The crust sets the stage for your homemade pizza, but the base of the dish isn't always easy to shape. Whether you like your pizza thick or thin, the dough is often difficult to spread into the desired shape. Knowing how to manipulate the dough makes it easier to get the size and thickness you desire without tearing the dough. Once the basic form is in place, you have the ideal base for your favorite sauce and pizza toppings.
Step 1
Dust the work surface with flour to prevent sticking. Form a smooth ball of the dough and place it on the floured surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour.
Step 2
Sprinkle flour on your hands, particularly the backs of your hands. Flatten the pizza dough with your fingers to form a rough circle of dough about 6 inches in diameter.
Step 3
Lift the dough circle and place it over one hand that is formed into a fist. Slide your other hand under the dough, letting the edges drape down over your hands.
Step 4
Pull your hands farther apart slowly to stretch the dough, turning the dough as you go. The weight of the dough helps thin the middle of the crust. Use your fingers to stretch the dough near the edges where it doesn't naturally stretch as much.
Step 5
Place the dough on the counter to rest for one to two minutes once it starts resisting the stretching. Lift the dough after the short resting period and continue stretching it on the backs of your hands to reach the desired size.
Step 6
Place the pizza dough on a floured pizza peel, which is a large, flat piece of wood with a handle. The peel is used to transfer the pizza onto a pizza stone that is already hot and in the oven. You can also place the pizza crust on a greased pizza pan for baking if you don't have a pizza peel and pizza stone.
Step 7
Adjust the pizza crust to get the desired shape once it is on the peel or pan. The dough has a naturally round shape after stretching it, but you can manipulate it into a rectangular, square or other shape as desired. Top the pizza and bake according to the recipe.
Tips and Warnings
- A rolling pin is another option for rolling out the pizza dough, but you may find the dough shrinks back down after each pass of the rolling pin. One option is to start with the rolling pin and finish stretching with your hands.
Things You'll Need
- Flour
- Pizza peel
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