Making the best homemade pizza is a worthy goal, and it’s far more attainable with this simple recipe for 00 Flour Pizza Dough! This Neapolitan crust recipe yields three 12-inch pizzas, perfect for either meal prep or a stellar pizza party.
While pizza used to be a relatively inexpensive choice for eating out, somehow this carb-a-licious meal has become absurdly expensive. (Seriously, when did a plain cheese pizza start costing $25+?!?) Clearly, making your own (preferably 00 flour) pizza dough is the way to go for anyone on a budget.
Luckily, this easy pizza dough recipe requires just a handful of ingredients and minimal effort, but churns out gourmet-tasting results. The crust is the perfect blend of bready, bubbly and chewy around the edges, thin and crisp on the bottom, and hearty enough to handle plenty of toppers—just like your favorite slice shop.
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love This Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How to Make Sourdough Pizza Dough with 00 Flour
- Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
- Expert Tips
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage & Freezing
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Bread & Sourdough Recipes
- 00 Flour Pizza Dough With Sourdough Starter (No Yeast!)
- 💬 Reviews
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
- Flavor & Texture. Using sourdough starter not only adds flavorful tang and complexity to the pizza, but also helps develop a crispy crust with a beautifully bubbly, chewy interior. As a bonus, sourdough’s slow fermentation process can help with digestibility!
- Simple Recipe. The best pizza starts with a great pizza dough, and this Neapolitan pizza dough recipe is my new gold standard. Just 5 ingredients and about 15 minutes of active prep stand between you and budget-friendly thin crust pizza perfection!
- Flexible Scheduling. Whether you need a batch of same day sourdough pizza crust for dinner tonight or prefer cold rise pizza dough to meet your weekly meal prep needs, this recipe is your answer.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This Neapolitan-style pizza dough requires just a handful of ingredients. Here’s what to grab:
- Warm Water - Around 73-76ºF is ideal in summer, while 85-90ºF is ideal in cooler weather to give the sourdough yeast a cozy environment for rising. (This is a great time for using an instant read thermometer.)
- Sourdough Starter - The original NYT recipe called for instant yeast in addition to sourdough starter, but I wanted to streamline the recipe as much as possible. Increasing the amount of starter ensures plenty of lift and produces a true sourdough pizza crust without commercial leaveners.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Adding a bit of olive oil enhances both the flavor and texture of the dough.
- 00 Flour - For the absolute best results, give this special Italian flavor a shot. While it’s admittedly more expensive than other staple flours, the cost per crust is still only about $1 apiece. Can’t find it? My favorite 00 flour substitute is either King Arthur all-purpose flour (which has 11.7% protein), or a blend of 2 parts of lower-protein AP (e.g. White Lily) with 1 part bread flour.
- Fine Sea Salt - Don’t forget some seasoning! Kosher salt works too; just make sure to measure by weight, not volume.
- Semolina Flour - This coarse wheat flour is traditional for shaping pizza dough, as the consistency is great for preventing the dough from sticking to the pizza peel or work surface. It also adds a nice crispiness and nutty flavor. Fine cornmeal is a great budget-friendly alternative.
What is 00 Flour?
It wasn’t until I started my quest for the perfect homemade ‘za that I learned about 00 flour. As you probably know, different flours vary widely in terms of protein content, texture, water absorption, and more. This particular variety is often referred to as Italian pizza flour or pasta flour, as it is widely considered the premium choice for making these types of doughs.
00 refers to the grind size—double zero indicates that it is the absolute finest grind possible, with a texture close to baby powder. This fine, powdery grind helps the flour to absorb water more quickly than other types and creates an extra silky smooth dough.
Furthermore, 00 flour is usually made with soft wheat and averages a protein content of around 12-13%. The protein content affects the production of gluten, and around 12% is perfect for ensuring excellent elasticity.
(For reference: all-purpose flour and bread flour are usually made with a blend of hard and soft wheat varieties. AP flour has a protein ratio of 10-12%, while bread flour is 12-15%.)
How to Make Sourdough Pizza Dough with 00 Flour
Making Napoli pizza dough with sourdough starter is simple. Here’s how it’s done:
Step 1: Wet Ingredients. Mix together 300 grams of warm water, 200 grams of sourdough starter, and 20 grams of extra virgin olive oil in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Add Flour & Rest. Add 500 grams 00 flour, mixing with a Danish dough whisk or wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Cover with a damp towel and rest for 20-30 minutes.
Step 3: Knead Briefly & Rest. Add the 20 grams of sea salt and knead the rested dough until smooth and the salt is well dispersed. (Alternatively, use a stand mixer outfitted with a dough hook set on a low speed.) Cover with the damp towel again and rest for 30 minutes.
Step 4: Increase Aeration (Optional). Do a round of "stretch and folds" every 30-45 minutes. Ideally you'd do 4 rounds for maximum bubbliness, but 2 rounds is sufficient if that's all your schedule allows.
Step 5: Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces (approximately 346 g balls). Shape each into a boule, as if you were going to make Dutch oven sourdough. Place them seam-side down into large, lidded containers (at least 2x the size of the dough balls) that have been sprayed with olive oil. I use quart-sized delitainers.
Step 6: Proof in the fridge for a minimum of 24-48 hours ~OR~ at room temperature for 12-24 hours, or until doubled in size. (Ambient room temperature will affect the timing; the warmer it is, the faster it’ll rise.) I usually proof one at room temp, then fridge the other two for the next two nights!
Step 7: Prep for Cooking. Remove the dough from the fridge about 30-45 minutes ahead of time; room temperature dough is easier to stretch. Preheat the pizza stone or pizza pan on your grill, pizza oven, or oven to a minimum of 500-550ºF. Spread out a square of parchment paper and scatter a generous amount of semolina flour on the surface to prevent the dough from sticking. I also usually cloak the whole dough ball in semolina to keep the high-hydration dough from sticking to my hands.
Step 8: Stretch the dough in a circular motion on your floured work surface until you've worked it into a 12-inch round*, being careful not to deflate the bubbles around the outer edge of the crust. Cut the edges of the parchment as close to the edges of the completed round as possible.
Step 9: Season (Optional). Spritz the outside edges with olive oil and sprinkle on salt and seasonings (e.g. Italian, garlic powder, or garlic parmesan shake).
Step 10: Top, Bake, & Enjoy! Top with the toppings of your choice and bake for 14-20 minutes depending on the temperature of your oven, or until the edges have puffed, the exposed crust is golden and has some blistering, and the bottom has charred spots. Check about halfway through and rotate the pizza if needed for even cooking. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
- Thicker Crust. The instructions to stretch the dough to a 12-inch round is if you want a traditional, thin-crust Napoletana-style pizza. If you prefer a slightly thicker crust, aim for 10" rounds.
- Add Dried Seasonings. Feel free to add more flavoring than just the salt—dried oregano, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, and/or red pepper flakes are all excellent choices!
Expert Tips
- Temperature matters—using colder water will result in a slower rise time, whereas using warmer water will make the process faster. Similarly, the temperature of your kitchen (or fridge) will change the proofing time; in the winter, my drafty kitchen means the rise time is sluggish. During the warmer months, it’ll rise much faster! Refrigerating the dough for a cold ferment will take the longest.
- Skip the rolling pin! After you’ve worked so hard to create all that beautiful aeration, it’d be a shame to smoosh out all the bubbles. Instead, use your fingers and a well-floured surface, or get fancy and toss the dough.
- Consider Parbaking. If you are using a lot of "wet" toppings (e.g. raw veggies), I recommend adding the tomato sauce and veggies first, baking in the oven until about ⅔ of the way done (about 11-14 minutes) so the excess liquid can evaporate. Then, add the cheese and return to the oven until the cheese is melted and the edges of the pizza are golden brown and the bottom has blistered black spots.
- Baking Temps. High heat is preferred for making thin-crust pizza with a beautifully blistered crust! If you have a pizza oven that goes above 550ºF, the cooking time will need to be adjusted down. 550ºF is my pizza oven’s max temp, but a friend has one that gets to around 725ºF—hers only takes about 7-8 minutes to cook fully. If you are using your home oven, I definitely recommend using a baking stone that has been preheated to your oven's highest temperature over using a pizza pan.
Serving Suggestions
If my hubby had his way, we’d subsist on pizza and nothing else. In fact, we’ve gone on several kicks where I make a batch of this dough every week—and we still don’t get sick of it! Here are just a few ideas to get you started:
- Anything Goes! One of the things I love best about making homemade pizza is it’s an excellent way to breathe new life into leftovers. I also use it as a way to use up any leftover bits and bobs of veggies, cheese, meat, or sauces lurking in the fridge. Don’t feel obligated to stick to the classics! Some of our favorites have been:
- Taco Pizza: Mateo’s-style salsa as the sauce, cheddar or pepper jack as cheese, taco or fajita meat, and any veggies you want (e.g. onions, scallions, peppers). Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream and a sprinkling of fresh cilantro.
- BBQ Chicken Pizza: BBQ sauce, cooked chicken, cheddar or jack cheese, and onions and/or scallions.
- Smoked Salmon Pizza: Bake the pizza crust first, then top with Greek yogurt, sour cream, or creme fraiche as the sauce. Layer on smoked salmon, red onions, capers, and arugula.
- Caramelized Onion & Anchovy Pizza: Thin out some anchovy paste with olive oil for your sauce. Top with caramelized onions & garlic and sliced olives. Feel free to add a cheese if you want (Swiss or gruyere are especially good), but you don’t need to.
- Dessert Pizza: Parbake the crust, then use Nutella, chocolate tahini, or chocolate hummus as your sauce. Top with sliced bananas, marshmallows, and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. Return to the oven to caramelize the fruit and marshmallows, then dig in.
- Dipping Sauce. If you're looking for a bangin' alternative to ranch to dip your pizza in, you can't do better than my spicy, creamy cilantro garlic lime sauce.
- Different Shapes. Use this 00 flour pizza dough to make personal calzones or shape it into soft breadsticks topped with parmesan cheese and herbs.
- Pizza Party. For a fun, interactive meal, lay out a bunch of sauces, cheeses, and toppings, give everyone a ⅓ of each dough ball, and let your guests go to town making their own favorite pies!
Storage & Freezing
- Refrigeration: will keep in the fridge in a roomy airtight container for up to 4 days.
- How to freeze: Sourdough pizza dough can also be frozen for up to one week for future use. NOTE: To extend the freezing shelf-life of your leftover dough to about 2 months, refer to the original recipe and use commercial yeast in addition to sourdough starter.
- To defrost sourdough pizza dough, set it out at room temp until pliable and cool but not cold (a couple of hours) ~OR~ overnight in the fridge, then bring the dough to room temp for about 45 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Better? Yes. Necessary? No. If you want to keep things simple, use a high-protein all-purpose flour (e.g. King Arthur), or doctor lower-protein AP (e.g. White Lily) with bread flour to increase the protein. You can also use all bread flour, but it will result in a tougher, chewier crust than using AP or 00.
Yep! 00 flour is the same grind regardless of whether it is labeled as “pasta” or “pizza” flour.
Since the grind of AP flour (or bread flour) is larger, your dough won’t be quite as smooth as it would be if you used 00 flour. Both AP and bread flour contain malted flour, which will also contribute to quicker browning. It’s possible you might need to add an extra splash of water since their absorption rates are lower than 00 flour.
Aside from that, the protein content is the biggest differentiator—that’s why I recommend King Arthur AP as the best sub, as it has a protein content of 11.7%. This will ensure a similar balance of crispy/bready/chewy consistency. Using bread flour with a protein percentage above 12-13% will make your crust denser, tougher, and chewier (though it’ll still be quite good, and the dough will be more forgiving).
Hands down, the best way to measure flour is using a scale. Absent that, make sure to use the spoon and sweep method, fluffing the flour with a fork, spooning it into a dry measuring cup until overflowing, and using a butter knife to level it off.
In my opinion, using sourdough starter makes homemade pizza dough even better than if you were to make it with commercial yeast! Why? The flavor and texture are better, and it’s arguably more healthy as the flour’s nutrients are more bioavailable after fermentation.
More Bread & Sourdough Recipes
00 Flour Pizza Dough With Sourdough Starter (No Yeast!)
Equipment
- Pizza Stone preferred for indoor ovens and basic pizza on the grill
- Pizza Oven For Grill optional, but helpful for better browning
- Standalone Pizza Oven if you're feeling fancy
- Pizza Peel you'll need this
Ingredients
- 300 grams Warm Water ~1.25 cups; ~73-76ºF
- 200 grams Sourdough Starter ~1 cup; bubbly, happy, & doubled in size
- 20 grams Extra Virgin Olive Oil ~scant 1.5 Tablespoons; plus extra for greasing containers.
- 500 grams 00 Flour ~4 cups less a Tablespoon; sub King Arthur all-purpose flour
- 20 grams Fine Sea Salt ~3.33 teaspoons; or kosher salt (~3.5 teaspoons)
- Semolina Flour or fine corn meal for shaping/stretching
Instructions
- Mix together 300 grams Warm Water 200 grams Sourdough Starter, and 20 grams Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a large mixing bowl.
- Add 500 grams 00 Flour, mixing until a shaggy dough forms. Cover with a damp towel and rest for 20-30 minutes.
- Add 20 grams Fine Sea Salt and knead the rested dough until smooth and the salt is well dispersed. (Alternatively, use a stand mixer outfitted with a dough hook set on a low speed.) Cover with the damp towel again and rest for 30 minutes.20 grams Fine Sea Salt
- Optional, but recommended. Do a round of "stretch and folds" every 30-45 minutes. Ideally you'd do 4 rounds for maximum bubbliness, but 2 rounds is sufficient if that's all your schedule allows.
- Divide into 3 equal pieces, about 346 grams apiece. Shape each into a boule, as if you were going to make Dutch oven sourdough. Place them seam-side down into large, lidded containers (at least 2x the size of the dough balls) that have been sprayed with olive oil. I use quart-sized delitainers.
- Allow to proof in the fridge for a minimum of 24-48 hours ~OR~ proof at room temperature for 12-24 hours until doubled in size. I usually proof one at room temp, then fridge the other two for the next two dinners!
- When ready to cook, remove the dough from the fridge about 30-45 minutes ahead of time. Preheat the pizza stone on your grill, pizza oven, or oven to a minimum of 500-550ºF.
- Spread out a square of parchment paper and scatter semolina flour on the surface to prevent the dough from sticking. I usually cloak the whole thing in semolina to keep it from sticking to my hands.
- Stretch the dough into a 12-inch round*, being careful not to deflate the bubbles around the edge of the crust. Cut the edges of the parchment as close to the edges of the completed round as possible. Optional: Spritz the outside edges with olive oil and sprinkle on salt and seasonings (e.g. Italian, garlic powder, or garlic parmesan shake).
- Top with the toppings of your choice and bake for 14-20 minutes, or until the edges have puffed, the exposed crust is golden and has some blistering, and the bottom has charred spots. Check about halfway through and rotate the pizza if needed for even cooking.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Refrigeration: will keep in the fridge in a roomy airtight container for up to 4 days.
- How to freeze: Sourdough pizza dough can also be frozen for up to one week for future use. NOTE: To extend the freezing shelf-life of your leftover dough to about 2 months, refer to the original recipe and use commercial yeast in addition to sourdough starter.
- To defrost sourdough pizza dough, set it out at room temp until pliable and cool but not cold (a couple of hours) ~OR~ overnight in the fridge, then bring the dough to room temp for about 45 minutes.
- Temperature matters—using colder water will result in a slower rise time, whereas using warmer water will make the process faster. Similarly, the temperature of your kitchen (or fridge) will change the proofing time; in the winter, my drafty kitchen means the rise time is sluggish. During the warmer months, it’ll rise much faster! Refrigerating the dough for a cold ferment will take the longest.
- Skip the rolling pin! After you’ve worked so hard to create all that beautiful aeration, it’d be a shame to smoosh out all the bubbles. Instead, use your fingers and a well-floured surface, or get fancy and toss the dough.
- Consider Parbaking. If you are using a lot of "wet" toppings (e.g. raw veggies), I recommend adding the tomato sauce and veggies first, baking in the oven until about ⅔ of the way done (about 11-14 minutes) so the excess liquid can evaporate. Then, add the cheese and return to the oven until the cheese is melted and the edges of the pizza are golden brown and the bottom has blistered black spots.
- Baking Temps. High heat is preferred for making thin-crust pizza with a beautifully blistered crust! If you have a pizza oven that goes above 550ºF, the cooking time will need to be adjusted down. 550ºF is my pizza oven’s max temp, but a friend has one that gets to around 725ºF—hers only takes about 7-8 minutes to cook fully. If you are using your home oven, I definitely recommend using a baking stone that has been preheated to your oven's highest temperature over using a pizza pan.
- 00 Flour Substitute: My favorite 00 flour substitute is either King Arthur all-purpose flour (which has 11.7% protein), or a blend of 2 parts of lower-protein AP (e.g. White Lily) with 1 part bread flour.
Michael says
Have you made this?
Ash, The Grocery Addict says
Yep, a bunch of times! My husband and I went on a streak where we made at least a batch a week for about 2 months straight.
Akiko M says
This is such an easy and delicious recipe, it has become a weekly staple in my house - the kids love this dough! One question, what is the reasoning for adding the salt in step #3 vs. in step #1? Thank you!
Akiko M says
This is such an easy and delicious recipe! It has become a weekly staple for us, and my kids love this pizza dough!
One question, what is the reason for adding the salt in step #3 vs step #1? Is there a big difference it makes?
Ash, The Grocery Addict says
Hi Akiko! So glad you love this recipe as much as we do! You are welcome to add the salt in step 1, but after some trial and error, I've found that adding the salt a little later in the process allows the sourdough flavors to develop a bit more strongly and helps achieve a better texture—yeast slows the fermentation process and inhibits the enzymes that break down the starches and help assist with gluten formation. By waiting to add it, you're giving the gluten time to form without too much kneading work, and you're also improving the dough extensibility—or its ability to stretch without tearing. For a thin crust pizza, that's important! HOWEVER, all that said, I've made it both ways and it turns out well either way. I just personally prefer holding off on adding the salt to any of my sourdough recipes until after that first shaggy dough, giving the flour time to rehydrate, and the enzymes and the yeastie beasties to do their work a little more effectively—a good trade off for a bit more work adding the salt in later. 🙂
Akiko M says
Thank you so much!