If you want to make Italian-style pizza at home, you need to learn how to shape pizza dough. And while shaping pizza dough might sound intimidating at first, it’s not that complicated.
In this recipe, I’ll show you how to shape your homemade pizza dough, or even store-bought or frozen dough. But be prepared to make mistakes. No one is born knowing how to do this. You’ll need practice, and sometimes you’ll tear the dough or end up with a few holes. Believe me, that’s normal.
This recipe is the second part of my 4-part How to Make Homemade Pizza series (1. Making the pizza dough; 2. Shaping your pizza dough; 3. Pizza sauce and toppings; 4. Baking your pizza).
A Few Tips On Shaping Pizza Dough
First of all, you need room-temperature, good quality pizza dough in order to be able to shape it. Here are some additional tips:
- If your dough is frozen or has been kept in the fridge, be sure to leave it on the counter until it comes up to room temperature.
- Use a dough that has been kneaded long enough for the gluten to develop and give it an elastic consistency.
- I find it is easiest to work with pizza dough when it’s either fresh (right after proofing) or has rested in the fridge for 2–4 days. One-day-old dough is often much harder to work with.
- If it tears, gets a few holes, or ends up less than perfectly round, don’t worry. This is homemade pizza, and these things happen even with professionals.
- You need about half a cup, or 50–60 g, of flour for your work surface to begin with. You can always add more later if needed.
Your pizza dough is ready at this point. The next step is adding your pizza sauce and toppings. Click the link to see my recommendation for the best pizza sauce ».
How to Shape Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 280 g pizza dough at room temperature
Instructions
- Start by making a large mound of flour on your work surface, then place your pizza dough ball in the middle.
- Press with your palms, first in the middle, then gradually moving slightly toward the edge. At this point, you'll get a flat, somewhat thick disc of pizza dough.
- Press it down so it picks up a little more flour. Continue pressing, making it larger and thinner each time. Make sure to preserve the round shape by turning it continuously.
- Lift it, holding it with both hands. Start rotating the dough in your hands, letting it stretch under its own weight.
- Once it reaches the desired size, put the dough in your pizza pan. You can adjust the size and shape there if needed.
