Crispy pizza at home: tips for the perfect crust (2024)

Have you ever made pizza at home, but been disappointed by a soggy or undercooked crust? There are tools and tricks to make homemade pizza just as good as delivery, whether you like thin or thick crust.

Using a Baking Stone

A baking stone, or pizza stone, is a large piece of thick, ceramic tile that sits on the rack of your oven. By preheating the stone along with the oven to a high temperature—think in the 450°F to 500°F range—it picks up and retains a ton of heat that provides exceptional browning for your bottom crust.

Using a baking stone works for all pizza styles, but is essential for thin-crust recipes.

Pizza is generally laden with some kind of sauce, cheese, and possibly additional toppings, all of which apply weight and moisture to the pizza dough. You may have tried to bake pizza on a baking sheet before, only to be disappointed by tough edges and a floppy or even raw center. This happens when the pizza receives most of its heat from the top, cooking through the toppings before the crust has a chance to rise and bake.

By baking the pizza directly on a preheated surface that provides concentrated, constant heat, you give the thinly-stretched dough the right environment to rise and bake through from the bottom while the top cooks from the ambient heat of the oven. Remember, especially with thin crust pizza, it’s better to be conservative on the toppings so as not to weigh the dough down. A little sauce goes a long way!

Crispy pizza at home: tips for the perfect crust (2024)

FAQs

Crispy pizza at home: tips for the perfect crust? ›

When building a pan pizza, it's important to apply a liberal coating of olive oil to the bottom of the cold pan before adding your dough. This not only prevents sticking, but further helps the caramelization of the bottom crust, creating that delicious crunch.

What is the secret to a crispy pizza crust? ›

To achieve a more crispy crust, you'll need to add more water to the dough formula. This allows the dough to be a little more fluid and expand more readily during those first few critical minutes in the oven.

How do you make a super crispy pizza? ›

Palm down, slide your hands under dough and lifting carefully place on to a hot pizza stone. Bake at 500°F for 4 minutes. Remove from oven and top with your favorite toppings (don't go too crazy with the toppings, a little goes a long way). Return to oven for 6-8 minutes.

What makes pizza more crispy? ›

Pizza requires a very high oven temperature to get a puffy, crispy crust, with golden cheese and cooked toppings. Be sure to let the oven pre-heat for sufficient time to reach its peak temperature. At least half an hour is a good amount of time.

What are some key tips for achieving the perfect crust when baking pizza at home? ›

Dough
  1. Stick to a Homemade Pizza Crust.
  2. Artisan Bread Flour.
  3. Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix.
  4. Refrigerate Your Dough Before Baking.
  5. Don't Stretch the Dough When It's Cold.
  6. Don't Over Knead.
  7. Stretch Your Dough by Hand.
  8. Invest in a Pizza Stone.
Dec 22, 2019

How do I make my pizza crust brown and crispy? ›

FYI – A hot pizza stone is key to producing a well-browned, crisp bottom crust. So here are the three things to do to get the stone hot enough: place stone in the cold oven, set the temperature to 500 degrees, and let it preheat for one full hour. (I start the hour once it has preheated).

Why won't my pizza crust get crispy? ›

Cooking your pizza at a lower temperature and for longer will make your crust crispier.

How do you crisp pizza crust in the oven? ›

Set the oven to 375 degrees. Place the baking sheet in the oven while it preheats. When preheating is complete, place the cold pizza slices on the hot baking sheet and return it to the oven. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes.

What temperature do you cook crispy pizza? ›

The best oven temperature for pizza is between 450 and 500 degrees F (250 to 260 degrees C). Pizza ovens cook at temperatures between 800 and 900 degrees F. You can't get that hot in your home oven, but the higher you can go, the better.

How do you make pizza edges crispy? ›

Pre-Bake. In a home oven, the trick to getting a crispy crust pizza is some pre-baking. This only takes about 8-10 minutes and is worth it for a crispy, crunchy crust. Simply fit the dough to your pizza pans, pick a couple of times to prevent air bubbles, and bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

How do you make pizza crispy in the middle? ›

To make your pizza base crispy,first,pop it into the oven,for 10 minutes ,or until cheese & topping are nice and golden and melted. Take a none stick,frying, heat a few tea spoons of ,sunflower old,make sure it covers all the pan,bring to heat,for 1 minute, place pizza in for two minutes, slide onto plate job done!

Should you par bake pizza crust? ›

Far too many of us forget about the art of the par-bake, but it's a handy trick that keeps crust from getting soggy. If you're topping your pizza with something that's moist or wet (like fresh mozzarella), you want to partially bake the crust before proceeding with the add-ons.

How to get a crispy pizza crust without a stone? ›

If you don't have a baking steel or stone, you can bake your pizza on a preheated metal half-sheet pan. By preheating, the pan absorbs heat, allowing it to deliver it to the bottom of your pizza when the dough is placed on top.

What is the key to good homemade pizza? ›

12 Best Tips for Homemade Pizza
  1. 1 - Cook your pizza on a preheated surface. ...
  2. 2 - Cook your pizza at a very high temperature. ...
  3. 3 - Cook your pizza on parchment paper. ...
  4. 4 - Think outside the box with your sauces. ...
  5. 5 - Don't overcook your protein. ...
  6. 6 - Get creative with your toppings.
Feb 18, 2019

What can I add to pizza crust to make it better? ›

Olive oil serves a couple purposes when it comes to pizza crust: Not only does it add color and flavor, but it creates a barrier between the oil and water. This oily barrier prevents sogginess. A little bit of salt goes a long way.

Does olive oil make pizza dough crispy? ›

First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, spread a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil over your pizza pan. This will help the pizza crust crisp up in the oven and also add a nice flavor.

What flour makes crispy pizza crust? ›

Looking to make a basic pizza crust, one with a crispy bottom, a little bit of chew, and enough strength that the slices won't get floppy under all that sauce and cheese? For a no-fuss crust, you need a workhorse flour, and that's all-purpose flour.

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