The Best Pizza Dough Recipe for Home Ovens Is Wetter Than You Think

There’s a secret to the best pizza dough recipes for home ovens: the higher the hydration, the lighter and fluffier the crust. Over 15 years of making pizza dough at home has taught me this invaluable lesson. If you want wood fired style pizza without the wood fire, you’ve got to use a wetter dough.

Most of the homemade pizza dough recipes that you’ll find online (or that you might buy pre-made) hover around a 55% hydration level. But if you want to make homemade pizza in a regular home oven, you want a dough recipe with a 70% hydration level, specifically tailored for home ovens.

Photo: More hydration = crispy, airy crust.

If you’re curious about the science behind high-hydration pizza dough, you might want to check out my article on that here.

Why Home Ovens Need Wet Pizza Dough

Commercial pizzerias often use high-powered or wood-fired ovens, which can handle drier doughs. But home ovens operate differently, and your pizza has to stay in your home oven a lot longer than in a pizza oven.

So the longer the pizza cooks in a home oven, the drier the crust becomes. To counteract this you need a wetter dough, rich in hydration.

And through lots of trial and error, I’ve learned that a 70% hydration level strikes the perfect balance, offering the benefits of a high hydration dough without being too wet to handle.

The Role of Quality Flour

For optimal results, I recommend you use high-quality 00 flour. This type of flour offers superior results because it has a finer texture and superior gluten development. This leads to a soft, elastic dough that makes a light and airy crust, perfectly suited for home-baked pizzas.

Recipe Methods: Traditional vs. No-Knead

There are two methods to prepare this dough: traditional and no-knead. The no-knead method, which is my preferred approach, involves mixing the ingredients and letting the dough sit for 11–18 hours, depending on room temperature. This method enhances fermentation, resulting in a tastier crust without the mess of kneading. If time permits, refrigerating the dough for an additional 24 hours of cold fermentation is beneficial.

The traditional method is quicker but messier. It involves kneading the dough for about 10 minutes, letting it rise for 2 hours, and then dividing it into individual pizza dough balls.

Recipe for 70% Hydration Pizza Dough (Better For Home Ovens)

Ingredients:

• 290 g 00 or AP Flour (2 ¼ cup)
• 200 ml lukewarm Water (¾ cup)
• 9 g Fine Salt (2 tsp)
• 0.35 g Active dry yeast (⅛ tsp)
• 7 g Extra virgin olive oil (2 ¼ tsp)
• 9 g Honey (1/2 tbsp)

Directions:

1. Mix water, yeast, and honey in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt.
3. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the water mixture. Midway, incorporate olive oil thoroughly.
4. Once mixed, you’ll have a sticky dough. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
5. For the no-knead method, cover the dough and let it rise for 11–18 hours. For the traditional method, knead the dough for 10–15 minutes, let it rise for 1–2 hours, and then shape it into dough balls.
6. Once ready, divide the dough into two 250 gram pieces and shape them into tight balls. This step is crucial as it significantly impacts the crust’s quality.
7. Let the dough balls proof for 1–2 hours before using. Alternatively, refrigerate them for up to 3 days, ensuring they reach room temperature before use.

For more instructions for this dough recipe, including a step-by-step photo tutorial, click this link.

And let me know if this recipe and approach for you. The 70% hydration pizza dough recipe has been a game-changer for me, especially before I invested in a good pizza oven. It ensures a light, fluffy crust, making every pizza night a delightful experience.

So, the next time you’re in the mood for a pizza, remember the magic of hydration and enjoy the best homemade pizza dough recipe going.