Thin Crust Pizza
intro
Crispy, snappy thin crust pizza layered with tangy tomato, melted mozzarella, and fresh basil, baked fast for restaurant-quality results at home.
Ingredients
Steps
Mix pizza dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine 225g all-purpose flour, 3g instant yeast, and 5g fine sea salt. Stir in 120ml lukewarm water and 15ml (1 tbsp) of the olive oil until a shaggy, stiff dough forms. Knead for 3 minutes by hand on a lightly floured surface until smooth, then return the dough to the bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes until slightly puffed.
Preheat oven and pan
Place a 12-inch (30cm) rimmed baking sheet or pizza stone on the middle rack of your oven, then preheat to 260°C (500°F) for 20 minutes (time this to align with the end of the dough rest). Lightly grease a 12-inch circle of parchment paper with 5ml (1 tsp) of the olive oil to prevent sticking.
Stretch thin crust
Transfer the rested dough to the oiled parchment paper. Press and stretch the dough outward from the center with your fingertips, creating a 12-inch even circle that is 3mm (⅛-inch) thick, leaving a 1cm (½-inch) slightly thicker edge for the crust rim. Pop any large air bubbles with a fork to prevent uneven blistering while baking.
Add sauce and toppings
Spread the 120g drained crushed tomatoes evenly across the stretched dough, leaving the 1cm rim clear. Sprinkle 1.5g garlic powder and 1g dried oregano over the sauce, then top evenly with 170g shredded low-moisture mozzarella, taking care not to overload the crust to avoid sogginess.
Bake to crispy perfection
Carefully pull the preheated oven rack out slightly, then slide the parchment paper with the topped pizza directly onto the hot pizza stone or baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 260°C (500°F), until the crust edge is deep golden and crispy, and the cheese is bubbly with light golden brown spots.
Finish and slice pizza
Remove the baked pizza from the oven using a wide spatula, transfer to a wooden cutting board, and top immediately with fresh basil leaves and the remaining 5ml (1 tsp) of olive oil as a light drizzle. Let rest for 2 minutes to let the cheese set, then slice into 8 equal wedges and serve hot.
Tips
2.Preheat your pizza stone or baking sheet for the full 20 minutes at 500°F: a blazing hot cooking surface creates a snappy, crispy bottom instead of soft, undercooked dough.
3.Keep toppings light: stick to 2-3 extra toppings maximum per pie, as overloading the crust with heavy ingredients will weigh it down and prevent crisping.
OMG this crust is SO good!!! I’ve been chasing that perfect crispy takeout thin crust for years and this recipe nailed it. My kids devoured half the pie before I even got a second slice. Total game changer for Friday family movie nights. No more delivery for us!
Super easy to throw together even on a chaotic weeknight! I prepped the dough yesterday after work and baked it tonight, topped with leftover pepperoni and veggies from the fridge. Crunch was perfect, no soggy center at all which is always my problem with homemade pizza.
Made this in my tiny dorm oven on a baking sheet (no fancy pizza stone!) and it still came out crispy as hell. Threw on some cheap mozz, jarred sauce, and frozen sausage crumbles. 10/10, way better than the campus pizza place that charges $18 a pie.
I’m so excited to try this recipe, but has anyone tried making this with a 1:1 gluten free flour blend? I’m gluten intolerant and miss crispy thin crust so bad, most GF recipes turn out like cardboard.
Brought two of these to my buddy’s football watch party last weekend and they were gone in 10 minutes. Everyone kept asking where I ordered them from, couldn’t believe I made it at home. Used a cast iron skillet on the grill to get that extra char on the bottom, chef’s kiss.
Finally! A thin crust recipe that doesn’t turn into a floppy soggy mess in the middle when I add toppings. I always overloaded my pies before, so I followed the tip to go light on sauce and cheese and wow, game changer.
This is going into my regular weekly rotation! It’s so fast to make, the ingredient list is super basic (no weird fancy stuff I have to run to the specialty store for), and it reheats amazingly in the toaster oven. Crispy even the next day for lunch.
I’ve never made homemade pizza dough before in my life and this was so easy! I was so nervous I’d mess up the yeast, but the instructions were super clear. My crust was a little bubbly in spots but that just made it taste better, tbh.
I added a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to the dough itself and topped it with hot honey and soppressata, and it tasted exactly like the fancy $25 pizza from my local artisanal pizza place. Cannot believe how much money I’m gonna save making this at home.
Wait, do I *need* a pizza stone to get this crispy? I’m so ready to make this, but I tried making thin crust once on a regular baking sheet and it was still soft, even after cooking it forever. Is there a hack if I don’t have the stone?
Loaded mine up with roasted bell peppers, caramelized onions, mushrooms, and a little feta crumble. The crust held up to all the veggie toppings without getting soggy, which is basically a miracle. 10/10 will make again for my next book club potluck.
Made this with my 10 year old last night for our weekly daddy-daughter cooking night. She had a blast stretching the dough (it was a little lopsided, who cares?) and she ate three whole slices, which is unheard of for my picky eater. Best recipe find in months.
Love that this recipe makes exactly two 12-inch pies, no leftover random dough bits I don’t know what to do with. I used homemade sauce from garden tomatoes and fresh basil from my windowsill, it felt like such a fancy treat for a random Tuesday night.
Made this at 1am after a night out with friends and it hit so much better than any late night delivery. We didn’t even have fancy toppings, just shredded cheese and a little garlic powder, and it was chef’s kiss. Easy enough to make even when you’re half asleep lmao
I was worried this would be too thin, like cracker thin that doesn’t hold up when you fold a slice (I’m a New Yorker, folding pizza is non-negotiable). Let me tell you — it’s the perfect thickness. Crispy on the bottom, just sturdy enough to fold, no flop. Nailed it.
Used dairy free mozzarella on this and the crust was so crispy you couldn’t even tell the cheese was DF. Most recipes get weird and oily with non-dairy cheese but the high cook temp on this made it melt perfectly. Obsessed.
I burn literally everything I bake, so I was shocked when this came out perfectly golden and crispy on the first try! I set a timer like the recipe said and didn’t peek, and it was done exactly when it said it would be. Even my roommate made fun of me for how shocked I was lmao