Make Thin Crust Pizza

The key to a really good pizza is, of course, the crust. You probably make pizza at home at least once a week, so you can be sure this recipe comes to you after years of very meticulous kitchen testing!

Also, the fact that this dough comes together in just a few minutes and doesn't need time to rise means that you can have pizza for dinner any night of the week. It really is that fast and easy, which is why most believe this is the very best thin-crust pizza dough for a home cook on a weeknight. Here is how to make a homemade thin crust pizza.

  • Servings: 8
  • Makes 1 pizza

Ingredients

  • 1 packet active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 1/2 cup warm water
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Tomato paste or tomato sauce
  • Grated mozzarella cheese
  • Desired toppings (i.e mushrooms, bell pepper, bacon, pepperoni)

Steps

  1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar. Dissolve yeast and sugar in one and one-half cups warm water. Stir and set to the side.
  2. Mix the flour, salt, and olive oil. Combine all-purpose flour, salt, and olive oil in a large bowl. Mix with your hands or use a spoon.
  3. Have the dough form. Pour yeast mixture into the bowl and stir until a dough forms.
  4. Knead the dough. Spread flour over a working surface and knead the dough for roughly 10 minutes until it is thin and elastic.
  5. Clean the large bowl for another use.
  6. Let the dough rise. Roll dough into a ball and place it back in the bowl, then cover it with cling film. Let dough rise for 30 minutes; by then it should have roughly doubled in size.
  7. Form the dough into a circle. Flatten the dough into a large circle with a rolling pin until you can roughly see through it.
  8. Spread the paste or sauce on the pizza. Transfer the flattened dough onto an oiled baking tray or sheet. Use a pastry brush or spoon to brush tomato paste or sauce evenly across the surface.
  9. Sprinkle grated cheese evenly on the pizza.
  10. Add the toppings. Add your desired toppings, making sure each slice will have at least one of each topping.
  11. Bake. Place the pizza in an oven and bake at 425 F for 10-15 minutes, or until evenly browned.
  12. Finished.



Tips

  • Remember to keep your work surface floured to prevent your dough from sticking to it.
  • Keep an eye on your pizza to make sure it cooks evenly. If one section is browning quicker than the rest, rotate the pizza in the oven.
  • Brush your crust with olive oil before cooking to prevent a dryness.
  • Some vegetable toppings cook faster than others; keep this in mind when layering cheese and ingredients.
  • Roll the dough slightly larger than the size you want, as it will shrink somewhat in the oven.
  • Freeze any extra dough for later use. Roll the excess dough into a ball, cover it with olive oil, and place it in a freezer bag. When you're ready to make another pizza, remove and thaw the dough.
  • If your dough seems a little hard to knead, add a little water.
  • There are no arbitrary rules as to what toppings you can put on a pizza; if you're not happy with savory pizza, go for sweet. Experiment!
  • For extra freshness, swap homemade pizza sauce for store-bought tomato paste.
  • Bake your pizza at 180C (425F).

Warnings

  • Avoid adding too much water and flour to the dough as the crust will be thick like a basic pizza.

Things You'll Need

  • Oven
  • Measuring cup
  • Large bowl
  • Clingfilm
  • Rolling pin
  • Metal tray
  • Pastry brush or spoon
  • Tablespoons and teaspoons

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