Best Extra Thin Crust Pizza Recipes

MARGHERITA PIZZA

Steps:

• Make the Sauce: In a medium bowl, stir together the tomatoes, garlic, salt, sugar, pepper, and oil. (Alternatively, for a completely smooth sauce, you can blend the ingredients in a small food processor or blender.)
• Preheat the oven to 500°F and set an oven rack in the bottom position. Dust a 13x18-inch baking sheet with half of the cornmeal.
• On a lightly floured surface, using your hands, stretch and press one ball of dough into an 11-inch round. Transfer the dough to the cornmeal-dusted baking sheet, and gently stretch it out again so that it maintains its shape.
• Spread ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons of the sauce over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 7 minutes, until the crust is partially cooked. Remove from the oven, and scatter half of the mozzarella cubes over the sauce, followed by half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Slide the pan back into the oven and cook until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 4 minutes more. Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Sprinkle with the basil and slice. Repeat with the remaining pizza dough and ingredients. (If you'd like to bake the two pizzas at the same time, you can fire up two ovens. Or, if you don't mind the crust a little thicker, you can form the two dough balls into 8x12-inch rectangles and place them side by side on the baking sheet.)
• Note: This recipe makes enough sauce for 4 (11-inch) pizzas. Refrigerate extra sauce for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

THIN-CRUST PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast and sugar in hot water in a bowl. Let stand until yeast forms a creamy foam, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Mix 1 3/4 cup flour and salt in a large bowl. Pour in yeast mixture; mix well until dough comes together.
• Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead until smooth, adding remaining 1/4 cup flour if dough is too sticky, about 2 minutes. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a greased pizza pan.

THIN & CRISPY PIZZA

Steps:

• Make the dough: Put a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the lowest oven rack and preheat to 450 degrees F. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the water and olive oil and mix to make a shaggy, sticky dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead into a smooth and elastic ball, 2 to 3 minutes. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a flat disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place, 15 minutes.
• Brush two large sheets of parchment paper with olive oil. Place a ball of dough between the parchment, oiled-sides in; use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 12- to 14-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Remove the top piece of parchment and transfer the dough (and the bottom piece of parchment) to a pizza peel or inverted baking sheet.
• Spread 1/3 cup sauce on the crust; scatter with 3/4 cup mozzarella. Slide the pizza (on the parchment) onto the hot stone. Bake until the crust is crisp and golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool 1 to 2 minutes before slicing. Repeat to make the second pizza.

SUPER CRISPY THIN PIZZA CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat pizza stone in oven at 500°F.
• Warm water for 20 seconds in microwave.
• Dissolve yeast and sugar in water; allow to rest for 8 minutes.
• In the meantime, combine flour, salt and Italian seasoning.
• Pour yeast over flour mixture and mix well with a heavy spoon.
• Add 1 tbsp flour if needed.
• Turn dough on to a floured surface and knead for 2 minutes.
• Dust more flour on surface if needed .
• Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a 12" circle of even thickness (about 1/4") flipping over to roll each side (don't press too hard when rolling or dough may stick to surface).
• Cut off any excess edges to make a neat circle.
• Palm down, slide your hands under dough and lifting carefully place on to a hot pizza stone.
• Bake at 500°F for 4 minutes.
• Remove from oven and top with your favorite toppings (don't go too crazy with the toppings, a little goes a long way).
• Return to oven for 6-8 minutes.
• Helpful hint: Top pizza in this order to prevent the crust from getting soggy:.
• chopped basil.
• minced garlic.
• pepperoni.
• cheese.
• (6-8) 2 tbs dollops of pizza sauce evenly spaced.

JIM LAHEY'S NO-KNEAD PIZZA MARGHERITA

Steps:

• To make dough: In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast, and salt. Add water and stir until blended (the dough will be very sticky). Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 12 to 24 hours in a warm spot, about 70 degrees.
• Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle the top with flour. Fold the dough over on itself once or twice, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Shape the dough into 3 or 4 balls, depending on how thick you want the crust. Generously sprinkle a clean cotton towel with flour and cover the dough with it. Let the dough rise for 2 hours.
• To make sauce: Blanch tomato for 5 seconds in boiling water and quickly remove. Allow to cool to the touch. Peel the skin with your hands and quarter the tomato. Remove the jelly and seeds, and reserve in a strainer or fine sieve. Strain the jelly to remove seeds, and combine resulting liquid in a bowl with the flesh of the tomatoes. Proceed to crush the tomatoes with your hands. Add salt and olive oil and stir.
• To make pizza: Place pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat on high broil. Stretch or toss the dough into a disk approximately 10 inches in diameter. Pull rack out of oven and place the dough on top of the preheated pizza stone. Drizzle 5 generous tablespoons of sauce over the dough, and spread evenly. Try to keep the sauce about ½ inch away from the perimeter of the dough. Break apart or slice the buffalo mozzarella and arrange over the dough. Return rack and pizza stone to the middle of the oven and broil for approximately 6 minutes. Remove and top with basil, olive oil, and salt.

THIN CRUST PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Mix warm water and sugar together in a bowl; add yeast. Set aside until yeast mixture becomes foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Pour yeast mixture into a large bowl; add flour, olive oil, and salt. Knead dough for 6 to 8 minutes, adding more flour to keep dough from sticking to your hands if needed. Cover bowl and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Grease 2 pizza pans or baking sheets.
• Divide dough in half. Make each half into a ball shape and roll each into a flat, circular crust using a rolling pin.
• Place 1 piece dough over your hands with your knuckles turned upward directly underneath the center of the dough. Using your knuckles and backs of your hands, toss the dough into the air in a circular motion, spinning the dough. This thins the center of the dough and forms the padded edge of the pizza. When the edge of the dough is about 1/4-inch thick, place the dough onto the pan. Pizza diameter will be about 10 inches. Repeat with other piece of dough.