When making pizza from scratch, the only way to get the perfect, round dough is to stretch it by hand. Those you serve will enjoy the airy crust of a hand-stretched dough versus the dense, crumbly dough of a crust rolled out with a dough roller. Stretching a pizza dough by hand does require practice to perfect, but the wasted dough is well worth it when you finally hand-stretch a perfect, round pizza crust.
Step 1
Pour a half cup of flour onto your work surface and a small amount of flour on your hands. Put the ball of pizza dough in the center of your floured work surface.
Step 2
Press down on the dough until you have a piece of round, flat dough about a half-inch thick. Pinch the dough with your fingers, creating a lip and working completely around the edge.
Step 3
Place your hands on either side of the pizza dough with your fingers behind the lip you created. Pull the dough apart slightly. Turn the pizza dough 90 degrees and repeat.
Step 4
Continue to stretch and turn the dough until your pizza is between 12 and 16 inches in diameter. Do not stretch too quickly or you will tear the dough.
Tips and Warnings
- Add extra flour to your work surface and hands if the dough begins to stick.
- Any tear in your dough will only enlarge during cooking. You must roll the dough back into a ball and start again if you tear the dough.
Things You'll Need
- Flour
- Dough
