right at the start before baking. After that, add whatever toppings you like, and bake until the pizza is golden and crispy to your liking.Here you can find a recipe for pizza with bell peppers, corn and onions.Enjoy your delicious homemade pizza!
