This Ooni Pizza Dough Recipe has the best chewy texture and flavor! Use it when cooking with any outdoor pizza oven.
Do you have a pizza oven and want to turn it on? try that Ooni pizza dough recipethat works with any type of outdoor pizza oven! This dough forms a perfect soft crust, ideal for baking at high temperatures. It’s light and fluffy on the inside and charred on the outside, with the perfect moisture content for high-heat cooking. Here’s how! Jump to the recipe below or check out our best practices first.
What makes the best Ooni pizza dough?
The best pizza you can make at home? Pizza in an outdoor pizza oven. Fortunately, there are many excellent pizza ovens on the market today. We own and have extensive experience with the Ooni pizza oven and the ROCCBOX: and this recipe works perfectly with both! Here’s what we learned while researching what makes the best Ooni pizza dough recipe:
- In hot temperatures, use a 62% moisturizing paste. It’s going to be a little cheesy, but the recipe below contains a little less moisture than our standard pizza dough recipe. Hydration is the ratio of water to flour in a dough. A low hydration dough works best at the high temperatures of a pizza oven and is a little easier to work with (not as sticky).
- If possible, use Tipo 00 flour. Tipo 00 flour is the Italian type of flour used by Neapolitan pizzerias. It makes a soft, fluffy dough that’s better than regular all-purpose flour. It will be easy to find at your local grocery store or online. Substitute all-purpose flour if that’s all you have, but it’s worth looking for the good stuff.
Tips for preparing Ooni pizza dough
This Ooni Pizza Dough recipe is easy but takes a little practice. Here’s what to expect when making dough:
- Measure with a food scale. If possible, use a food scale for your measurements. The weight measurement is more accurate and takes environmental changes into account.
- Knead the dough by hand or with a stand mixer. You can do both! A stand mixer is completely self-contained, but you can also get your hands dirty. In any case, it only takes 8 minutes.
- Let the dough rest for 45 minutes. Also called “proofing,” this allows the dough to rise, giving it the perfect fluffy texture.
- Or prepare the batter up to 3 days in advance. The taste will get better over time! For best results, refrigerate the batter for 2-3 days, resulting in a nutty undertone.
How to stretch the dough
Stretching the dough is the most difficult part of the Ooni pizza dough process (besides baking of course!). You need to stretch it into an 11 inch circle.
- Sprinkle the pizza peel with corn or semolina flour. This allows the paste to slide right onto the stone. We prefer semolina flour.
- First roll out the dough in a circle. Place on a lightly floured surface and gently press into a circle, turning a few times and adding a pinch of flour if too sticky.
- Gently rub the paste over your knuckles. Once you have a circle of about 8 inches, take the dough and gently drape it over the knuckles of both your hands. Twist it slowly and allow gravity to stretch it into a circle about 11 inches in diameter. When the dough stops stretching, lay it down and let it rest for a few minutes, after which it will stretch more easily.
- Watch this video for the best results! Go to How to stretch pizza dough.
Side note pizza bowl
Alex has been making Ooni pizza dough for years and has a slightly different method for the pizza peel. He has noticed that cornmeal or semolina on the bottom of a pizza oven can easily burn. So he first prepares the pizza dough and toppings it on our Super Pizza Peel conveyor (to avoid semolina). He then uses the conveyor belt to place the dough onto the stainless steel pizza peel that comes with the oven. It’s a small workaround, but it’s our best practice! You can still use cornmeal and semolina with great results.
Another tip: We like to use this ROCCBOX rotary paddle to spin the pizza while it’s baking, which is very useful. You can use the non-stick transfer sheet (included with the oven).
Our favorite pizza ovens
At A Couple Cooks, we’re a bit obsessed with the pizza oven. We have owned an Ooni pizza oven for several years and have just added a ROCCBOX to our family. Here are our two cents on the best pizza oven after years of experience:
- Open propane gas stoves are best for basic cooking. We recommend this Ooni Koda 12 or the ROCCBOX. This style is a definite improvement over our previous wood-fired Ooni, which was delicious but definitely more spirited in the cooking process.
- Ooni and ROCCBOX are comparable. We chose the ROCCBOX for added insulation and our personal preference for baking dough, but the two are comparable. Try the Ooni Koda 16 if you prefer a larger pizza.
Pizza recipes for outdoor ovens
What is the best Ooni pizza recipe? Honestly, you really can’t beat a large margherita with tangy tomatoes and gooey cheese. Here are some of our best pizza recipe ideas to make in an Ooni pizza oven:
The description
This Ooni Pizza Dough Recipe has the best chewy texture and flavor! Use it when cooking with any outdoor pizza oven.
- 500g* Tipo 00 or all-purpose flour (3 ⅓ cups)
- 8 grams Instant or active dry yeast (2 teaspoons)
- 7 grams kosher salt (1 teaspoon)
- 310 grams Hot water (1 ¼ cup + 1 tbsp)
- 13 grams olive oil (1 tbsp)
- Semolina flour (or cornmeal), for sprinkling
- Mix dough: Mix the flour, salt and yeast in a bowl or the bowl of your food processor. Stir to combine. Add water and olive oil and stir until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
- Knead the dough: Knead the dough by pressing it with the base of your palm, then shape it into a ball. Continue kneading for 8 minutes, until dough is fluffy and has a smooth, stretchy surface. If the dough is very sticky, add a little flour while kneading. Alternatively: Attach the dough hook to a stand mixer and start the mixer on medium-low speed, then knead for 8 minutes.
- Let the dough rest: After kneading, divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. With floured hands, gently form each half into a ball (spherical shape) by folding the dough over itself. Place each ball on a floured work surface and brush the dough with a little olive oil to keep it moist. Cover each ball with a damp towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Optional: refrigerate for up to 3 days: The paste can be used immediately. However, for BEST flavor, transfer batter to separate sealed containers large enough for batter to double again and refrigerate for 2-3 days. (We don’t always do this, but we try when possible, as it results in a remarkably nutty and unique flavor that truly is the best homemade pizza dough you’ve ever had.)
- **If you use the dough after chilling: On the day of service, remove the dough from the pans, place on a lightly floured surface covered with a tea towel, and allow to come to room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before stretching.
- Preheat: Preheat pizza oven.
- Stretch the dough: If The oven is ready, sprinkle the stainless steel pizza peel with cornmeal or semolina. To stretch the dough, place it on a lightly floured surface and gently press in circles, turning several times and adding a pinch of flour if too sticky. Once you have a circle of about 8 inches, take the dough and gently drape it over the knuckles of both your hands. Twist it slowly and allow gravity to stretch it into a circle about 11 inches in diameter. Do not overwork or fold the dough. When the dough stops stretching, lay it down and let it rest for a few minutes, after which it will stretch more easily. GCarefully place the dough on the pizza peel.
- Garnish pizza: Top the pizza according to the pizza recipe you are using.
- Bake pizza: Use the pizza shovel to gently push the pizza into the pizza oven. Bake the pizza in a pizza oven (follow the specific instructions that come with your oven) until the cheese is melted and the crust is lightly charred, about 1 to 2 minutes. Let the pizza cool for a minute, then cut into slices and serve immediately.
- Category: Pizza
- Method: pizza oven
- Kitchen: Italian
- Diet: vegetarian
Keywords: Ooni Pizza Oven Recipe
