This easy no knead pizza dough makes for an simple way to have pizza as a weeknight dinner. For this recipe you just need to mix the dough in the morning and it will be ready to use by dinner time.
No knead pizza dough
To start combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well combined and all the flour is gone. Leave the dough in the bowl covered for 8-12 hours. A stand mixer attached with a dough hook can be used to mix together the ingredients but is not required.
I like to use bread flour, I find it rises better and normally tastes better. You can use all purpose flour, if you would like, it may just end up a little denser. 00 flour is also a good choice for this no knead pizza dough and will rise quite well.
When baking, weight measurements are usually preferred because they are more accurate. There can be quite a bit of weight variation in a cup of flour, so specifying the weight makes the recipe more consistent.
After the 8-12 hours, split the dough evenly into 4 (if following normal recipe size), I like to just eyeball the size. Alternatively you could also use a scale if you wanted exactly equal portions. This amount of dough will make 4 medium sized pizzas.
Pizza Dough shaping
To form a portion of dough into a ball you want a non floured work surface. Cup the dough in both hands and drag towards you. Guide and bring the dough forward with your pinkies at the back. The dough will drag as it sticks to the table (this is why we don’t want flour on the work surface). The dough sticking to the work surface is what will allow the ball shape to form. Move the dough back and rotate it a little, cup the dough and move it towards you again. Repeat this action until a nice little dough ball has formed.
Place the dough balls together and cover with a damp towel or lightly oiled cling wrap. Allow the dough balls to sit for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. This allows the dough to relax enough to make shaping the pizza much easier.
To form a pizza first dust your work surface with flour. Grab a dough ball and place it on the floured work surface, add more flour on top of the ball. Press in the along the outer edge of the ball, this will be the crust and acts as an outline for the pizza.
Pick up the dough and place your knuckles in the edge just created. Rotate the dough in your knuckles and stretch them apart if needed. Gravity should be enough to mostly stretch the dough, without too much movement, if the dough ball was rested enough.
Types of Pizzas to make
There are a range of different pizzas that you can make using this easy no knead pizza dough. You are only limited by your imagination and what you have in your pantry and fridge.
Garlic pizzas made using this pizza dough are a big hit in my household. Whereas I like making a simple ham and cheese pizza.
You can also use the pizza dough for things other than normal pizzas. Garlic knots, pizza rolls, calzones/pizza pockets and bread sticks will all work using this dough.
Storing Pizza Dough
If you aren’t going to be cooking the dough after the 8-12 hours of rising, then it is best to put it straight in the fridge before then. The result of putting the dough in the fridge is that it will rise at a slower pace. After slowly rising in the refrigerator the dough will have developed more flavor. However this requires making the dough much earlier than the morning of cooking it. Storing the dough in the fridge will allow it to last up to 5 days.
When taking the dough out of the fridge to use, make sure you allow enough time for the dough to fully come to room temperature (roughly 3 hours). Cold dough is hard to shape and make pizzas with.
Cooking
For best results when cooking use a baking stone, or even better a baking steel. Similarly a baking tray will work, although the pizza might be a little less crispy on the bottom and it might not rise as much in the oven.
Heat the oven to as high as it can go (mine goes up to 480°F/250°C). For better results with getting a crispy base, it is better to let the oven heat up longer for the pizza stone/steel to fully heat up (about 30 minutes).
When the oven in ready to go begin with shaping your pizza. Once you have the shape place it on top of a pizza peel or wooden chopping board that is covered in semolina or baking paper. Placing semolina on the peel is so the pizza will slide onto the pizza stone in the oven. Alternatively baking paper will stick to the dough so it will slide in along with the dough, it will stop sticking as the dough cooks. However if you don’t want to have to slide the pizza into the oven, you can use a baking tray and assemble pizza on that before putting it in.
After the dough is on the peel, top with your favorite sauce and/or toppings. Slide the pizza onto the baking stone in oven and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Exact timing will depend on how browned you like the crust and how hot your oven goes. I find 8 minutes is normally a good amount of time for my oven temperature.
Consider putting the cheese on the pizza after it has already been in for some of the cook time. This will stop the cheese from browning too much.
Suggested recipes:
Easy No Knead Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 17.6 oz / 500 g bread flour (Approximately 3 1/3 cups)
- 11 fl oz / 325 ml water (Approximately 1 1/3 cups)
- 1 tsp salt 6 g
- 1 tsp instant dried yeast 4g
Instructions
Make Dough
- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until flour all combined. Cover and leave to rest for 8-12 hours.
- Empty bowl onto work surface and divide dough into 4 equal amounts.
- Roll each portion of dough into a ball and cover with a damp towel or lightly oiled cling wrap. Rest for 30 min-1 hour or until ready to use.
Cook Dough
- While dough is resting preheat oven to 480°F/250°C.
- Shape/roll out pizza on a well floured surface.
- Cover pizza with sauce, toppings and cheese.
- Cook in oven for 8 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
