Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Do not punch it down aggressively — you want to keep some gas bubbles. Gently press it into a thick disk. Using your fingertips, press the dough outward, working from the center to the edges, until it’s about 1 inch larger than your pan.

Lift the dough carefully and drape it into the prepared pan. Press it into the corners and up the sides slightly. The dough should be ½ to ¾ inch thick across the bottom.

On baking day, remove the dough from the fridge 2 hours before you plan to eat.

What emerges from the oven is nothing short of transcendent. A crust that shatters when you bite, then gives way to a soft, cloud-like interior. The kind of dough that holds its own against aggressive toppings but is just as happy brushed with garlic and olive oil alone.

Pietro passed away in 2018, but his dough lives on. Every Saturday, his grandson still uses the original wooden proofing box. And now, with this recipe, you can bring a piece of that legacy into your own kitchen.

Just remember Pietro’s golden rule: “No rush. The dough knows the way.”

To make an authentic Pietro’s Pizza Dough , you need to focus on a high-hydration, Neapolitan-style base that yields a soft, chewy interior with a crispy, charred exterior. This guide follows a traditional approach inspired by Italian techniques. Ingredients

500g Tipo '00' Flour: This finely ground Italian flour is the secret to a smooth, workable dough. You can find this at retailers like Amazon or specialty grocers. 300ml Lukewarm Water: Roughly hydration for that classic texture.

1 tsp Fine Sea Salt: Essential for flavor and controlling the yeast.

1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast: A small amount for a long, slow rise.

1 tsp Olive Oil (Optional): Adds a bit of richness and helps with browning in home ovens. Step-by-Step Guide

Alexandra Stafford's Neapolitan-ish Pizza Dough - Cherry Bombe

Pietro’s par-bakes their crusts before adding sauce and cheese to ensure the bottom cooks through without burning the toppings. Here’s how:

Place dough balls in a covered, lightly floured proofing box or on a floured baking sheet. Proof for 1–2 hours at room temperature, or refrigerate for 24–72 hours for deeper flavor.

In the world of pizza, toppings get all the glory. But ask any true pizzaiolo, and they’ll tell you: the dough is the soul of the pie. And no dough has earned more whispered admiration than Pietro’s.

Tucked away on a side street in an old Italian-American neighborhood, Pietro’s Pizzeria has been serving up golden, chewy, crisp-bottomed pizzas for over 60 years. The line snakes around the block every Friday—not for the sauce, not for the cheese, but for the crust. And the magic starts with one closely guarded recipe: Pietro’s pizza dough.

| Ingredient | Weight (grams) | Volume (approx.) | Notes | |------------|----------------|------------------|-------| | Bread flour (or 00 flour) | 300g | 2½ cups | High protein (12–13%) | | Water (lukewarm, 90–95°F) | 200g | ¾ cup + 1 tbsp | 65% hydration | | Fine sea salt | 8g | 1¼ tsp | — | | Olive oil (optional) | 10g | 2 tsp | For tenderness | | Instant dry yeast | 3g | 1 tsp | Or 6g fresh yeast | | Sugar (optional) | 4g | 1 tsp | Helps browning |