WHY THIS PIZZA CRUST RECIPE WORKS
To create this pizza crust recipe, a Sicilian pizza with a creamy, golden interior and a delicate, crisp bottom, we use a mixture of semolina and all-purpose flours. To give it a fine-textured, almost cake-like crumb, we use a three-pronged approach. We use a generous amount of olive oil in the dough to tenderize it, we cold-ferment the dough overnight to let flavors develop without large bubbles forming. Then we roll it out and weigh it down with another baking sheet during the final proof to keep the crumb even and tight. Finally, we top it with a rich and complex long-cooked tomato sauce and a mixture of cheeses, a combination that stands up to the thickness of the crust below.
GATHER YOUR INGREDIENTS
Dough
- 2 ¼ cups (11 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (12 ounces) semolina flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
- 1 ⅔ cups (13 1/3 ounces) ice water
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 ¼ teaspoons salt
Sauce
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Pizza
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)
- 12 ounces whole-milk mozzarella, shredded (3 cups)
KEY EQUIPMENT
- Rimmed Baking Sheets
- Stand Mixers (Inexpensive)
- Baking Stones & Baking Steels
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
This pizza crust recipe requires refrigerating the dough for 24 to 48 hours before shaping it. All-purpose flour and semolina flour work best in this recipe. It is important to use ice water in the dough to prevent overheating during mixing. Anchovies give the sauce depth without a discernible fishy taste; if you decide not to use them, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. For tips on applying additional toppings, see related content.
INSTRUCTIONS
FOR THE CRUST PIZZA DOUGH: Using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix all-purpose flour, semolina flour, sugar, and yeast on low speed until combined, about 10 seconds. With machine running, slowly add water and oil until dough forms, and no dry flour remains 1 to 2 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough stand for 10 minutes.
Add salt to dough and mix on medium speed until mixture forms a smooth, sticky ball that clears sides of the bowl, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove dough from bowl and knead briefly on a lightly floured counter until soft, about 1 minute—shape dough into tight ball and place in large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 48 hours.
FOR THE PIZZA SAUCE: Process tomatoes, sugar, and salt in a food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Heat oil and garlic in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, occasionally stirring, until garlic is fragrant and just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste, anchovies, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato mixture and cook, occasionally stirring, until sauce measures 2 cups, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, let cool and refrigerate until needed.
FOR THE PIZZA CRUST RECIPE: One hour before baking pizza, place the baking stone on the upper-middle rack and heat oven to 500 degrees. Spray rimmed baking sheet (including the rim) with vegetable oil spray, then coat bottom of the pan with oil. Remove dough from refrigerator and transfer to a lightly floured counter. Lightly flour top of the dough and gently press into 12 by 9-inch rectangle. Using a rolling pin, roll dough into 18 by 13-inch rectangle. Transfer dough to the prepared baking sheet, the fitting dough into corners. Spray top of the dough with vegetable oil spray and a lay sheet of plastic wrap over dough. Place the second baking sheet on the dough and let stand for 1 hour.
Remove the top baking sheet and plastic wrap. Gently stretch and lift the dough to fill the pan. Using back of spoon or ladle, spread sauce in even layer over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle Parmesan evenly over the entire surface of the mixture to edges followed by mozzarella.
Place pizza on stone; reduce oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake until bottom crust is evenly browned and cheese is bubbly and browned, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pizza halfway through baking. Remove pan from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a knife around rim of pan to loosen pizza. Transfer pizza to a cutting board, cut into squares and serve. Here you have a delicious pizza crust recipe.
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