Thin-Crust White Pizza
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 1, 2013
Time
1½ hours, plus 25 hours resting
Yield
Serves 4 to 6 (Makes two 13-inch pizzas)
Ingredients
Dough
3 cups (16½ ounces/468 grams) bread flour, plus more for work surface2 tablespoons sugar ½ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast 1 ⅓ cups ice water (about 10½ ounces/298 grams) (see note)1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 ½ teaspoons table saltWhite Sauce
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil ¼ cup heavy cream 1 large egg yolk 4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)½ teaspoon table salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves 2 medium scallions, sliced thin, dark green tops reserved for garnishPizza
½ cup whole-milk ricotta cheese8 ounces (227 grams) whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups) (see note)1 ounce (28 grams) finely grated Pecorino cheese (about ½ cup)Before You Begin
Our preferred brand of whole-milk mozzarella is Sorrento Galbani. You can shape the second dough ball while the first pizza bakes, but don’t add the topping until right before you bake it. It’s important to use ice water in the dough to prevent overheating it while it’s in the food processor.
Instructions
- In food processor fitted with metal blade, process flour, sugar, and yeast until combined, about 2 seconds. With machine running, slowly add water through feed tube; process until dough is just combined and no dry flour remains, about 10 seconds. Let dough stand 10 minutes.
- Add oil and salt to dough and process until dough forms satiny, sticky ball that clears sides of workbowl, 30 to 60 seconds. Remove dough from bowl and knead briefly on lightly oiled countertop until smooth, about 1 minute. Shape dough into tight ball and place in large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days.
- Whisk all ingredients except scallion greens together in medium bowl; refrigerate until ready to use.
- One hour before baking pizza, adjust oven rack to second highest position (rack should be about 4 to 5 inches below broiler), set pizza stone on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. Shape each half into smooth, tight ball. Place on lightly oiled baking sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart; cover loosely with plastic wrap coated with nonstick cooking spray; let stand for 1 hour.
- Coat one ball of dough generously with flour and place on well-floured countertop. Using fingertips, gently flatten into 8-inch disk, leaving 1 inch of outer edge slightly thicker than center. Lift edge of dough and, using back of hands and knuckles, gently stretch disk into 12-inch round, working along edges and giving disk quarter turns as you stretch. Transfer dough to well-floured peel, and stretch into 13-inch round. Using rubber spatula, spread ½ of ricotta mixture in thin layer over surface of dough, leaving ¼-inch border around edge. Sprinkle ¼ cup Pecorino Romano evenly over sauce, followed by 1 cup mozzarella. Dollop ¼ cup ricotta in teaspoon amounts evenly over pizza. Slide pizza carefully onto stone and bake until crust is well browned and cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown, about 10 to 12 minutes, rotating halfway through. Remove pizza and place on wire rack 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Repeat step 5 to shape, top, and bake second pizza.
for the dough
for the sauce
to bake the pizza
Time
1½ hours, plus 25 hours restingYield
Serves 4 to 6 (Makes two 13-inch pizzas)Ingredients
Dough
3 cups (16½ ounces/468 grams) bread flour, plus more for work surface
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 ⅓ cups ice water (about 10½ ounces/298 grams) (see note)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
White Sauce
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup heavy cream
1 large egg yolk
4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 medium scallions, sliced thin, dark green tops reserved for garnish
Pizza
½ cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
8 ounces (227 grams) whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups) (see note)
1 ounce (28 grams) finely grated Pecorino cheese (about ½ cup)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Dough
3 cups (16½ ounces/468 grams) bread flour, plus more for work surface
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 ⅓ cups ice water (about 10½ ounces/298 grams) (see note)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
White Sauce
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup heavy cream
1 large egg yolk
4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 medium scallions, sliced thin, dark green tops reserved for garnish
Pizza
½ cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
8 ounces (227 grams) whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups) (see note)
1 ounce (28 grams) finely grated Pecorino cheese (about ½ cup)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Dough
3 cups (16½ ounces/468 grams) bread flour, plus more for work surface
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 ⅓ cups ice water (about 10½ ounces/298 grams) (see note)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
White Sauce
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup heavy cream
1 large egg yolk
4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 medium scallions, sliced thin, dark green tops reserved for garnish
Pizza
½ cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
8 ounces (227 grams) whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups) (see note)
1 ounce (28 grams) finely grated Pecorino cheese (about ½ cup)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Kneading our pizza dough’s ingredients in the food processor was quicker and just as efficient as using a stand mixer. To keep our Thin-Crust Pizza recipe from puffing as it cooked and to infuse it with flavor, we let it proof in the refrigerator for up to three days. Finally, placing our pizza stone as close to the upper heating element as possible crisped our Thin-Crust Pizza and browned it.
Before You Begin
Our preferred brand of whole-milk mozzarella is Sorrento Galbani. You can shape the second dough ball while the first pizza bakes, but don’t add the topping until right before you bake it. It’s important to use ice water in the dough to prevent overheating it while it’s in the food processor.
Instructions
- In food processor fitted with metal blade, process flour, sugar, and yeast until combined, about 2 seconds. With machine running, slowly add water through feed tube; process until dough is just combined and no dry flour remains, about 10 seconds. Let dough stand 10 minutes.
- Add oil and salt to dough and process until dough forms satiny, sticky ball that clears sides of workbowl, 30 to 60 seconds. Remove dough from bowl and knead briefly on lightly oiled countertop until smooth, about 1 minute. Shape dough into tight ball and place in large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days.
- Whisk all ingredients except scallion greens together in medium bowl; refrigerate until ready to use.
- One hour before baking pizza, adjust oven rack to second highest position (rack should be about 4 to 5 inches below broiler), set pizza stone on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. Shape each half into smooth, tight ball. Place on lightly oiled baking sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart; cover loosely with plastic wrap coated with nonstick cooking spray; let stand for 1 hour.
- Coat one ball of dough generously with flour and place on well-floured countertop. Using fingertips, gently flatten into 8-inch disk, leaving 1 inch of outer edge slightly thicker than center. Lift edge of dough and, using back of hands and knuckles, gently stretch disk into 12-inch round, working along edges and giving disk quarter turns as you stretch. Transfer dough to well-floured peel, and stretch into 13-inch round. Using rubber spatula, spread ½ of ricotta mixture in thin layer over surface of dough, leaving ¼-inch border around edge. Sprinkle ¼ cup Pecorino Romano evenly over sauce, followed by 1 cup mozzarella. Dollop ¼ cup ricotta in teaspoon amounts evenly over pizza. Slide pizza carefully onto stone and bake until crust is well browned and cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown, about 10 to 12 minutes, rotating halfway through. Remove pizza and place on wire rack 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Repeat step 5 to shape, top, and bake second pizza.
for the dough
for the sauce
to bake the pizza
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