New York-Style Pizza Dough

By
John Mitzewich
John Mitzewich
John Mitzewich is a food writer, recipe video producer, and culinary school instructor with more than 20 years of experience in the food industry.
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Updated on 03/14/22
New York-Style Pizza Dough Recipe

 The Spruce

Prep: 40 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Rise and Chill Time: 14 hrs
Total: 14 hrs 40 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 1 to 2 pizzas

This basic "Big Apple" pizza dough delivers that signature thin-crust, foldable slice New York is famous for. Simply made with a few ingredients you're likely to have in your pantry—flour, olive oil, salt, sugar, yeast, and water—the dough is then kneaded and left to rise until double in size. This recipe makes 1 large or 2 medium-sized pizzas depending on the size pan you use. Finish it off with your favorite sauce and toppings, and, as New Yorkers call pizza, make a delicious "pizza pie."

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup warm water, about 105 F to 115 F

  • 2 1/4 teaspoons (1/4-ounce package) instant active dry yeast

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar

  • 3 cups bread flour, or as needed, divided

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    New York-style pizza dough ingredients
     The Spruce

  2. Combine the water, yeast, sugar, and a 1/2 cup of the flour in a medium bowl. Stir well and let sit for 20 minutes. It will get bubbly.

    Yeast and flour mixture in glass bowl
    The Spruce 

  3. Add the olive oil, salt, and 2 cups of the flour, and mix with a wooden spoon until it forms a loose dough.

    Mixing ingredients for pizza dough in glass bowl
     The Spruce

  4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.

    Turn the New York-style pizza dough out on a floured surface
     The Spruce

  5. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, while adding more flour a little at a time, to produce a soft, elastic, and slightly sticky dough. Do not add too much flour, just enough to keep it from sticking to the work surface.

    kneading pizza dough
     The Spruce

  6. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a large oiled bowl. Drizzle a few drops of oil and coat the top of the dough to prevent the surface from becoming dry.

    Pizza dough and oil in glass bowl
     The Spruce

  7. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm spot for 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

    Towel partly covering bowl containing pizza dough and oil
     The Spruce

  8. Punch down the dough and divide into 2 balls. Place in large zip-lock plastic bags and refrigerate overnight.

    punching down pizza dough in bowl
     The Spruce

  9. When ready to use, remove from the fridge and let the dough come up to room temperature before using.

    Use with your favorite sauce and toppings and enjoy.

    Two zip lock bags containing balls of pizza dough
     The Spruce

How to Store

To make the pizza dough ahead of time, wrap the dough in plastic wrap, place it in a zip-lock storage bag, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Use the dough directly from the refrigerator. To freeze, wrap the ball of dough in plastic wrap, put it into a zip-lock freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the dough at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours or until pliable.

How to Use New York Style Pizza Dough

  • To make the pizzas you will need a 12-inch round pizza pan or a large baking sheet. Dark, heavy metal pans are the best to use because they absorb heat quickly and evenly and will produce a crisp, golden browned crust.
  • For each pizza, brush the pizza pan with a little olive oil. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. With floured hands, pat the dough into a 6-inch round. Stretch or roll the dough with a rolling pin into an 11-inch round. Lift the dough onto the prepared pan and press the dough to the edge of the pan.
  • Add sauce, cheese, and toppings and bake in a 400 F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust gets golden brown.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
222 Calories
4g Fat
39g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 222
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 399mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 39g 14%
Dietary Fiber 2g 5%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 9mg 1%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 62mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)