Kneading Pizza Dough By Hand | Neapolitan Pizza From Scratch

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Kneading pizza dough by hand

Once we’ve mixed the dough together, we can move onto the kneading. Many people get intimidated by kneading but they shouldn’t, it’s actually really quick and easy by hand. Check out the video and recipe below.

This is part 2 of the series about making Neapolitan pizza from scratch. You don’t need an electric mixer or anything special, you just need (excuse the pun) your hands and a bowl!

If you missed part 1 on mixing the ingredients you can check it out here. If you want to find out about kneading pizza dough by hand then read on!

If you prefer, you can use the page contents below to skip ahead. Also, you can return to the page contents at any time by pressing the green button at the top right of the screen.

Page Contents

The video
Why knead pizza dough?
Can you knead pizza dough by hand?
How to knead pizza dough
Best way to knead pizza dough – the “croissant technique”
- How to do the “croissant technique”
Easy kneading technique
How long should you knead pizza dough?
Why do you rest pizza dough?
The Recipe
Comments

A quick thank you

Purchases made after clicking links to products on this site provide me with a little commission. I am very grateful for any support as I'm not a big company, it's just me and my computer (and pizza oven of course).

A strange Englishman (that's me) holding a delicious pizza (it's one I made)

Also, just by being here you are supporting this website, so thank you. I hope you find it helpful and/or mildly entertaining.

Cheers, Tom.

Kneading pizza dough video

As well as detailed instructions in this article, I have made a video below to show the kneading technique I like to use. Feel free to check out the video below to see how easy kneading pizza dough by hand really is!

Kneading pizza dough by hand

Make sure you’ve seen my previous article in this series on mixing Neapolitan pizza dough. Once you have read that article and watched the video, you’ll be in the perfect place to start kneading!

If you’ve watched the video above and you’re ready for the windowpane test in part 3 then click here. If you want to find out more about kneading pizza dough by hand then read on!

And don’t miss the recipe at the bottom of the page!

If you need to be reminded of the recipe, feel free to click here to skip ahead to the recipe. For detailed information on kneading, keep reading! (I’m a poet and I didn’t know it.)

Why knead pizza dough?

The simple answer is that kneading pizza dough makes the dough stronger. A dough that has been kneaded well can be shaped without worrying about whether the dough is going to rip. Weak dough is no fun to work with!

Kneading pizza dough by hand — Kneading pizza dough leads to great pizza!

As well as making pizza dough stronger, kneading also helps to make the dough more stretchy. This makes the pizza much easier to shape. You should be able to work with the dough without fighting it.

Can you knead pizza dough by hand?

In a word, yes! I actually recommend that beginners try kneading by hand. It’s much easier than you probably think it is. Also, kneading by hand will improve your feel for pizza dough very quickly.

I find the best way to learn about pizza dough is to get stuck in! Don’t worry about getting your hands messy, it cleans off really easily.

In fact, I find kneading by hand to be quite therapeutic. It’s also very rewarding knowing that you made your pizza completely by hand!

How to knead pizza dough

The easiest way to knead pizza dough is to use the heel of your hand. With the dough on the counter, press down hard with the heel of your hand. You should be trying to stretch the dough as much as possible as you do this.

Then gather the dough up and start again. The great thing about this is that it’s super easy! This is no correct technique. Just try to get a feel for it and do what works for you.

Best way to knead pizza dough – the “croissant technique”

The technique that I use in the video at the top of the page is quite easy to do. I call it the croissant method as you roll it up so it looks a bit like a croissant.

The reason I find this technique works so well is that the dough becomes thin as it rolls up. This means that when you do a quarter turn the dough is really easy to knead since it is not very wide or thick.

I see a lot of people kneading the pizza dough into a ball shape but I find this takes a lot more work. Because the dough is so thick, it means you have to use all your strength to stretch the dough.

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I therefore only recommend balling the dough at the end of the kneading process.

How to do the “croissant technique”

With one hand (non-dominant hand) pin the nearest end of the dough to the counter. With the heel of the opposite hand, press down on the far side of the dough, stretching it away from you.

Then roll the dough up with your fingers and stretch out the middle of the dough. Repeat this process until you can’t stretch the dough any more.

At this point, turn the dough 45 degrees (quarter turn) and repeat the process.

Turn the dough and keep kneading by hand — Turn the dough (45 degrees) and knead again

Each time you do this you should find the dough becomes easier to stretch. This means you’re doing a good job of kneading!

Easy kneading technique

If you struggle with the technique I explained above, you can try something called the “fraisage” method. This is another technique that’s borrowed from artisan baking.

Basically you just spread the dough out on the counter as thin as you can using the heel of your hand. Don’t worry if the dough rips as you do it. You can then gather all the dough up and repeat the process.

Using the frisaige technique for kneading pizza dough — The frisaige method

Usually this method is used in bread making when adding fat (such as butter) to the dough. But as well as being useful for adding ingredients, it also kneads the dough at the same time.

I have shown this technique before in another video I made on kneading. Here’s the video below:

About half way through the video I show the frisaige method

If you try this technique you will probably have to spend a little longer on it. However, it is really easy and pretty fool proof. If you find you’re struggling with kneading, give the frisaige a go!

How long should you knead pizza dough?

I hear many people and recipes saying that you should knead for around 10-15 minutes. In my opinion, this is way too long. I recommend kneading your pizza for around 5 minutes. That’s right, just 5 minutes!

The secret is that you should allow your pizza dough to rest before kneading. As soon as you have mixed your ingredients together, let your dough rest for around 30 minutes before kneading.

For a small amount of dough (around 4 pizzas) 5 minutes of kneading, or even less, should be fine. If you were making a really large batch of dough then you might need around 10 minutes. Just look for the point when your dough has become really soft and stretchy.

Kneading a large dough ball — A large amount of dough takes more work, and time!

Check out my previous article in this series – mixing Neapolitan pizza dough – to check out how to mix the ingredients.

Why do you rest pizza dough?

Resting pizza dough before kneading makes the dough softer and stretchier. It makes your job of kneading much easier.

Resting your pizza dough is almost like cheating! It’s that good!

The technical term for this process is called the “autolyse”. It’s a technique commonly used in artisan baking.

The autolyse basically gives the flour time to absorb the water and become a dough. If you skip this stage, you end up spending the first few minutes just working the ingredients together.

Autolyse dough before kneading by hand — The autolyse may sound technical but it’s very simple!

Just be sure to cover your dough well as you let it rest. We don’t want the pizza dough to dry out. I tend to place the dough in a bowl and cover it with a plastic bag. Cling film also works well.

You probably won’t believe how well this simple resting works until you try it! You leave the dough as a shaggy mess and you come back and its lovely and soft and smooth. The dough is wonderful to work with and easy to knead.

Trust me it works!

The Recipe – Hand Kneaded Neapolitan Pizza Dough

Kneading pizza dough the traditional way

Hand kneaded pizza dough

5 (7)

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Ingredients

Makes 4 x 250g pizzas

Note: You can click on the ingredient links to check out the ingredients on Amazon.

With 00 flour:

Flour – 630g
Water – 360g water
Salt (fine) – 14g
Yeast (dried or fresh) – around 0.2g to 0.5g instant yeast (check my yeast calcultor here) – multiply by 3 for fresh yeast

Note: Caputo 00 pizza flour is an excellent flour for Neapolitan style pizza and it’s what I use. Luckily, it’s one of the more widely available “professional” pizza flours.

My chef’s bag of Caputo Pizzeria – click here to check if it’s available on Amazon.

With Strong White Bread Flour:

Flour – 620g
Water (room temperature) – 380g
Salt (fine) – 14g
Yeast (dried or fresh) – around 0.2g to 0.5g instant yeast (check yeast calcultor here) – multiply by 3 for fresh yeast

Note: Any high protein white bread flour should work well. Ideally you’re looking for a protein content of around 12% – 14% (12g – 14g per 100g). Click here to look at strong flour on Amazon.

Utensils Required

Not all the following utensils are required but these are what I use and they tend to make the process much easier.

Large mixing bowl
Any large bowl could be used for mixing the dough but I like using the metal ones since they’re lightweight, stackable, and easy to clean.

Click here to check out metal mixing bowls like the ones I have on Amazon.
Digital kitchen scales
These are affordable, easy to use, and precise (accurate to 1g). I don't recommend using cups as measurements as they are inprecise.

Click here to take a look at the type of digital scales I use on Amazon.
Accurate digital scales
These kitchen scales are accurate to 0.01g and are perfect for measuring the tiny amounts of yeast needed for long proves.

Click here to check them out on Amazon.
Pizza proofing box
Pizza proofing boxes are an excellent investment. They are airtight and they make taking the dough out for shaping very easy.

Feel free to check out proofing boxes on Amazon here.
Stick blender
Stick blenders allow for very easy sauce making. They're also really easy to clean, and can be used in any bowl.

Click here to check out stick blenders on Amazon.
Infrared Thermometer
An infrared thermometer allows you to instantly check the temperature of the stone, ensuring it is within the ideal range.

Click here to check out a pizza peel similar to the one I use on Amazon.
12″ pizza peel
A 12 inch peel is ideal for Neapolitan pizza and makes loading and removing your pizza from the oven really easy.

Click here to check out a pizza peel similar to the one I use on Amazon.
Turning peel
A turning peel is designed for rotating the pizza during cooking. If you're using a pizza oven it should lead to a superior and more even cook.

Click here to check out a pizza peel similar to the one I use on Amazon.
Pizza Oven
A pizza oven is guarenteed to take your pizzas to the next level. I have an Ooni Karu 16 which reaches 500C/930F and cooks pizza in as little as 60 seconds! A regular oven simply cannot match the cook of a pizza oven. I love my Ooni!

Click here to check out Ooni pizza ovens on Amazon.

Method

Roughly mix the ingredients together in a bowl by hand
Cover the dough and leave it to rest for around 30 minutes before you start kneading
Knead the dough on the counter, using the heel of your hand, for around 5 minutes
Cover the dough and leave it to rest for around 30 minutes before moving onto the next step – the windowpane test

And that’s it! Kneading pizza dough by hand is really easy. Check out part 3 here where I show you how to tell if your dough is kneaded enough.

Hand mixed Neapolitan pizza dough

Final thoughts on Kneading Pizza Dough by hand…

Kneading pizza dough is really easy, it just takes a little practice. Give this method a go and you may be surprised how well it works. And how easy it is!

Kneading by hand produces a wonderful pizza dough

Click here to check out part 3 where I show you how to tell if your dough is kneaded enough.

If you missed part 1, check it out here. I provide a great Neapolitan pizza recipe and I discus the ingredients you need and how to mix them together before kneading.

If you’re interested in founding out more about the autolyse – the resting stage, there’s a short article on bakerpedia here which goes into more detail.

Now let’s get kneading!

Tom Rothwell from My Pizza Corner eating homemade pizza

About Me

I’m Tom Rothwell and I’m super passionate about all kinds of homemade pizza! In the last few years I've been on a quest to find the perfect pizza. Now I'm sharing what I've found out with the world!

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I often get asked what type of oven I use for my pizzas. Well, I use a pizza oven made by a company called Ooni.

The range of pizza ovens that Ooni offers is just brilliant. They cover all bases, and all price points. There's affordable and portable models such as the Fyra 12 Pizza Oven and then there's state-of-the-art models such as the Karu 16 Pizza Oven pictured below.

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In all honesty, I would say that the oven makes a huge difference. If you're looking to make authentic Italian pizza, a pizza oven is a must.

By clicking the link below and purchasing from Ooni, you would be supporting this website. I've been using their ovens for a long time now and I wouldn't recommend them if I didn't believe in their products.

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Comments

Henry says: 16th October 2020 at 11:01 am
This is such an amazing site – thanks Tom! I made the best pizza I have ever eaten thanks to your instructions. I’m cooking it by getting a cast iron saucepan really hot and cooking the dough in this for two minutes (adding topping after one minute), then putting the whole thing under a very hot grill for a further two minutes and it comes out beautifully. It looks very nearly as good as the ones in your photos! Worth a try for those who don’t have access to a dedicated pizza oven. I’m really looking forward to the next video in the pizza school series!
Reply
1. Tom Rothwell says: 18th October 2020 at 6:03 pm
  Hi Henry. Thank you so much for the positive feedback. I’m glad the recipes are working out for you!
  
  You can check out part 3 of the series – the windowpane test – here.
  
  Well done with the pizzas, keep up the good work!
  Reply
Verena says: 21st November 2020 at 12:23 pm
Hi Tom,

this site is so great! I just watched all of your videos on Youtube and I think I‘m ready to go now. Is the dough resting at room temperature or in the fridge?

Best regards from Germany, Verena
Reply
1. Tom Rothwell says: 22nd November 2020 at 7:10 pm
  Hi Verena, thanks for the kind words. I’m glad you’re finding it all useful!
  
  Everything in this recipe takes place out of the fridge at room temperature.
  
  Good luck in Germany!
  Reply
  1. Mark says: 23rd July 2022 at 5:37 am
    These tutorials are incredibly useful! Thanks for putting the time in to explain each step so thoroughly. They are not only east to follow, but I really feel like I’m learning what’s going on. I made my first round of Neapolitan pizzas last week and they turned out amazing!
    Reply
    1. Tom Rothwell says: 26th July 2022 at 4:28 pm
      Awesome Mark! Thank you for the kind words and keep up with the pizzas! A well made Neapolitan pizza is very difficult to beat.
      Reply
Bernadette says: 8th May 2022 at 11:31 pm
Tom, Your Neapolitan Pizza Crust is by far the best recipe I have found. Not to mention your attention to detail too. I for one have learnt so much by reading all the information on this website and watching your incredible videos. Thank you!
Reply
1. Tom Rothwell says: 13th May 2022 at 3:04 pm
  Thanks so much Bernadette, I’m glad my recipes and videos have been helpful!
  Reply
Lisa says: 22nd September 2023 at 12:27 am
I am making this dough for the 2nd time and just can’t seem to get it right! After the first hour rest, yours appears to be much softer/easier to work with than mine.

The first time I used a mixer, the 2nd time I mixed by hands and both times I’ve ended up with a very firm/tough dough after the 20 hour rest. I didn’t need to use a scraper or flour to turn it into balls and I can see yours way very soft/sticky to work with I am wondering what I’ve done wrong.

The 2nd time I upped the hydration by 2% as you suggested in another article but I have had the exact same results 🙁 thanks!
Reply
1. Tom Rothwell says: 27th September 2023 at 2:18 pm
  Hi Lisa, the first thing I would look at is the yeast. Have you used enough yeast and is the yeast fresh enough? If the yeast is old it may not be proving the dough properly.
  
  Also, what temperature are you proving at? My recipes are all for room temperature proving of around 21C/70F. If your room is colder than this you may need to use more yeast.
  
  The next thing I would look at is the flour. Are you using a high quality flour and is it fresh enough? If the flour is old that could also be the reason that your dough is not soft and stretchy.
  
  Additionally, if you’re not using 00 pizza flour, you may need to increase the hydration by more than 2%. Different flours vary greatly and it can take a bit of trial and error to dial in your particular flour.
  
  I hope these pointers help. Thanks
  Reply
Van says: 3rd November 2025 at 6:31 pm
This was hugely helpful! Until I watched your videos, a successful crust would have no tears, but might look like the State of Virginia.

Now it’s effortless to stretch the dough into a circle. I retained the basics of my previous recipe, but reduced the water by about ten percent in line with your recipe and the consistency of your dough.

I had learned how to knead from a King Arthur bread-making video. For pizza crusts, I now use your kneading technique. I’ve also adopted some of your hacks.

I now lift the risen dough very gently, using a metal spatula while pushing flour under the dough. I dredge the risen dough in flour before stretching.

I’ve adopted your method for stretching the dough into a circle. And I put my Parmesan cheese on after the pizza has cooked, grating it finer and using less of it. Thanks so much.
Reply
1. Tom Rothwell says: 5th November 2025 at 9:23 pm
  Wow, that’s great Van, it sounds like you’ve figured it out! One thing I find is that people definitely tend to go too wet with the dough.
  
  Along with good technique (as you’ve explained), a drier dough is typically much easier to shape. It also allows you to get the base extremely thin due to the strength of the dough.
  
  Thank you for the kind words and keep up the good work! Cheers
  Reply