Crispy Pizza Dough
Here’s a little trick I’ve learned that makes pizza incredibly crispy: replace a small portion of the wheat flour with rice flour. This simple swap delivers the crispy texture everyone dreams of! It’s a recipe I’ve perfected over the years, and I’m happy to share it with you. Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Total flour = 150 g – makes one pizza
Ingredients
- 60 g plain white flour
- 60 g wholemeal flour (for nuttiness and fibre)
- 30 g fine rice flour (to boost crispiness; ground rice in a simple coffee grinder is just fine)
- 100 ml or more lukewarm water (start with 100 ml)
- 2 g active dry yeast (about ½ tsp)
- 3 g salt (about ½ tsp)
- ½ tbs olive oil
- ½ tsp sugar (helps the yeast)
Instructions
- Activate the yeast – In a mixing bowl, combine the yeast, 1 tablespoon of plain flour (reserved from your total measured flour), sugar, and about 50 ml of lukewarm water. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and leave for 5–10 minutes, until frothy.
- Knead – Add all the remaining ingredients into the yeast mixture and knead by hand or with a mixer for 10 to 15 minutes, until smooth and elastic. If the dough feels too tough during the first 5 minutes of kneading, add a little more warm water. The dough should slightly pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- First rise – Cover the bowl and leave it in a warm place for about 1 hour until doubled in size.
- Optional – For better flavour and digestibility, gently stretch and fold the dough after the first hour, then let it rise again. You can repeat this process up to two times within the next hour or so if you’re not in a hurry. I usually start the dough earlier to allow for this, as it significantly improves the final texture.
- Shape – Turn the dough out onto a floured surface (to prevent sticking) and stretch or roll it into a circle.
- Top and bake – Add your favourite toppings, then bake at the highest temperature your oven reaches (250 °C / 480 °F or more) for 8–12 minutes, until the crust is golden and crispy.
Notes
- Because both rice flour and wholemeal absorb more liquid, use the higher water amount (135 ml) if the dough feels stiff.
- For a longer cold rise (2–3 days), reduce yeast to about 1 g.
- Our favourite pizza-baking way is on a wood-fired BBQ