Thin Crust Pizza

Everyone loves pizza their own way. There are some who favor NY style, there are others who prefer Chicago style, there are some who like a doughier crust, and then there are those who love that super thin crust pizza. Today, we wanted to focus on the latter: a great, thin crust pizza dough just waiting for sauce, cheese, and toppings!
The secret to a great thin crust pizza is to allow the crust to proof in the fridge. This will prevent the pizza from puffing as it's cooked. Next, put your pizza stone or baking sheet as close to the heat source in the oven as possible so the crust gets nice and crisp as it cooks. Keep reading below for our favorite thin crust pizza recipe...


Ingredients

DOUGH

• 3 cups bread flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1 1/2 cups ice water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

SAUCE AND TOPPINGS

• 1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and liquid discarded
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon basalmic vinegar
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 4 fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Toppings as desired (Try using a variety of cheeses, and of course your favorite pizza toppings!)

Directions

1. In a food processor or blender fitted with a metal blade, process the flour, sugar and yeast until combined (about 2 seconds). With the machine running, slowly add the water through the feed tube and process until the dough is just combined and no dry flour remains (about 10 seconds). Let the dough stand 10 minutes.
2. Add oil, Italian seasoning, and salt to the dough and process until the flour forms a satiny, sticky ball that clears the sides of the workbowl (30 to 60 seconds). Remove the dough from the bowl and knead briefly onto a lightly oiled workspace.
3. Shape the dough into a tight ball and place in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
4. To make the sauce, process all the ingredients except for the toppings, in the food processor until smooth (about 30 seconds). Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
5. Once the crust has proofed long enough in the fridge, adjust the oven rack to the second highest position and set the pizza stone on the rack (if you're using one. If not, ignore that step). Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
6. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide in half. Shape each half into a smooth, tight ball. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet, spacing them 3 inches apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand for 1 hour.
7. Coat one ball of dough with flour and place on a well-floured work surface. Use your fingertips to gently flatten the ball into an 8" disk, leaving 1" of the outer edge just slightly thicker than the center. Use your hands to gently stretch the dough into a 13" round, working along the edges and giving the dough quarter turns as you stretch. Use a fork to dock the dough (that is, poke very small holes into the tough to prevent the crust from bubbling). Transfer the dough to a bread peel or the back of a baking pan for easy sliding onto the pizza stone. Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in a thin layer over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1/4" border around the edge. Sprinkle the dough with your cheese(s) then toppings and carefully slide the pizza onto the stone and bake until the crust is well browned and the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown (about 10 to 20 minutes, rotating the pizza halfway through). Remove the pizza to a pizza pan and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
8. Repeat step 7 with the remaining dough.