New York-Style Pizza Dough

New York-Style Pizza Dough, J. Kenji López-Alt

Description

Based on the recipe by J. Kenji López-Alt. A same-day dough at 60% hydration — enough for two thin 16” pies or slightly thicker 14” pies. No overnight rest required; the two-stage rise handles all the structure and flavor development.

Yield: 2 dough balls (~420g each) | Total time: ~4.5 hours (20 min active)

Ingredients

Dough

Item	Amount	Notes
all-purpose flour	500g	King Arthur preferred; bread flour for a chewier bite
warm water	300g	90°F–92°F (32°C–33°C)
vegetable shortening	20g	olive oil works too
fine sea salt	12.5g
sugar	5g
instant yeast	2g	also labeled “rapid rise” or “quick rise”

Toppings (per pie)

Item	Amount
pureed tomatoes	as needed
low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella	as needed
dried oregano	as needed
parmesan	as needed
semolina or flour (for dusting)	as needed
olive oil (for oiling containers)	as needed

Tools

Items
stand mixer with dough hook or food processor (optional)
digital kitchen scale
oiled containers or bowls for rising
pizza peel
baking steel

Recipe

1. Mix and autolyse: Whisk together the flour (500g), salt (12.5g), sugar (5g), and instant yeast (2g). Add the vegetable shortening (20g) and warm water (300g). Mix just until a shaggy ball forms — don’t overwork it. Cover and rest for 15–20 minutes to let the flour fully hydrate; this makes kneading significantly easier.

2. Knead:

   Stand Mixer

   Stand Mixer

   Knead on medium-low (speed 3 on a KitchenAid) for a few minutes until the dough forms a smooth, satiny ball that cleanly pulls away from the bowl sides.

   By Hand

   By Hand

   Turn the dough out onto a clean counter — no extra flour needed. Use a squish-and-turn motion, working the dough until it transitions from stiff and shaggy to smooth and silky.

3. Bulk fermentation (first rise): Form the dough into a tight, smooth ball. Lightly coat a container with olive oil, place the ball inside, and cover. Rest at room temperature for 2–2.5 hours until it noticeably expands and rounds out.

4. Divide and second rise: Turn the dough out onto a clean surface — no flour needed at this hydration. Divide precisely in half. Tuck the edges of each piece under to build a tight outer skin, sealing the bottom into a neat seam. Place each ball into a separate oiled container, covered. Rest for 2 hours to let the gluten relax so the dough stretches effortlessly. Start preheating your oven with the baking steel on an upper rack during this time.

5. Preheat: Set the oven to its maximum temperature — 550°F (288°C) if it goes that high. The baking steel needs at least 45 minutes to fully saturate with heat.

6. Stretch: Dust a work surface lightly with semolina or flour. Press down with your fingertips around the edge to establish the cornicione (the outer crust rim), gently stretch with your hands, then let the weight of the dough do the work draped over your knuckles until it reaches 16” (or 14” for a slightly thicker pie).

7. Top and bake: Transfer to a pizza peel. Top with pureed tomatoes, mozzarella, a pinch of dried oregano, and parmesan. Slide onto the baking steel and bake for 5–6 minutes until the crust is golden and blistered.

Tip

Water temperature matters: 90°F–92°F (32°C–33°C) gives the yeast an immediate head start. Too cold and the first rise stalls; too hot and you risk killing the yeast.

Note

Baker’s percentages: All amounts are relative to the flour weight (always 100%) — water at 60%, shortening at 4%, salt at 2.5%, sugar at 1%, yeast at ~0.5%. Scale up or down from the flour weight and the rest follows proportionally.