Easy No-Knead Pizza Dough - Simply Recipes

The Best Flour for No-Knead Pizza Dough

All-purpose flour, bread flour, or Italian 00 flour will all work, but different flours yield different results. It all has to do with the amount of gluten in the flour.

• All-purpose flour is just like the name suggests—it's good for nearly anything, including pizza dough. It doesn't have the best stretch but works for thin Neapolitan or even deep-dish pizzas.
• Whole-wheat flour can make pizza dough healthier but combine it with all-purpose flour for the best consistency.
• Bread flour is not only for bread, but it's also great for a stretchy pizza dough that may have too much spring. It's a little hard to shape since it wants to bounce back.
• Italian 00 flour (also called Caputo Tipo 00 flour) is found in Italian and specialty markets and is designed for pizzas and focaccias. A little pricey but worth it if you cook your pizza at super high temps.

For this recipe, almond flour or other gluten-free flour won't work, though (since it's all about the yeast doing the rise with the gluten). If you're looking for a gluten-free pizza dough, you are better off using one that's specifically formulated to use gluten-free flour, like our cauliflower pizza crust.

Getting the Right Pizza Dough Consistency

To get the right consistency, measure your flour by weight. The dough should be slack or loose (see below). If the dough feels too dry, sprinkle some water on top before leaving to rise. The dough should be wet, but dust a little more flour when working with it if it's too tacky to shape. With the right amount of water and flour, the dough should rise to be elastic and pliable.

Working With Loose Dough

This recipe makes a dough that’s soft and a bit wet. It's what bakers call a slack dough. Most no-knead recipes work best if they are slack doughs, meaning they have high hydration (more water) and thus are looser and heavier to work with. They produce lots of bubbles in the crust, which is great for pizza!

You can't shape slack dough like other doughs. Instead of drooping it over your fist, try gently stretching it or pressing outward as you shape. Flour your work surface well and go with the flow. These doughs give you imperfect circles, but we've come to embrace the rustic shapes they make. We think it adds to that beautiful handmade feeling of our pizzas.

Storing Pizza Dough Overnight in the Fridge

This pizza dough will keep overnight (or up to three days) in your refrigerator. It's best to place it in a nonreactive (glass or metal) bowl and cover with plastic wrap (since your dough will continue to rise in the fridge).

When you're ready to make the pizza, let it warm up at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Then, shape out the dough by stretching or using a flour-dusted rolling pin on a lightly dusted surface.

While the dough warms, you can prep the toppings and preheat the oven and your pizza stone or cast-iron skillet (if you're using one).

Freezing This Fast Pizza Dough

Leftover dough can be placed in a zip-top freezer bag and frozen for up to three months. Allow the dough to thaw in the fridge overnight before using.

Homemade Pizza Recipes for No-Knead Dough

• Spicy Sausage Pizza
• Homemade Pepperoni Pizza
• Grilled Portobello Mushroom Pizza
• Cheeseburger Pizza
• Meat Lovers' Sheet Pan Pizza

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes