High hydration pizza dough is the technique that separates a good homemade pizza from one that genuinely looks and tastes like it came from a proper Italian pizzeria. This recipe uses 70% hydration – meaning 700ml of water for every 1kg of flour – along with slow overnight fermentation to create a light, airy crust with a crispy base, open crumb and those beautiful leopard spots on the crust that every serious home pizza maker is chasing.
The secret to great Italian pizza is not complicated equipment or fancy tricks. It is patience, quality ingredients, and understanding how dough behaves. Using the right flour, ideally between 11-13% protein, gives the dough strength while still keeping the crust soft, fluffy, and easy to digest.
Making pizza from scratch becomes addictive very quickly because the flavor, texture, and aroma are on a completely different level from store-bought pizza bases. The moment your homemade pizza comes out of the oven bubbling, blistered, and smelling like an Italian pizzeria, you will wonder why you waited so long to start making pizza at home. Follow my instructions and you will learn how to create light, airy, Italian-style pizza dough with confidence in your own kitchen.
Watch: How to Make the Best Pizza Dough at Home: Homemade Pizza
This Dough Works for Any Italian Pizza Style
Vincenzo’s Plate Tips to Make Homemade Pizza Dough
The Proper Container
If you love making pizza regularly, investing in proper pizza dough trays makes a huge difference. Professional pizza trays give the dough enough space to relax, ferment evenly, and develop better texture overnight.
At home, airtight plastic containers work beautifully too. Just drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil inside first so the dough does not stick when it has fully risen. This also helps prevent the surface from drying out in the fridge.
Save Your Arms for Eating Pizza
You can absolutely knead pizza dough by hand. But a stand mixer makes the process easier, cleaner, and much more consistent, especially with higher hydration dough like this 70% pizza dough recipe.
I love using the Revo mixer because it develops strong gluten beautifully without overheating the dough. This is really important for proper fermentation and texture. It also has a built-in thermometer, making it much easier to monitor the dough temperature while mixing instead of constantly guessing or checking manually.
Hand kneading still works wonderfully and gives you a better feel for the dough. But if you make pizza often, a mixer can save you a serious arm workout.
Feed Your Yeast
When activating yeast, adding a small amount of flour. It helps give the yeast access to carbohydrates so it can begin breaking down into sugars for fermentation. As the yeast feeds, it produces carbon dioxide and develops flavour inside the dough. This is what helps pizza dough rise properly and creates those beautiful airy pockets inside the crust.
The Bounce Test Never Lies
If you are kneading dough by hand, using a thermometer is one of the easiest ways to check if the dough has reached the ideal temperature for fermentation and gluten development.
If you do not have a thermometer, use the bounce-back test instead. Gently press the dough with your finger. If it slowly springs back while still leaving a slight indentation, the dough is properly developed and ready to rest. If the dough tears easily or stays completely flat after pressing, it usually needs more kneading time. Learning this simple technique helps you understand dough naturally instead of relying only on timing.
Keep it Slow and Smooth
Add flour gradually – the one process you shouldn’t rush! Avoiding to add it all at once keeps the dough smooth, prevents lumps, and prevents you from overworking it.
Clean Hands, Clean Dough
When making pizza dough ball, sticky little pieces of dough and excess flour everywhere will quickly turn the process into chaos. Keep a dough scraper nearby and use it constantly to clean your bench between each dough ball. It makes stretching the pizza much easier and stops random dry flour from sticking to the base and burning in the oven.
One thing I learned very quickly making pizza at home is that clean hands make better dough. If your fingers are covered in sticky dough buildup, it becomes almost impossible to shape smooth pizza balls properly. The dough starts grabbing onto everything except what you actually want it to.
Let It Stretch
One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is forcing pizza dough flat with a rolling pin. That pushes all the beautiful air out of the crust and leaves you with pizza that feels more like a thin cracker than proper Italian pizza.
Instead, stretch the pizza dough gently using your hands and let gravity help you. If there is too much flour underneath, lift the dough and toss it lightly between your hands while supporting it with your knuckles. Watching pizza makers do this looks dramatic. But it actually helps remove excess flour while keeping the dough light and airy.
Your Pizza Waits for Nobody
Once the sauce hits the dough, the clock starts ticking. If the pizza sits around too long before baking, the moisture from the sauce begins soaking into the base. Then suddenly your beautifully stretched dough turns soft, sticky, and impossible to slide off the peel.
This is why Italian pizzerias move so quickly once toppings go on. Sauce, mozzarella, toppings, straight into the oven. No long pauses. No standing around admiring it for five minutes while chatting.
Wet Mozzarella = Sad Pizza
Fresh mozzarella is one of the best pizza toppings in the world. But it also contains a huge amount of moisture. If you slice it straight onto your pizza without draining it first, all that water releases during baking and turns the centre into a soggy mess.
Slice the mozzarella ahead of time and leave it resting in a sieve or colander so the excess liquid drains away naturally. Even 15-20 minutes makes a massive difference.
If you do it this way, you immediately notice the difference. Better browning, less water pooling on top, and a crust that stays beautifully crisp underneath.
How to Serve High Hydration Pizza Dough
High Hydration Pizza Dough is at its absolute best the moment it comes out of the oven, while the crust is still puffed up, the base is crisp underneath, and the mozzarella is bubbling away on top. That smell alone is enough to make everyone suddenly appear in the kitchen asking when it’s ready.
One thing Italians rarely do is attack the pizza immediately with a pizza wheel. A pair of kitchen scissors actually works much better. Because it slices cleanly through the dough without crushing the airy crust you worked so hard to create.
Before cutting into it, let the pizza rest for a minute or two. It might feel impossible to wait, especially when the cheese is stretching and the crust is still crackling from the oven. But giving it a short moment to settle helps the base stay crisp and stops all the toppings from sliding straight off onto the plate.
If you love this recipe, there is also a short chapter in my cookbook featuring some of my favourite pizza and bread recipes inspired by Italian traditions and family baking. You can find the book online or through your local stockist here.
High Hydration Pizza Dough – Crispy Base, Open Crumb, Italian Method
Print Recipe
Equipment
- Dough scraper
- Large mixing bowl
- Kitchen thermometer (optional)
- Digital kitchen scale
- Small bowl with semolina
- Pizza peel
- Scissors
Ingredients
- 1 kg / 2.2lb pizza flour, 00 flour
- 700 ml / 23.7 fl oz water
- 1/2 tsp / 0.05oz dry yeast
- 5 tsp / 0.9oz salt
Pizza Sauce and Toppings
- Crushed San Marzano peeled tomatoes
- A fresh bunch of basil
- Mozzarella cheese, sliced and drained
Instructions
- Add the water to your stand mixer bowl, then add two handfuls of 00 flour along with the salt and dry yeast. Start the mixer and let it run for about 30 seconds to help activate the yeast and combine the ingredients.
- Gradually add the flour. Start with roughly half of it and continue mixing until the dough begins coming together. Ideally, you want the dough temperature to stay between 23°C-26°C (73°F-79°F).
- Continue adding the remaining flour a spoonful at a time until all the flour is incorporated and the dough becomes smooth and elastic. The final dough temperature should be around 25°C (77°F).
- Before forming the dough balls, lightly dust your pizza tray with fine semolina so the dough does not stick. If using individual airtight containers instead, add a small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and spread it around the inside of each container.
- Transfer the dough onto a clean work surface. Slap it down firmly a few times, then knead it back and forth using the palm of your hand until smooth.
- Use a dough scraper to divide the dough into portions. For 7 dough balls, aim for approximately 250g (0.55lb) each. For 6 dough balls, aim for roughly 270g (0.6lb) each.
- To shape the dough balls, hold one portion in your hand with three fingers curled underneath while your thumb and index finger guide the dough. Fold the edges inward while rotating it until a smooth ball forms. Gently rub the dough against the bench to tighten the surface, then tuck the bottom underneath to fully seal it.
- Alternatively, place the dough on the clean kitchen counter and roll it in circular motions until round and smooth. Once shaped, transfer the dough balls onto your tray or into containers, leaving enough space between each one for rising.
- Cover the dough well and place it in the refrigerator for 16-24 hours. Remove the dough from the fridge around 4 hours before stretching and keep it covered while it comes back to room temperature. This final rest helps the dough relax, making it much easier to stretch into pizza bases.
Stretching the Pizza Dough Ball
- After the dough has rested overnight in the fridge and spent 4 hours at room temperature, dust the ball of dough lightly with semolina then use a scraper to gently lift one ball from the tray. Place it into a small bowl filled with semolina so both sides are coated well.
- Sprinkle a little semolina on top of the dough, flip it over, and coat the other side. This helps prevent sticking when you stretch.
- While the dough is still in the bowl, gently press the centre using your fingertips, pushing the air outward toward the edges. This is the beginning of the cornicione, the puffed, airy crust around the pizza.
- Transfer the dough onto a clean work surface and continue pressing from the centre outward while rotating the dough as you go. The middle should become thin while the outer edge stays full of air.
- To stretch it further, gently slap the dough outward using your hands or lift it onto your fingers and rotate it slowly, letting gravity help shape the pizza naturally. This keeps the base light and thin while protecting all the beautiful air bubbles around the crust.
Cooking the Pizza
- Dust a small amount of semolina onto your pizza peel, then place the stretched dough on top.
- We need to work quickly. Spread crushed peeled tomatoes evenly across the centre of the pizza, leaving the edges untouched so the crust can rise properly. Tear fresh basil leaves using your hands and scatter them over the sauce, then add slices of well-drained fresh mozzarella. Finish with a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
- Transfer the pizza into a pizza oven preheated to 350°C / 662°F.
- Cook the pizza for about 30 seconds on one side, then gently lift and rotate it, continuing to turn every 20-30 seconds so it cooks evenly. The exact cooking time will vary depending on your oven and the heat inside.
- You will know the pizza is ready when the crust has puffed up beautifully, the edges are golden brown with small charred spots, the mozzarella is bubbling, and the underside feels crisp with leopard spotting underneath. If the crust still looks pale in some areas, rotate the pizza again and leave it in for a few more seconds until evenly cooked.
Video
Frequently Asked Questions
What is high hydration pizza dough?
High hydration pizza dough refers to pizza dough made with a higher ratio of water to flour than standard recipes – typically between 70% and 80% hydration, compared to 60-65% in most beginner recipes. The extra water creates more steam during baking, which produces a lighter, airier crust with a more open crumb structure and those characteristic leopard spots on the base. High hydration dough is stickier and requires more care to handle, but the result is a pizza crust that looks and tastes like it came from a proper Italian pizzeria. This recipe uses 70% hydration with overnight fermentation to make the process as manageable as possible for home cooks.
What flour is best for homemade pizza dough?
00 flour with 11-13% protein is best for homemade pizza dough because it creates a soft, elastic texture while still developing enough gluten strength for a light and airy crust. Bread flour also works well, but avoid low-protein flour because the dough can become weak and difficult to stretch.
Why is my homemade pizza dough sticky?
Pizza dough with higher hydration, like this 70% hydration recipe, will naturally feel stickier than lower hydration dough. Sticky dough is normal and helps create a lighter crust with more air pockets. Lightly dust your hands and bench with semolina or flour instead of adding too much extra flour into the dough itself.
How long should pizza dough ferment?
For the best flavour and texture, pizza dough should ferment slowly in the fridge for 16-24 hours. Overnight fermentation helps the dough relax, improves elasticity, and creates a more complex flavour while making the crust lighter and easier to digest.
Why does my pizza dough keep shrinking?
If pizza dough shrinks while stretching, the gluten is still too tight. This usually happens when the dough has not rested long enough at room temperature. Let the dough sit covered for longer before stretching so the gluten can relax naturally.
Can I make high hydration pizza dough without a stand mixer?
Yes! High hydration pizza dough can absolutely be made by hand. A stand mixer simply makes kneading easier and helps develop gluten more consistently, especially with wetter doughs like this recipe.
Why is my high hydration pizza crust dense instead of airy?
Dense pizza crust usually happens when too much flour is added during kneading, the dough has not fermented long enough, or too much air is pressed out during stretching. Gentle handling and proper fermentation are what create a light and airy crust.
What temperature should pizza dough be after mixing?
Pizza dough should ideally finish mixing between 23°C-26°C (73°F-79°F). This temperature range helps fermentation develop properly without overheating the dough.
Why do Italians use semolina when stretching pizza dough?
Fine semolina helps prevent sticking while stretching pizza and adds a slight crispness underneath the crust. It also burns less easily than regular flour inside very hot pizza ovens.
How do you know when high hydration pizza is fully cooked?
Homemade pizza is ready when the crust has puffed up, the edges have golden or lightly charred spots, the cheese is bubbling, and the underside feels crisp underneath. A pale crust usually means the pizza needs slightly more time in the oven.
Can high hydration pizza dough be frozen?
Yes! High hydration pizza freezes very well. After fermentation, place the dough balls into airtight containers and freeze them. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, then leave them covered at room temperature for about 4 hours before stretching.
E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate….Enjoy!
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If You Enjoyed This Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe, Try These Next
- HOMEMADE PIZZA SAUCE – This homemade pizza sauce uses just a handful of ingredients but tastes exactly like the fresh tomato sauce you find in a real Italian pizzeria. Made with crushed peeled tomatoes, basil, and salt, this no-cook sauce stays bright, light, and full of natural tomato flavour once it hits the oven.
- ROMAN PIZZA RECIPE – This Roman pizza recipe creates the kind of crispy, thin crust that crackles loudly with every bite. Made with lower hydration dough and extra virgin olive oil, Pizza Romana delivers that beautiful golden crunch Italians are obsessed with.
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