I’m an equal opportunity pizza lover. I love fancy hand tossed pizza as much as I love a $3 frozen pizza. I love thick pizza crust, thin and crispy pizza crust, and everything in between. And I love trying to make them all at home. This super fast, 30-minute thin and crispy pizza crust has quickly become one of my favorites because it’s just so fast and easy. No rise time means I get my pizza fix FAST.
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My love for thin crust has grown over the past few years and I’ve been on the hunt for a good thin and crispy pizza crust recipe. I’ve tried a few with less than stellar results, but when thekitchn.com claimed that their recipe was the result of “years of very meticulous testing,” I couldn’t help but trust their word. I tried their recipe with two small variations, the use of more yeast (one standard 0.25 oz. packet) and a little sugar to help super charge the yeast. I was very happy with the results!
This crust is crispy, but not dense (thank you, yeast), and has just enough “give” to keep you from thinking you’re eating off of a saltine cracker.
Can I Make the Pizza Dough Ahead of Time?
Yes, you can make this dough ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator up to two days, or freeze it for about three months. To thaw the frozen dough, place it in the refrigerator the day before, or place it on the counter top for about an hour to thaw at room temperature.
What Kind of Pizza Pan is Best?
The more heat that hits this thin and crispy pizza crust, the crispier it will be, so try to use a pizza pan that is perforated, or a preheated pizza stone.
My pizza is topped with fresh mozzarella, a few vegetables from the salad bar, and leftover pepperoni from my Three Pepper Pasta with Crispy Pepperoni. It’s important not to choose toppings that are very wet when working with a thin crust.
Thin and Crispy Pizza Crust
Servings 2 12-inch pizzasIngredients
- 3/4 cup warm water ($0.00)
- 1/2 tsp sugar ($0.01)
- 2 tsp active dry or instant yeast (or one 0.25oz. packet) ($0.19)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting) ($0.34)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.05)
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to its highest position. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees, or its highest setting.
- Dissolve the sugar and yeast into the warm water and let it sit until foamy (about 5 minutes).
- While the yeast is soaking, combine 1 cup of the flour and the salt in a separate large bowl. Stir until the salt is evenly mixed into the flour.
- Pour the yeast water into the bowl of flour, then stir with a wooden spoon until fairly smooth. Stir in an additional 1/2 cup flour. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, slowly adding up to 1/2 cup more flour as you go. Be sure to add the flour slowly as you knead to prevent it from becoming too dry and stiff.
- Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. Divide it into two equal portions and form each piece into a ball. If you do not wish to make two pizzas immediately, the second ball of dough can be wrapped in plastic and stored in the refrigerator for up to two days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Press the dough down into a flattened circular disk, then use a rolling pin to roll it out into a thin circle, about 12 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick.
- Prepare a pizza pan with either non-stick spray or a combination of spray and cornmeal, then carefully place the dough onto the pan. Spread a thin layer of your favorite sauce over the surface, then bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, or just until the edges develop a hint of color.
- Remove the crust from the oven, add the rest of your toppings, then bake for an additional 7-10 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is a medium golden brown.
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Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Thin and Crispy Pizza Crust – Step by Step Photos
Begin by preheating your oven to 500 degrees, or as close to 500 as you can get it. It may take a while to get up that high, so start preheating as soon as possible. Also, move your oven rack to the highest position because that’s where the air will be hottest. Hotter is better when it comes to pizza.
Next, dissolve 1/2 tsp sugar and 2 tsp (or one 0.25oz. packet) of yeast into 3/4 cup warm water. Let that sit until it forms a thick layer of foam like the photo above (that should take about 5 minutes).
While you’re waiting on the yeast, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Make sure to stir them until the salt is evenly distributed throughout (or as best you can tell).
Pour the foamy yeast water into the bowl of flour and stir until fairly smooth.
Stir in an additional 1/2 cup flour, then turn the shaggy dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. Slowly add up to 1/2 cup more flour as you knead. Add the flour slowly so that the dough does not become dry and stiff. It should remain soft and supple.
Let the dough rest for at least five minutes. This helps the gluten relax a bit, which will make it easier to roll out.
Divide the dough into two pieces and form each into a smooth ball. If you’re not going to make two pizzas at this time, wrap one in plastic and store it in the fridge for a couple of days or in the freezer for up to a few months.
Flatten the ball of dough into a circular disc with your hands. People always ask me how I get my pizzas so round and the answer is (in addition to having YEARS of pizza making experience) this first “pat down” step. This is where the shape begins. If it’s not a circle before you start rolling, good luck making it into one later! :P
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 12 inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick. Using a rolling pin is very important to making the crust thin and crispy. It flattens out the tiny air pockets and kind of compresses everything down. If you simply stretch it with your hands (like hand tossed crust), it remains more pliable and will become more fluffy when baked.
Prepare whatever pizza pan you prefer to use. I highly suggest using a perforated pan if you don’t have a pizza stone because it allows air to get up under the crust to make it crispy. I like to use a thin layer of non-stick spray and then a generous sprinkle of cornmeal, but that’s just my preference.
Carefully transfer the dough to the pizza pan. Folding it in half before picking it up will help it maintain its shape without further stretching. Then once it’s on the pan, you simply unfold the dough. Spread a thin layer of your favorite sauce over the crust.
Bake the crust in the fully preheated oven for five minutes. This helps dry it out and prepares it for it’s final crispy form. If you top it with everything first, it probably won’t get enough heat and air exposure to fully crisp, so partially bake the crust and sauce first.
After baking for five minutes, add the rest of your toppings. Remember not to use anything too wet or heavy (like fresh tomatoes) because you don’t want lakes to form on the pizza.
Pop the pizza back into the oven for 7-10 minutes more, or until the crust is nicely browned and the cheese is bubbly. When cooking at such a high temperature, the time will vary quite a bit from oven to oven, so just keep an eye on it and use those visual cues to tell you when it’s done.
The edges have a nice crispy texture and the interior has a nice crunch on the bottom. Thin and crispy pizza crust heaven!
Super thin, but strong enough to hold up to toppings!
Would you change anything if using a steel?
It’s hard to say! We only tested on a regular pizza pan so I’m not sure if it would get a bit tooo crispy on a steel.
Hi love thin crust pizza! has anyone tried this out with a sugar substitute for the yeast to rise? I know it is a such a tiny amount for the recipie however for a person on a very strict keto diet for medical reasons or a diabetic some swap outs may be needed. Would love some feedback on what others have tried.
This was so tasty and easy to make!!
I don’t have to waste time letting it rise???
No, for the thin and crispy you want it to stay flat, not fluffy, so no rising! :)
I’ve been making this for about 2-3 years now and it NEVER fails! Crispy. Perfect. My only suggestion is to increase the salt to 1.5 teaspoons. I feel it enhances the flavor a bit more. I have made this with all purpose flour I have made this with bread flour and I have made it with 00 (pizza) flour. And it is always a hit!
Incredibly yummy and easy. Will be my new go to recipe!
Thin and crispy just like the name says! Quick and easy who could ask for more. Never thought about cooking it at the top of the oven, which makes so much sense. I did not divide the dough but made one extra larger pizza on a preheated stone and it turned out delicious. My new go to pizza dough recipe for sure!
Sooooooo good. Literally tastes like NY style pizza with the fold-n-eat and everything. Will be our go to crust from now on!! Delicious chewy, yet crisp thin crust. Fresh mozzarella is key.
Sooooooo good. Literally tastes like NY style pizza with the fold-n-eat and everything. Will be our go to crust from now on!! Delicious chewy, yet crisp thing crust. Fresh mozzarella is key.
Search no more….this is the BEST!
We bought on OONI pizza oven last year and have many dough recipes that were thin….but not crispy. This one is both. We tried baking it a bit before before adding the sauce and toppings and we also tried it adding everything on the uncooked dough. Both turned out wonderfully crisp and delicious! Thank you soooooo much!
I have literally made the crust 4 times now. I’m a huge pizza lover + daily commuter + grad student spouse. So basically my time is short and my budget tight. This often leads to me spending around 30 dollars a week for pizza on days when I’m tired. Well not anymore! For the past few weekends I have made this crust. We eat one and freeze the other. It is so much cheaper, way more fresh, and faster than pizza delivery! Thanks Beth! This will be a family norm from now on.
I love this pizza dough! Have tried so many thin and crispy recipes, but this is the best I’ve tried!
On the Nutrition breakdown….. does one serving mean one pizza….471 cals?
It means just the crust for one pizza is 471 cals. The recipe makes two pizza crusts. I hope that clears it up! :)
Very easy & good! Thank you so very much for the recipe! Awesome.
Was looking for a less ‘bready ’ pizza dough and this recipe didn’t fail! It’s just thin enough and has a great crisp. Next time I’ll add some garlic or Parmesan to spice it up.
This looks amazing…I would use white wheat flour…or part whole wheat, and a Tablespoon of ground flax…also could add flavoring to dough…garlic powder, oregano and leave out the salt if you are watching your salt intake…add a few red pepper flakes…This would make great dough for just flat breeds..or roll into square and cut into strips and bake…So many possibilities when you have a great recipe…will also try with non gluten flour…like Red Mill one for one…for those that are gluten free…also if you do not flavor the dough…just a suggestion..you could sprinkle italian seasoning on top..or a few red pepper flakes…I love mushrooms..but they have lots of water…so i cut and microwave and then blot the water out with a paper towel…or you can sauté …sprinkle with a little salt to draw out the moisture and sauté until the moisture is cooked down…do not like canned mushrooms…no flavor…i want to try making a cheese pizza with sauce and cheese…and freeze…and then I can pull it out and put toppings on it…roast the topping..pepprs onions and jalapenios in oven for 5 min and add…So many possibilities…I like margarita pizza…usually us a cheese pizza and then cut up a few roma tomatoes and let them drain a bit on paper towels put on top of cheese…and bake…then just a few minutes before done…and a sprinkle of grated mozerella and a sprinkle of fresh basil from my garden…this is a great appetizer or a meal…So Many Possibilities….yum..Enjoy…Love this site…one of the best!! And budget friendly…make your own healthy food and less processed!!!
This is the best recipe if you like thin crusts. Works with white whole wheat flour, too.
My husband has eyes only for super thin, crispy crusts and I have made SO MANY different recipes trying to find “the one.” Well we pulled this out of the oven tonight and after our first bite we knew THIS was the one!! Thank you, thank you for finally ending my long search for the perfect homemade crust!
Thanks for the recipe! I can’t wait to try it. Do you use the same amount of instant yeast as you would active dry and do I need the 5 minute proof with the instant?
Also thanks to Doug for the great suggestion! :o)
Hi, This looks yumm! I’m a pizza fiend & trying to limit my sodium intake, so learning to make homemade pizza crust is the only realistic option for me. Is the salt in this recipe just for flavor, or is it needed for the yeast to work? Thanks much!
Salt is not needed for the yeast to work. It’s more for flavor and to create that real pizza flavor.
Any suggestions on how to stretch a yeast packet out for this? It’s a hard to find ingredient these days and I was wondering if it could possibly use less yeast somehow. Thanks!
Hi Melissa! Have you seen our latest recipe for dough that uses no yeast?
Or you could try the 2 ingredient Greek yogurt dough or pizza crust…delicious, fat free and full of protein!
*for pizza crust
Melissa,use 1/2 or less of the amount of yeast called for in the recipe. It will double the rising time but give a more flavorful dough. I realize that this is a recipe for a non risen dough but unless you use both of the doughs right away,it will rise. You can also keep a portion of a dough recipe as a starter for your next bread/pizza dough and never run out of yeast.Many bakeries and pizza restaurants do this to give the next dough a kick start for flavor as well. It is like a mild sourdough starter.
My new favorite pizza crust recipe! I pre-baked the crust on a pre-heated pizza stone dusted with corn meal and it turned out nice and crispy. Refrigerated half of the dough and used it the next day. It was just as good. Re-heated left-overs in a toaster oven to maintain the crisp crust. Awesome recipe, thank you!
Tried this tonight; thin, flat and quick. We prebaked, but it was chewy rather than crispy. Any ideas on what might have happened?
Hi Chris! Hard to say what happened without following step by step, but it could have used a little more time in a prebake. Also sometimes oven temps can vary. A cheap oven thermometer that you put inside of the oven can really help to see if your oven is off. Mine tends to be cooler then the digital read out.
Looks awesome! Just one question- if you’re not gonna let the dough rise, why use yeast in the first place? What’s the yeast’s purpose here?
It still will help the dough rise in the oven when baking and provides that classic pizza dough flavor.
Finally found yeast packets, everything has been sold out with the pandemic – used our last pre-made pizza dough 2 weeks ago. We really like thin crust so I’m super excited to try this recipe! I have a pizza stone, would you recommend any changes if using a stone & not a pizza pan?
Hi Shannon! I’ve used the dough on a stone a few times. I prebake the dough for just a few minutes t so that way I can get it just right. Then I pull it, add my toppings and it’s delicious.
Looks pretty good! am gonna try it this weekend!
btw, what kind of cheese did you use? The one on the photo.
Fresh mozzarella!
After kneading, do I not.have to wait for the dough to rise. At least for a few hours then punch down?
No since it’s a thin crust, there’s no need for a rise and proof. Enjoy!
My pizza ended up a bit charred on top and raw on the bottom. I should have followed my common sense. It also was lacking flavor..but it remained flat.
Haven’t made this but ready to. Why put pan on top of oven rack. I understand for browning crust, but leave it there after adding toppings. I add cheese on top of sauce and then topping so I would think toppings would burn. Thanks for the recipe,
I was a little confused about how much flour is used in total. Is it 2 cups in total? or 1 cup, plus adding another 1/2 cup plus another 1/2 cup to equal 2. Or is it 3 in total? In the video it appears to only be 2 cups total..
Please clarify! Thanks =) Would love to try the eggs Florentine breakfast pizza.
It’s going to be about 2 cups total. You start by stirring in 1 cup until smooth, then stir in another 1/2 cup. At that point you probably won’t be able to stir anymore, so you begin to knead in the final 1/2 cup. So 1 + 1/2 + 1/2 = 2. You may or may not need the entire last 1/2 cup, as moisture levels in flour can vary.
The BEST pizza crust I have ever tried. I’m usually disappointed by homemade pizzas because the crust isn’t great but this is so crispy and delicious. It’s so quick and easy to make, too.
I’m very pleased with this recipe. You had made a comment about not using toppings that are too moist or wet for thin crust. I have found a way to get around this. I use a lot of olives, green peppers, onions, and jalapeños. I will prepare them as toppings, and then I will put them on a baking sheet in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes at around 350 to Dry them out some. Then I will put them on the pizza on top of the cheese before cooking. It’s an added step, and a few more minutes of prep, but it is well worth it.
Awesome tip! Thanks for sharing!
Have you tried this recipe with whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat?
I haven’t, unfortunately.
I used bread flour. Turned out really good
Hello there! As an avid fan of the blog, I just had a question since I’m a pretty novice baker.
Is there a version of this that can be made with instant yeast as opposed to classic yeast?
I hope they aren’t the same thing; that would be embarrassing!! #GottaStartSomewhere
That’s a very valid question. :) You can use instant yeast in this recipe in the exact same manner as the yeast I used.
Excellent! I live at 6,000 feet and I face constant challenges with any kind of flour baking. I have been struggling with gummy crust for years. This came out beautifully. I did have to change the ratio of water to flour (more water) as our humidity is so low, flour is extremely dry. I love how fast this was. All my family devoured it. Thank you so much!
This our go-to recipe from here on out! Perfection! Many thanks for this recipe!
Hi, could I make four 8-inch pizzas with this recipe, and if so would I need to adjust the cooking time? Thanks!
Yes you could. :) The cooking time will likely be shorter, since they are smaller, but I don’t know the exact cooking time without testing it. I would just suggest keeping a close eye on them.
Hi! My crust didn’t have too much flavor, is there a certain brand of flour that’s best to use?
I just used regular all purpose flour. You may want to add a pinch more salt to give it a bit more punch.
My crust was really tough. Did I roll too thin, did I do something wrong in the water and yeast?
Any ideas what would make it tough.
I would maybe try adding slightly less flour, and actually trying to roll a bit thinner if possible. A thinner crust will become more cracker-like, whereas if it’s rolled a bit thicker it will retain more moisture and not be ask crispy.
Hi! I’ve tried this before with good success. This time id like to make my dough about 3 hours before I bake it and keep in the fridge. How long would I need to let it sit in counter before baking to warm the dough up from the fridge?
That’s hard to estimate, unfortunately, since it will depend on the ambient temperature of your room. I’d give it at least 15 minutes, though.
I made this tonite and the recipe is perfect! I made single size pizza so I had enough for 3. Texture, taste both are perfection and so easy!!! 5 stars
This has been my go-to pizza crust since it was firs published. Great, easy and quick, it produces a consistently delicious crust every time. However, today I discovered something NEW–this dough is also great for making naan! Make as directed, but use golf ball size balls of dough to roll out, then cook on medium heat in a frying pan. (I added a bit of butter to my pan.) AWESOME! So fast and so easy and now, so versatile!
I’m back! Just wanted to share that I used this recipe this evening to make naan and a rift on Israeli sandwiches. Take the naan, smear with hummus. Add grilled eggplant (I sprinkled mine with garlic powder before grilling), sliced cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, a sliced hardboiled egg, and some feta. Absolutely delicious and the naan (pizza crust recipe) worked AMAZING.
Oh, cool! Thanks for sharing that!
Angry Chef. I have made this recipe over 10 times and always turns out perfect. Beth’s recipes are all very good. I would say it may be the organic flour you are using. You may need to adjust and add more until your dough reaches the correct consistency.
How on earth are people getting a pizza crust using these measurements? 2 cups flour to 3/4 flour?!?! I’ve made a flour soup. I just love wasting my expensive organic flour on these garbage recipes.
Did you maybe get the measurements backwards? It’s 2 cups flour to 3/4 cup of water, which is actually inline with (or close to) most bread recipe ratios as well. I made this a couple months ago with no problem. It turned out as expected.
It’s a rainy day here and I did need to add about a tablespoon additional flour to get a more cohesive mass. Plus I weighed my flour which could have made the measurements a bit different than Beth’s.
Angry “Chef” you’ve got to be kidding
Thank You for being one of a very rare few bloggers/recipe sharing pages where I don’t have to scroll down and see 100 ads, close 6 pop ups and sort through a bunch of rambling trying to find the recipe that’s on the next page via a hardly visible button to get to it.
Thank You for the recipe that was awesome.
The best crunchy and thin pizza I have ever made! Great recipe! Thank you so much :)
This was a great recipe. Not exactly crispy, but very thin and ready in a flash. This will be my goto from now on,
Would I be able to make several of these at a time and freeze them for later use?
Pizza dough freezes very well just after it’s kneaded. Then you can just thaw it on the countertop and roll it out as needed.
The crust came out thin – but soggy!!! I followed directions precisely, and am so disappointed!!
Tasteless. Next time I will look for a recipe that allows the yeast, flour and sugar to ferment for better flavor. Olive oil in the crust my also give some more flavor.
I did a side by side today with this recipe and a semolina blend recipe from King Arthur that called for a 30-90 minute rest. Everyone liked your recipe the best. I ended up docking the dough after the first pie ended up with huge pockets following pre-baking.
I did find both pizzas a little dense with hardly any pockets., so my question is can I achieve a cracker like crust with this recipe and if so, how?
This recipe probably won’t create the texture you’re looking for. I think recipes that have more of a crackery type texture may actually use a chemical leavener (like baking powder) rather than yeast. I haven’t experimented with that type of crust, though.
what kind of yeast? the regular or the rapid rise?
You can use active dry, rapid rise, or instant for this.
Could I use whole wheat flour for this recipe ?
You could probably do 1/2 wheat 1/2 white, but when you substitute all of the flour for whole wheat there will always be pretty distinct flavor and texture changes. You usually need more moisture as well, as the whole wheat flour absorbs more.
This is an amazing recipe Beth! You are the best! Iv been trying to perfect my crust recipe for SO LONG and with this crust it is better than ever! My usual crusts take over an hour to make and rise so this was such an easy alternative. The baking before the topping application was such a great idea. I really think the thinner, the better for this recipe too, I made my dough as thin as I could- almost see through! (not really but really, really thin!!!) It was great, a good rip and almost crunchy edges. It was like “real pizza” like from a pizza joint with a wood fired oven. I did a white pizza and one of my favorites- grilled eggplant with dollops of fresh mozzarella, and finished off with a balsamic glaze after it comes out of the oven with a handful of arugula on top. Perfection! BTW I love reading your flog!!!!
I like thin crust and made this one yesterday. I loaded it with meat, cheese, mushrooms, olives, onion, and red pepper. Crust held up great. I used a Pampered Chef baking stone.. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you!
My first time to see your website. I made this and it was pretty dang good. I didn’t have a perforated pizza pan. But I plan to buy one and make this again. Thanks!
I’ve made this recipe several times now and it’s always delicious. Way better than the store bought mix and just as easy.
Awesome recipe. So fast and easy. I didn’t use second half of dough til the third day…still wonderful. Second time I preheated my insulated baking sheet and got even crisper results. Thank you.
Made this. Perfect crust every time.. thanks
Made this as trial run for pizza party. Awesome, crispy. Used a pizza stone. Only thing is the dough formed huge air pockets during baking and had to bust them with a knife. Why would that be?
Docking the dough after shaping it into the skin will help with this. You don’t have to have a specialized dough docker (although they are fast and handy); just use a fork and prick the dough before adding sauce.
So idk what I did but seems there is too much flour. I poured the yeast water into the dough and it was already quite dry. It did not get creamy. Did the 3/4 cup with 1 cup yeast. Maybe recipe needs more water? I am a super beginner so maybe I messed up.
Did you really do one cup yeast or is that autocorrect? Should be 2 teaspoons. Try again and don’t give up! This recipe works, not all of them do 😁
I’m assuming that the above poster is correct that ‘1 cup yeast’ was a typo for you.. Aside from that possible issue, how are you measuring your flour? Measuring by cups can be misleading if you don’t measure it correctly. That’s why most bakers work in weights and percentages.
To properly measure flour, you should first stir the flour to loosen it and then use a large spoon to fill the cup with the loose flour. (Don’t drag the cup through the flour — this pushes the flour down and makes it more dense, which can quickly go from ‘3/4 cup flour’ to ‘1 cup flour.’ After you spoon the loose flour into the cup, use the back of a knife to level out the flour. Resist the urge to pack down the flour or press on it in any way!
Just made this crust, it was seriously amazing! Best pizza crust I’ve ever made for sure. I added a dash of garlic powder and parsley. This will be my go to pizza crust for now on! Thank you!
If you like your pizza thin, but not necessarily crispy, add 2 TBSP of olive oil to this recipe, as well as a 1/2 tsp baking soda. The baking soda gives the dough a bit of extra lift, and the olive oil keeps the dough from crusting so aggressively. You can also slow it down by spreading the sauce right to the edge of the dough, rather than leaving a crust .
I’m excited to try your pizza crust recipe. It’s just my husband and I these days and we only eat a couple of slices each, so I wonder if the dough can be frozen.
Tammy, you should absolutely be able to freeze this dough. Separate the dough into the proper size by weight for the diameter pizza you’ll be making and roll those into dough balls, coat with a light oil or pan spray and put into separate zipper bags and freeze immediately. (If you are freezing many, you can always place them on a sprayed cookie sheet and wrap with saran wrap and place the whole thing in the freezer. When they are frozen solid, transfer to a large airtight container and keep in the freezer.)
When you are ready to use one, place it into the fridge the day before (If you made bulk ones, place into a separate zipper bag with room to grow or a covered bowl.) Pull from the fridge about 30-45 minutes before you begin to shape the pizza to allow the dough to come to about 60-65 degrees F. This will allow it to roll out better.
A really delicious pizza recipe. I have tried out many with unsuccessful results. However I made this one with my 7 year old sone and it was delicious. He could not get enough of it. Well worth the little bit of effort over eating a frozen pizza. Thanks for sharing.
The crust was like a piece of leather, wasted my time and ingredients!
Don’t over sauce the crust. A lot of people do this. It will leave the center of the pizza soggy. You want just enough sauce to coat, this way you get the tomato taste and a crisper crust.
My go to pizza crust recipe for game night. Cheap, fast, and easy. I usually just use Trader Joe’s premade sauce and whatever mozarella that was on sale that week. Little pepperon or browned ground beef or sliced up ham lunch meat and the guys love it.
Hi Beth, I usually use a commercial pizza stone, any suggestions of how to adapt this recipe for baking on a stone?
I’m not very experienced with pizza stones, but I would imagine that you would use it the same as you do with a normal pizza crust, but the cooking time might be slightly faster.
This was great. Preheated my pizza stone at 450, rolled the dough thin, smeared it with olive oil and baked it for about 5 minutes. Took the crust out, coated it with sauce and baked for about 3 minutes then took it out and applied the cheese and toppings and finished it until perfectly melted and bubbly. Will definitely make this recipe again, can’t find a good take out pizza around here with thin crust?
Hi beth. This is beth!😊 how about a pizza stone is this a good tool for a pizza?
Pizza stones are great for cooking pizza, but it may change the cooking time. :)
Hi Beth tried your recipe, turned out well but not 100%
Pizza become chewy and also is thr a way of layering toppings on the base.your tips will be appreciated
If you use a lot of toppings or very wet toppings, that might slow down the cooking of the crust and prevent it from getting nice and crispy. Also, try to use a perforated pizza pan. The holes allow the hot air to reach the middle of the crust and help dry it to a nice crispy finish.
Thabk u so much for the tips..
:)
Hi Beth
Just love your recipe. I am going to try this weekend but I have a question.
I don’t have perforated pizza pan but I have rectangle baking pan with cuts in it. Will that work ?
I’ve used it on regular baking sheets and it still works pretty good. Not quite as crispy on the bottom as with a perforated pan, but it works.
This was awesome… just had it and none of us could believe how good it turned out. I will probably part baje the crust alone first next time.
With all the toppings this probably cost us 1/5th of what most places will charge for a pizza like this and with these toppings. Plus no body sells organic pizza crust!!
This turned out amazing! Finally – home made pizza that is do-able on a weeknight :). I hesitated that this wasn’t enough time to let the dough rise – but I’m so glad I was wrong and tried it out. I love your site, I always have success with your recipes!
Beth, is there a reason you don’t use olive oil in the dough at all?
Olive oil tends to produce a more tender dough, so leaving it out helps the dough be a bit more crispy. :)
Thanks! Have made about 10 of these so far and have finally found a sauce I like. Really appreciate you putting this up.
Eu adoro piza caseira e normalmente faço-a com a típica massa do pão. Esta parece-me bastante prática e têm um ar apetitoso, é com certeza uma mais valia a esperimentar ;)
http://www.pecadosnoprato.com
Hi – can you please tell me what kind of yeast you use for this recipe? I see that “pizza crust” yeast is available as well as “quick rise”. Please advise.
I’ve never used “pizza crust” yeast, but quick rise would be comparable to what I have.
Perfect. Will not change a thing. Easy and exactly what i looking for.
I use this recipe every time I make home made pizzas now. Quick and easy!
So we made the pizza the week you shared this recipe, usually I tweak here and there. I never have for this one..ok I will add oregano from the garden to the crust sometimes..we have always thrown it on the grill and it is never failed to be Awesome. When you have your teenagers friends coming by to ask for this even when your teen isn’t at home, ya got a winner. They love it buffalo chicken style and Italian sausage with peppers. This along with the dragon noodles and overnight no sugar oatmeal should be in some recipe Hall of Fame.
I don’t have a pizza pan so I was wondering can I still make it without one? Oh and what can I use instead? Thank you!
You can actually just use a regular baking sheet. The pizza doesn’t have to be round, or you can just make it round but small enough to fit on the baking sheet. :)
Perfectly crispy, slightly sweet crust. This will be my only pizza crust recipe.
Beth,
Have you ever used a stand mixer with a dough hook for this recipe? Do you have to alter the time spent kneading it?
Thanks!
I haven’t used a mixer, unfortunately.
Hi from Malaysia!! I just made 3 pieces of 10 inch pizzas with your recipe. This is my third time making pizzas for the family but everyone including the kids agreed this is the best pizza dough they have tasted!! It’s thin but still chewy. The texture and taste is just right. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe and your hints on prebaking the crust before adding the topping. Your recipe will be the only pizza dough recipe I’ll refer to from now on.
Ok, so I just made this crust (for a pizza margherita) and it is seriously amazing! Super thin and delicious without being too crunchy. And it’s so fast and easy! It’ll be part of the weekly rotation now, along with your dragon noodles, crispy tofu method, and lots of other goodies from BB – thanks Beth!!!
I love this recipe!! So quick and easy. The only thing I did differently was prebake my crust for a few minutes before I put the toppings on. Thanks!
I have a huge bag of bread flour that I once bought to make pizza dough and haven’t gotten around to using it again! Do you think I could sub this for the regular flour?
I figured there wasn’t much difference between the two, so I used to try to use the bread flour in place of regular flour for gravies, thickening sauces, etc. Turns out the bread flour really doesn’t dissolve into liquid like regular flour does! Do you think I would need to change the measurements at all?
Thanks Beth. This looks delish!
You might need to adjust the amount of flour some, but that’s always going to vary just a little bit. You just have to feel it out as you’re kneading and make sure not to add too much. :)
I don’t know if I’ve ever had a pizza crust..this bad. Ever.
Reviews are misleading. Sad.
Too dry. Then too fluffy for a thin crust. No alterations done except the ones I needed to even make this dough not so utterly dry.
-10/5
Hmm. If I were the only person in a group of fifty or so with a bad outcome, I don’t think I’d call their reviews “misleading”. I’d just try to figure out where I went wrong and probably just keep my unfortunate experience to myself. But that’s just me.
Just wondering what kind of sauce you used in the pictures; My daughter hates tomato seeds and that looks very plain.
It was actually just a plain canned “tomato sauce” and not a pizza sauce at all :) I find that it does the trick in a pinch, and sometimes I add a few Italian herbs on top to kick it up a bit.
I followed this exactly as written. It was absolutely fantastic
We are now making pizza about 4 times a week— Regular pizza, thin and crispy pizza, thicker pizza (hubby and daughter like it thicker), White Pizza, Cast Iron Pan pizza…This pizza dough is SO versatile and SO super simple and SO FAST – who wouldn’t be making Pizza 4 times a week!!! I’m thinking Dessert Pizza coming soon! Thanks so much for ending our dependency on bland frozen pizzas and store bought dough that isn’t 1/10th as yummy as this!!!
Oh man, Beth, this is amazing! We got a new high-temp pizza oven for Christmas and I was really struggling to find a good crust that could be formed quickly and thinly enough to resemble traditional Neapolitan style pizza. I can’t tell you how FAST and EASY this was, and SOOOOOOO easy to work with. Add to that, the fact that it’s 1/4 of the price of my store bought dough, and this will be THE crust going forward. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Omg. You are the pizza queen. This turned out amazing. I didn’t realize the recipe made 2 batches of dough when I started making it, but you can never have too much pizza dough on hand anyway :p The first pizza was ok, but I think I really perfected it with my 2nd one. I wanted bacon on my pizza, so I cooked a couple slices in my cast iron skillet. I took the bacon out, and then put the rolled out dough right in there with all that hot bacon grease deliciousness (taking hints from your thick pan pizza recipe, which I also love). I also added a generous amount of italian seasoning on top of the sauce. The crust came out deliciously crispy and awesome. It’s dangerous times now that I know a no-rise pizza recipe…will make this again and again. Thank you Beth!
This recipe is brilliant. Worked like a charm on the very first time.
I use this to make no-dairy, no-meat pizzas, which admittedly is more like lots of veggies on a cracker, but with the right veggies, it’s pretty awesome. Much better than the thin-and-crispy from Dominos.
Does the refrigerated dough need to be at room temperature when you want to use it?
I do like to let it warm up a bit because it’s much easier to stretch and work with when it’s not cold.
I goofed and bought instant yeast instead of regular will that still work.
Yes, it should still work fine. :)
I’ve been wanting to try this forever and finally got a pizza pan the other day. It’s AMAZING. The dough is so delicious. I probably should have cooked it a little longer but I didn’t want to burn the cheese all the way – next time I’ll let it cook longer with just the sauce. All the same, what an easy, delicious with absolutely NO advance planning required. I am a Budget Bytes evangelist for life! Thank you!
Hi Beth,
Long time fan. Could you please specifiy which type of yeasy you used? Was it active or instant?
Thanks!!
Dan
Yeast***
Hi Dan, For this recipe either instant or active dry will work fine. :)
I had seriously given up making homemade pizza altogether until I saw this recipe. We love thin crust pizza, but every recipe for pizza crust that I’ve ever tried was either flavorless or never cooked all the way through.
I tried this recipe yesterday, and it was PERFECT. It made the perfect amount of pizza for the two of us, and it was so easy to make without compromising flavor! No letting it rise for an hour or two. Just make the dough and bake it right away. The texture was awesome: crisp on the outside and a little chewy on the inside. Now we can have pizza whenever we want! Thank you!
Hey, Beth! I love this site, and plug it to people all the time. How much sauce would you recommend per pizza? I’m planning on making your Thick & Rich Pizza Sauce recipe to go with this and was wondering how many pizzas I’d get out of it. Thanks!
The pizza sauce recipe makes about 3 cups and I’d say each pizza would get between 1/4 and 1/2 cup, depending on how saucy you like it. For the thin crust pizza it’s always a better idea to go a little light, though. :) You can freeze the leftover pizza sauce.
Long time lurker but first comment on this site. Tried this recipe last night and it was FANTASTIC! It is exactly the type of pizza crust I love the best – thin and crispy with a great chew. I am smitten! By you and your crust!
OMG this crust looks amazing! I love crispy, thin-crust pizza (that’s how it is in Italy and I fell in LOVE with pizza in Rome)
I wonder how this would do as an herbed crust? Like mixing in some dried rosemary & oregano maybe? I will have to try that.
I think that would work well!
Thank you for the recipes Beth! :) Sorry for the single comment, I was and will be a lurker because…I think I am not good enough to give advice to anyone. ;)
Uhmmm, only a correction to DC’s comment above. In Italy, pizza is always «pizza napoletana» (transl.: neapolitan pizza). If you eat a “shallow” pizza is only a matter of…marketing. To make original Italian pizza you MUST use a good amount of dough and time and “pizzerie” in Italy want to bring in cash like every other business. If you eat shallow pizza you have taken one of these paths:
1) You have bought a “take away pizza” (they’re EXTRA thin and also rubbery: I won’t call them pizza)
2) You specifically have requested a shallow pizza (or the waiter/ress asked you which one): a good 40% of my friends dislikes «pizza napoletana» thick pizza.
3) If you requested a traditional pizza (or intended to eat one), the «pizzaiolo» hadn’t been trainer well! :-) It’s not his/her fault at all, it’s not so easy to find a good “pizza teacher” ;-)
OK, I love cooking too so we all know there’s NOT a single way of cooking a dish (thank God! :D). So take my comment only as a clarification from a…native Italian. And sorry for my English too!!!
Alternatively, use large tortillas!! We have a place where we can buy like 15 of them for $3 or $4, depending on size, and then have some of the best dinner parties ever.
Made this, but not for a pizza. Used the grill and turned it into awesome flatbread. Will never use a mix again….Thanks
Great quick recipe. I just used a parchment lined cookie sheet and preheated it in the oven. I found this to be a little too salty but it may have been my pink salt. We usually buy dough because I have no patience! NEVER AGAIN. Great recipe, thanks Beth!
Great recipe! I have only bought pizza dough before. I will definitely be trying this recipe in the near future. I recently made a grilled pizza, do you think this dough recipe would be ok on the grill?
Hmmm, I would think so, but I actually have never grilled pizza before! :) I need to get a real grill.
Your timing was perfect with this post as I was already planning on making pizza for dinner last evening. I’ve been searching for a thin crust and this crust was amazing! It couldn’t have been easier, either. Thank you!
hey Beth!
I plan on using this tonight, but I have no pizza pan, just a pizza stone that I’ve never used and thought I would break in with this recipe! How might I go about using it with this recipe? Thanks in advance!
You’ll want to preheat the stone with the oven so it gets nice and hot. Transferring the rolled dough to the hot stone may be tricky, so hopefully you have a pizza peel. Baking times will probably be different with the hot stone vs. the pizza pan, so you’ll want to rely on the visual cues to know when to top the pizza and when to finish baking the final product. The crust and sauce should bake just until the sauce starts to look a little dry and the edges of the crust are just getting a hint of color. Top with the rest of the ingredients, then finish baking until the crust is browned.
Could whole wheat flour be used in this recipe?
If you use all ww flour the texture will change quite a bit and you may need more water. Doing 50/50 ww to all-purpose should yield pretty good results, though.
I just made this pizza for dinner tonight, and it was better than any delivery or store-bought pizza I’ve ever had. And let me just say, before tonight, I had never made pizza from scratch. Kneading and rolling out pizza dough is something I had never done before…and this recipe made it so easy to learn. The crust was the perfect amount of thin and I made both pizzas so I now have plenty of leftovers! I topped my pizza with mozzarella, green pepper, onion, green olives, and garlic cloves. DELICIOUS!
I’ve been a longtime reader of yours and love your recipes, but I don’t think I’ve ever commented before. I just had to say something about this crust! I was trying a new pizza recipe and it was failing miserably. I had two hungry kids clinging to my legs and a husband literally walking in the door. The dough for the other recipe was a disaster, and I remembered just having seen yours. So I scrapped the other dough and quickly made this one instead. Well I am SO glad that I did because this is fantastic! So light and crispy, yet chewy. Best pizza I have ever made at home. No need to keep up the search for a crust recipe. This will be ours from now on! Thank you!
Hi Beth, It looks delicious!
Love it!
Kisses
Ana
http://receitasfaceisrapidasesaborosas.pt/
This is great! I’ve been on the hunt for a good thin crust recipe :)
I can’t wait to try this, as I struggle to use fresh dough, it always comes out a mess! Thanks for simplifying.
By the way is that spinach or basil in your toppings?
It’s some baby spinach from the salad bar at the grocery store. :) Best place to get it if you only need a handful.
I love pizza and believe it should be a food group. If you use healthy toppings and not too much cheese (OK I fall down on that part), it is good for you. A thinner crust makes it even more healthy.
One of my favourite pizzerias recently made their thin crust even thinner. It was extra yummy but I did not have any leftovers :(
I like your “instant” crust recipe so I pinned it.
You might want to correct your recipe.
One envelope of yeast is 0.25 oz or 2.25 tsp of yeast. Not 2.25 oz of yeast. That’d be an awful lot of yeast for only 2 cups of flour.
Hahhaha THANK YOU for catching that. :)
Thanks for this one! I’m also an equal opportunity pizza over and love to try new crust recipes. For my sauce, I mix a 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes and a 6 oz. can of tomato paste, season with dried herbs and spices – garlic, oregano, ground fennel, salt, crushed red peppers, etc. and spread thinly on the oiled dough sheet. You can drain some of the liquid off the diced tomatoes for a drier sauce. The sauce freezes well.
Are using rapid rise yeast? If so, can this recipe be replicated with the regular active yeast (with the obvious added wait time)? TIA!
Yes, I used rapid rise, although it should work fine with both. As long as that yeast starts to foam up a bit, you’re good to go! :)
Fellow thin-crust lover here!
I’ve found that I get the best results with a pizza stone. Not sure that is even a word in English, but it’s what we call these in Germany. It’s basically a piece of fireclay (?) that you put on a baking tray in the oven and then heat it up as hot as it’ll go. And then you bake the pizza on that – no longer than 7mins, because it’s so damn hot and there’s direct contact with the heat, so the pizza is done in minutes. It will be like a real stone oven pizza, crisp and perfect.
Hooray! I usually get sad when I want homemade pizza and realize I’ll have to wait for the dough to rise. Plus, I can put away a LOT of pizza, so having a thinner crust will be a blessing in more ways than one. Excited to try this!
So excited to see a homemade pizza dough recipe that doesn’t need a stand mixer with a dough hook! Some of us really are on a budget. Haha
Thanks for sharing another recipe I’m sure my family will love! We check your website every time we plan our meals for the week. Can’t wait to add this to our rotation! :)
that looks so good– and i had pizza for dinner and left-over pizza for breakfast. so, yeah, i really like pizza!
thin crust is my fave, and i’ve found it relies in part on the dough recipe and how thin you roll it out, but mostly on what you put on top. as you say, wet ingredients make for a soggy crust, no matter what.
i no longer use sauce at all– just tomato paste straight from the can, spread over lightly oiled dough, with herbs and garlic sprinkled over it. like a thick, cooked sauce but instant :)