Pizza Dough Shaping and Baking Guide
General instructions for shaping basic pizza dough into thin-crust or thick-crust pizza.
Ingredients
Pizza dough (use recipe from pages 96, 98, or 99)
to taste
Cornmeal (optional, for dusting the pan)
to taste
Instructions
1
Thin Crust Pizza (1.5 lb dough)
Divide the dough into two portions. Oil an 11 or 12 inch pizza pan (optional cornmeal dusting). Roll the dough into a 12-13 inch round, transfer to the pan, and slightly raise the edges. Poke holes with a fork, no proofing needed. Bake in a 425°F oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden. Add toppings and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
2
Thin Crust Pizza (2 lb dough)
Divide the dough into two portions. Oil a 13 or 14 inch pizza pan (optional cornmeal dusting). Roll the dough into a 14-15 inch round, transfer to the pan, and slightly raise the edges. Poke holes with a fork, no proofing needed. Bake in a 425°F oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden. Add toppings and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
3
Thick Crust Pizza (1.5 lb dough)
Oil a 13 or 14 inch pizza pan (optional cornmeal dusting). Press the dough into the pan with oiled fingers, building up the edges. Cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes until nearly double in size. Bake in a 375°F oven for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden. Add toppings and bake for another 15-20 minutes.
4
Thick Crust Pizza (2 lb dough)
Divide the dough into two portions. Oil a 13x9x2 inch baking pan (optional cornmeal dusting). Press the dough into the pan with oiled fingers, building up the edges. Cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes until nearly double in size. Bake in a 375°F oven for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden. Add toppings and bake for another 15-20 minutes.
