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Pizza dough, and how to stretch it

How To Make & Stretch Pizza Dough

By Tom · Updated

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  • Serves 4
  • About 2 hours 25 min
  • Takes a bit of care

For this recipe, I guide you through making a simple homemade pizza dough from scratch and then demonstrate the easiest way to stretch it out by hand. This recipe is fun to make and a great one for all the family.

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The recipe

Pizza dough, and how to stretch it

For this recipe, I guide you through making a simple homemade pizza dough from scratch and then demonstrate the easiest way to stretch it out by hand.

  • Serves 4
  • 10 min prep
  • 10 min cooking
  • 2 hours 5 min hands-off
  • Takes a bit of care

Times and difficulty are our estimates from the method, not stopwatch figures.

Scale
4 servings
Measurements

Ingredients

Tick things off as you go — they stay ticked if you close the page.

A dotted underline means the amount has been rounded to something you can measure.

Method

  1. Step 1

    To make the dough, place the yeast (7 g) into the tepid water (325 ml), stir, and leave for 5 minutes to foam up. Place the flour (500 g) and salt (5 g) into a bowl, mix, and make a well in the centre.

  2. Step 2

    Pour the yeast (7 g) mixture into the flour (500 g) and mix to form a dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough until it's smooth and stretchy. This will take 5 to 10 minutes. Roll into a ball and cut into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball.

  3. Step 3

    At this stage you can freeze the dough in freezer bags, I'm freezing two today and making two. Or place into the fridge (covered) overnight for a slow prove. If using straight away cover with a damp cloth and leave for 1 to 2 hours.

  4. Step 4

    To stretch the pizza base, place the dough ball onto a floured workbench and press it out from the centre to create a saucer, flip it over and do the same again on the other side. Then, pick up the dough and gently stretch it out using your fingers & knuckles to your desired size. now you're ready to add your toppings.

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Questions people ask

How long does pizza dough, and how to stretch it take?

About 2 hours 25 min from start to finish: 10 min of prep, 10 min of cooking, and 2 hours 5 min hands-off while it waits. That figure is worked out from the method rather than timed with a stopwatch, so give yourself a little more the first time.

How many does it serve, and can I change that?

As written it serves 4. Use the scale control on the recipe card to change it: every quantity in the ingredients and inside the method steps updates with it. Seasoning, and anything measured in pinches or splashes, is deliberately left alone.

Can I see the ingredients in ounces and pints?

Yes. The metric and imperial switch on the recipe card converts every quantity, rounded to amounts you can actually weigh or measure rather than to four decimal places. Your choice is remembered for every recipe on the site.

Can I cook it ahead?

This one sits in the batch cooking group, which means it was picked for cooking in quantity rather than eaten straight from the pan. Cool it quickly, and freeze it in the portion sizes you will actually want later.

Is it vegan?

Yes, as written. Check the labels on anything shop-bought, which is where animal products tend to hide.