The City Staple
My time spent in New York City opened me up to new ideas, techniques, and genius creations in the culinary world. Although you can almost always count on an amazing meal in New York, the most consistent thing the city can be trusted with is delicious pizza. I believe the most critical component of this amazing pizza is the dough. You can have the most beautifully crafted toppings fired up in the fanciest pizza oven but it won’t matter if the dough isn’t there.
Our Weekly Staple
My husband and I love pizza. Good pizza. We usually make homemade pizza at least once a week and honestly it probably takes us the same amount of time as waiting for a pizza delivery. We keep our specialty New York-style pizza dough on hand in our freezer then we pull it out and stick it in the fridge the morning that we want to make pizza for dinner. That evening we take the dough out of the fridge and allow it to do the second rise. By the time the oven is preheated and we have gathered our desired toppings the dough is ready for use. Then we stretch it, top it and bake it. The entire process probably takes us about 45 minutes. I don’t think we can ever go back to delivery pizza.
Our Pizza Oven
After our wedding my husband and I had a good amount of credit to spend at Williams Sonoma. We decided to opt for a pizza oven; specifically, the Ooni Koda | Outdoor Pizza Oven | Gas-Powered | Super Compact and Portable (Paid link). We thought it would be a fun toy that would improve our homemade pizza experience. However, we severely underestimated how convenient it would be to use. This is to date one of the best decisions we have made! If you love pizza I highly recommend purchasing this oven. As stated before, we make pizza weekly with this oven and it is tastier than ever. In addition to pizza, I have used it to bake homemade pita bread.
My Secrets
This recipe may appear off the beaten path from the typical warm water and yeast dough mixture. My recipe specifically calls for cold water. This is because I do not want to activate my yeast until I begin kneading. I also withhold the salt until the end to allow the yeast to activate during kneading. This results in optimal gluten development and a desirable airy, chewy pizza dough that we all love. You will also notice that my recipe measures everything in grams. Baking is an art of precision. By measuring the ingredients in grams you are much more likely to get the ratios just right. Attached is a link to the kitchen scale that I use at home. Etekcity Food Digital Kitchen Weight Scale Grams and Oz, Backlit, Stainless Steel(2019 Upgraded) (Paid link).
Building A Pie
First off, I coat my dough ball in flour, and lightly dust my work surface with flour. Then to begin the stretching process, I press down on the middle of the dough. This helps me push the air bubbles into the edge of the circle to form a crust. As well as form my foundation for a circle.
Continue to use your finger tips to press and stretch the dough out into a flat circle.
Next, I clinch my hands in fists, holding the dough on the smooth part of the back of my hand. While keeping my fingers and knuckles tucked away, I pull my fists apart to stretch the dough out.
I continue this stretching motion as I criss-cross my hands in order to stretch the circle evenly. Start out slow, this takes practice. If you accidentally poke a hole, you can try to save it by pinching the dough back together.
Lay your pizza onto the pizza peel. Preseason the peel with flour to avoid sticking. Top with your favorite toppings. Enjoy your New York Pizza!
PrintNew York- style Pizza Dough
- Prep Time: 35
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
- Category: New York Pizza
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
265 grams cold water (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
330 grams all- purpose flour (2 and 3/8 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons of yeast
10 grams sugar (2 1/8 teaspoons)
10 grams salt (1/2 tablespoon)
Instructions
1. Add the cold water to your mixing bowl with the dough hook attachment, then work the flour into the water, now add the yeast and sugar. Work on low until well mixed.
2. Bring your mixer up to high speed for about 10-15 minutes. This is a sticky dough but it still should pick up off of the bottom of the bowl when kneading on high. If the mixer is on high and the dough is still sticking, add a little more flour. Remember, it is normal for the dough to stick while the machine is stationary or on low. Once kneading is finished incorporate the salt and turn off the mixer.
3. Transfer to an oil coated bowl, fold dough over to create a ball, cover the bowl and let it double in size (about 30 minutes depending on climate). Heat your Pizza oven up or place your pizza stone on the top rack in your oven at 500 degrees.
4. Once doubled in size, divide the dough in half into two balls. Each portion will make a 12-14″ pizza that serves 1-2 people. Place the balls onto a sheet pan, brush with olive oil, and allow them to double in size (about 30 minutes depending on climate).
5. Flour pizza peel with flour and stretch dough into a circle onto the pizza peel (see “Building a Pie” header for tips). Place your toppings and bake for 8-12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap the crust. If using a home oven, you may need to broil on high for a few minutes to get desired coloring on top. As the pizza stone will cook the bottom of the pizza quickly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
Not only was this yummy, but I was surprised at how simple the recipe was. My new favorite pizza dough recipe!
★★★★★