A thin crust pizza dough recipe is a simple yeast dough that you roll out to about 1/8 inch before baking. King Arthur’s version uses 319 g flour, 170 g lukewarm water and 25 g olive oil, and bakes at 425°F. Rest the dough properly and the base comes out crisp at the edge and light in the middle.
The main difference between this thin crust pizza dough recipe and a thicker dough is the rolling and the resting, not the ingredient list. According to King Arthur’s thin-crust recipe, the full process takes about 1 hour 10 minutes, with roughly 30 minutes of hands-on time.
What Is a Thin Crust Pizza Dough Recipe?
A thin crust pizza dough recipe is a basic yeast dough that you roll out to about 1/8 inch, which bakes crisp in 10 to 15 minutes at 425°F. The dough is the same kind of dough used for other pizza styles, but it is rolled much thinner and given enough rest so it does not shrink back on the peel. It is also different from a New York style crust, which is usually stretched by hand into a larger, chewier slice, while this one is rolled thin for a crispy bite.
In a thin crust pizza dough recipe, what matters most is how much dough sits on the pan. A thinner layer heats through faster, so the crust browns before the middle turns doughy. That is why the rolling step and the oven temperature matter more than any single ingredient.
Most home versions follow the same pattern, and they all aim for a crispy base: a small amount of olive oil for tenderness, instant yeast for a short rise, and a rest or two before the dough is shaped. The thin crust pizza dough recipe below uses those steps with exact gram weights, so you can repeat it without guessing.
Thin Crust Pizza Dough Recipe Ingredients
The King Arthur thin crust pizza dough recipe uses 319 g of flour, 170 g of lukewarm water and 25 g of olive oil, plus yeast, sugar and salt. The table lists every ingredient with the amount given in the recipe.
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Italian-style flour | 319 g (3 cups) |
| Lukewarm water | 170 g (3/4 cup) |
| Olive oil | 25 g (2 tablespoons) |
| Instant yeast | 2 teaspoons |
| Granulated sugar | 2 teaspoons |
| Table salt | 1 1/4 teaspoons (8 g) |
| Dough improver or baker’s special dry milk | 1 tablespoon |
Every amount in this thin crust pizza dough recipe is taken from King Arthur’s page, so you can follow it without converting units. The dough improver or dry milk adds softness to the crumb, and the recipe names King Arthur’s Easy Roll Dough Improver as one option. Weigh the flour if you have a kitchen scale, because a cup of flour can vary a lot depending on how it is scooped. A pizza dough made with bread flour follows a different path.
How to Make Thin Crust Pizza Dough, Step by Step
Six steps take this thin crust pizza dough recipe from mixing to a rested, rolled base ready for toppings. The two rests and the short knead are the parts that most affect the final texture.
- Combine the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and dough improver, then add the lukewarm water and olive oil and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead for 5 minutes, until the dough is fairly firm yet supple.
- Divide the dough in half, cover each piece with lightly greased plastic wrap, and rest for 15 minutes. A longer rest gives more flavor.
- Roll each piece to about 1/8 inch thick between two sheets of greased parchment, then rest it in the paper for 5 minutes to reduce shrinking.
- While the oven heats, rest the rolled dough covered for about 30 minutes. For a slightly thicker crust, you can rest it for up to several hours.
- Add sauce, such as a simple marinara sauce, plus garlic and cheese, then bake as described in the baking section below.
The 30-minute rest during preheating is what lets the dough relax while the oven is still heating up. If you skip it, the dough tends to snap back when you try to stretch it wider.
How to Knead Pizza Dough for a Thin Base
Knead the dough for 5 minutes, until it feels fairly firm yet supple, according to King Arthur’s thin-crust method. The goal is a smooth ball that springs back slightly when pressed.
Fairly firm means the dough holds its shape without sagging. Supple means it stretches a little without tearing. If the dough is still sticky after a few minutes, add a small amount of flour, one spoonful at a time, and keep kneading. Stop adding flour once the surface feels smooth and tacky but not wet.
The thin crust pizza dough recipe gives a time and a texture, not a fixed method, so check the texture as well as the clock. Over-kneading a thin dough does not make it crisper. It mainly makes the dough harder to roll out, so stop when it reaches the right feel.
Choosing Flour for a Thin Crust Pizza Dough Recipe
King Arthur says its Italian-style 00 flour is the best choice for super-thin crust because its lower protein lets the dough stretch very thin. The same thin crust pizza dough recipe can be made with all-purpose flour, but the handling changes.
With all-purpose flour, King Arthur advises you to stretch the dough, let it rest, and repeat until it is as thin as you want. The page suggests increasing the water to 1 cup, but it does not give a weight for that change, so add water slowly and stop when the dough feels right.
Protein content varies from brand to brand, so the word “00” on the bag does not tell you how the dough will behave. Check the brand’s spec sheet if it lists protein, and expect the dough to need more resting if it feels tight when you roll it. If you want to try a pre-ferment, the guide to biga pizza dough gives ratios, timing and steps.
Resting and Rolling for an Even Thin Crust
Rest the divided dough for 15 minutes, roll it to about 1/8 inch, then let it rest 5 minutes in the paper to reduce shrinking. These three steps are the core of a thin base that keeps its shape.
Roll between greased parchment or waxed paper. The grease keeps the dough from sticking, and the paper lets you lift the round onto the peel without tearing it. Roll from the center outward and turn the dough a quarter turn between passes.
Shrinkage is the most common problem with thin dough. Gluten pulls back when it is stretched, so a short rest after rolling lets it relax. If the round still shrinks, rest it for a few minutes more before you add toppings.
Baking Thin Crust Pizza at 425°F
Bake at 425°F for 10 to 15 minutes total, with a pizza stone on a lower rack if you have one, according to King Arthur’s thin-crust recipe. The recipe bakes the crust for 5 minutes first, then adds the toppings.
After 5 minutes, remove the pan, add the sauce, garlic and cheese, and return it to the oven for another 5 minutes. Rotate the pan top to bottom and back to front, then bake up to 5 more minutes until the crust is brown.
Preheat the oven fully before the dough goes in. A thin base needs strong heat from below to crisp, so a pizza stone helps when you have one, and a guide on how to clean a pizza stone covers the upkeep. If your oven runs cooler, expect the bake to take longer and check the edge for color. New to the whole process? Start with our guide to baking pizza at home.
Common Mistakes With a Thin Crust Pizza Dough Recipe
The most common errors are rolling too thick, skipping the rest and loading too many toppings onto a thin base. Each one makes the crust slower to bake or harder to shape.
- Rolling thicker than about 1/8 inch, which leaves the middle soft after 10 to 15 minutes.
- Skipping the 5-minute rest in the paper, so the round shrinks on the peel.
- Adding too much sauce, which soaks into a thin layer and keeps it from browning.
- Putting the dough in a cool oven, which dries the crust before it crisps.
A thin crust pizza dough recipe rewards a light hand. Keep the toppings modest, such as thin-sliced vegetables on a veggie pizza, watch the edge rather than the clock, and the result will be closer to the crisp base you want.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I knead thin crust dough without a machine?
Yes. This thin crust pizza dough recipe gives a 5-minute kneading time and a texture target, so you can check by feel. Stop when the dough is fairly firm yet supple and springs back slightly when pressed.
How long can thin crust pizza dough rest?
King Arthur rests the divided dough for 15 minutes, or longer for more flavor. The rolled dough can rest for about 30 minutes during preheating, or up to several hours for a slightly thicker crust.
What temperature should thin crust pizza bake at?
King Arthur’s thin crust pizza dough recipe bakes at 425°F for 10 to 15 minutes in total. Bake the crust for 5 minutes first, add the toppings, then finish until the crust is brown.
Which flour gives the thinnest crust?
King Arthur says its Italian-style 00 flour is the best choice for super-thin crust, because its lower protein lets the dough stretch thin. All-purpose flour also works if you stretch, rest and repeat.
Why does my dough shrink when I roll it?
Stretched gluten pulls back, so the dough shrinks. King Arthur recommends resting the rolled dough for 5 minutes in the paper to reduce shrinking. Roll it to about 1/8 inch between greased parchment to make the rest work well.
Start with the 319 g flour weight from this thin crust pizza dough recipe and roll the dough to about 1/8 inch for the crispest result. Give the dough its full rests, and keep the toppings light so the base has room to brown in the oven. A light topping, such as the garlic oil, ricotta and mozzarella in the white pizza recipe, works well on a thin base.