No-Knead Pizza Crust

Recipe by PJ Hamel
17 Reviews 4.2 out of 5 stars

While a typical pizza crust recipe yields crust that's either thin-crisp or soft-chewy, this one offers the best of both worlds. This pizza crust is thin in some spots and thicker in others, with crackly-hard edges and lots of chew. To ensure the dough is cooked through, with no sogginess in sight, it's baked most of the way before the toppings are added. Our thanks to Jim Lahey, of New York City's Sullivan St. Bakery, for the inspiration for this version of no-knead pizza crust recipe.

Prep
10 mins
Bake
15 to 20 mins
Total
12 hrs 25 mins
Yield
2 medium oval pizzas or one 14" round pizza
No-Knead Pizza Crust sliced on a cutting board - select to zoom
No-Knead Pizza Crust sliced on a cutting board - select to zoom
No-Knead Pizza Crust on a cutting board - select to zoom
Slices of No-Knead Pizza Crust on a cutting board - select to zoom
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Instructions

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  1. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large bowl, stirring just to combine. The dough will be loose and sticky, almost like cottage cheese in texture.

  2. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at cool room temperature (preferably not above 72°F) overnight, anywhere from 12 to 24 hours. (We prefer a rest of about 16 hours.) The dough will rise and develop lots of bubbles.

  3. Heavily flour a silicone kneading mat or clean work surface, then pour/scoop the dough out of the bowl. Sprinkle more flour on top. Fold the dough over on itself once or twice to help bring it together; a bowl scraper or spatula is a help here.

  4. Preheat the oven to 450°F. If you have a pizza stone, place it on a rack centered in the oven.

  5. To make two small pizzas, divide the dough in half. Cut a sheet of parchment in half to make two pieces, each about 8" x 12". Working on the parchment, gently pat and stretch each piece of dough into an oval about 1/4" thick; it should cover most of the parchment rectangle underneath. To make one large pizza, pat the dough into a circle about 14" to 16", on one full sheet of parchment. 

    If you’re not using a pizza stone, slide the pizza crust(s), with their parchment, onto a baking sheet.

  6. Bake each crust for about 12 minutes on the pizza stone, or about 16 minutes on a baking sheet. If the crust starts to puff, immediately remove it from the oven and pierce with a paring knife so that it deflates. Return to the oven and continue to bake until the edges just begin to brown. 

  7. Remove the pizza from the oven and add your desired toppings. For this pizza crust recipe, the toppings should be pre-cooked; e.g., no raw meat, no crunchy onions, etc. We like to add a thin layer of sauce, a bed of cheese, assorted toppings, followed by additional cheese. 

     

  8. Return the pizza to the oven and bake the pizza for an additional 4 to 8 minutes, or until the toppings are hot and the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Repeat with the remaining crust and toppings, if making two pizzas.

  9. Store any leftovers, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for a couple of days; freeze for longer storage.

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