When it comes to pizza dough, I’m forever in pursuit of perfection. Crust needs to be flavorful and have a great texture or I won’t eat it. My homemade pizza dough is easy to handle and a bit chewier. It’s hefty and good, but lately my preferences have shifted.

These days, I’m all about thin and crispy pizza crust so if that sounds good to you, then you will be obsessed with this version. It has a sesame seed crust, red sauce, pepperoni, and mozzarella.

Thin Crust Pizza Dough

You want a flavorful crust? Then don’t be tricked by recipes that promise no-rise. In pizza baking, patience is key. To start, you make a sponge (20 minutes) and let the dough rise (40 minutes) at a minimum. You can even store the dough for 24 hours to slow down fermentation.

For the very best texture, allow the dough time to “relax” and the yeast to produce little air pockets at every phase (outlined below). Skip this and you may end up with a dense squeaky cracker.

Timing is Everything

1. bubbly yeast sponge – 20 minutes
2. kneading – 10 minutes
3. resting – 40 minutes or refrigerate 24 hours
4. shaping into rounds on parchment paper
5. resting – 10 minutes
6. topping and baking – 8 to 10 minutes

Spreading the dough Tip: Really coat your fingers with olive oil (infused with garlic) so you can shape the dough without it sticking to you. There’s no need to use a rolling pin.

There you have it – a simple, flavorful thin crust pizza. I hope you can try this special variation.

Essential Pizza Gear I Use Regularly:

• this large square pizza stone
• this wood pizza peel for transferring the pizza dough onto the stone
• parchment paper

Thin Crust Pizza Recipe

This pizza dough is easy and fun to make and bakes into a thin and crunchy crust. I like to shape the dough and season it with sesame seeds, then top with fresh mozarella cheese and pepperoni.

4.67 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dough, pizza, thin crust

Cook Time: 9 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 9 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 individual pizzas

Calories: 731kcal

Author: Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

Sponge:

• 2/3 cup warm water
• 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Add:

• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Toppings:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic pressed into a paste or rubbed on a microplane
• 1 14-oz can tomato puree
• salt
• 8 oz mozarella ball
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds black or white
• 16 pepperoni slices

Instructions

Make the Sponge:

• In a medium bowl, mix the water, yeast, honey, and 1/4 cup flour. Stir and cover with a clean towel for 20 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom and form an active sponge. Hold in a warm place.

Add to Sponge:

• Add salt, oil, water, and flours to the bubbly sponge. Knead for 10 minutes. The dough will be very sticky, and it will feel like you are flinging and stretching mud. Tightly stretch plastic wrap over the bowl to cover completely. Allow to rise for 40 minutes in a warm place.

Shaping, Topping and Baking:

• Preheat the oven with a pizza stone on the middle rack for 30 minutes at 500°F.
• Cut out 4-5 pieces of parchment paper squares. Portion dough over the parchment and wash your hands. Place the garlic paste into a small bowl with the olive oil. Dip your fingers into the oil and press into the dough. Form into thin, round pizzas.
• Strain the tomato puree over a bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Allow the pizza dough to rest (to form bubbles) about 10 minutes. Season the outside crust with sesame seeds. Then add a very thin layer of sauce. Top with mozzarella and pepperoni.
• Use a pizza peel to place the pizza directly on a pizza stone. Bake for 8-9 minutes.

Notes

Dough: The dough can be kneaded by hand directly over the large bowl used to make the sponge. It will be very sticky, so I don’t recommend using the counter. Also, if you have a stand mixer – you can knead the dough on medium speed with a dough hook.

Pizza Baking: You really need a pizza stone and an abnormally hot oven to produce the best pizza. Many ovens only go up to 500°F – but preheating for 30 minutes with a stone can help achieve a crispy crust.

I’ve found that the easiest way to slide the crust onto the stone is with a long handled “peel,” where the dough bakes on top of parchment paper. Many people prefer to sprinkle the peel with cornmeal or rice flour, but I think you might struggle with the technique. Feel free to try it. My best tip is to practice with a mini pizza to really get the motion down.

Finally, if you want to bake the pizza directly on a sheet pan, that works too. In this case, go light on the toppings so you don’t end up with an overly wet mess.

Nutrition

Serving: 17-inch pizza | Calories: 731kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 1082mg | Potassium: 202mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 385IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 322mg | Iron: 3.8mg

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