Tim Abraham
New York Style Pizza Dough
New York Style Pizza Dough (2 × 16” Pizzas)
This dough works great for making large (16") New York style pizzas. I make them in my Ooni oven and have some baking tips below.
Yield
- 2 × 16-inch pizzas
- ~370g dough per ball
Ingredients (Baker’s %)
- 436g flour (100%)
- 283g water (65%)
- 9g salt (2%)
- 9g olive oil (2%)
- 5g sugar (1%)
- 3g diastatic malt powder (0.5%)
- 0.44g instant yeast (0.1%) or I just use 1/8 tsp
Method
1. Mix + Autolyse
- Combine flour and ~90% of the water (hold back ~25–30g)
- Mix until a shaggy dough forms
- Rest 20–30 minutes
2. Add Remaining Ingredients
- Dissolve salt, sugar, yeast, and malt in reserved water
- Add to dough, then add olive oil last
- Mix/knead until:
- Smooth-ish
- Slightly elastic
- Not fully developed (no full windowpane)
3. Light Gluten Development
- Rest 20 minutes
- Perform 1 stretch & fold
- Rest 20 minutes
- Perform 1 more stretch & fold
Dough should feel smoother and slightly stronger, but still extensible.
4. Short Bulk Fermentation
- Rest at room temperature for 30–45 minutes
Goal:
- Slight puff
- Fermentation just beginning (not doubled)
5. Divide & Ball
- Divide into 2 equal pieces (~370g each)
- Form tight, smooth dough balls
- Place in lightly oiled containers
6. Cold Fermentation
- Refrigerate for 48–72 hours
- Ideal fridge temp: 36–39°F (2–4°C)
7. Day of Baking
- Remove dough 2–4 hours before baking
- Keep covered at room temperature
Dough is ready when:
- Relaxed
- Slightly puffy
- Stretches easily without snapping back
Shaping
- Gently press dough from center outward
- Leave a slight rim (about 1/2")
- Stretch to 16 inches using hands/knuckles
- Avoid aggressively degassing the edge
Cooking tips
Unlike cooking a Neopolitan style pizza, this style benefits from lower (but still HOT) temperatures. I tend to do the following:
-
Preheat pizza stone on high heat for around 30 minutes
-
When I’m ready to stretch my first dough out, I turn the oven to low.
- If you have an infrared thermometer, you want the stone to be around 650-700 degrees at launch time
-
After launching your pizza, turn off the oven and let cook for 2 minutes
-
After 2 minutes, turn the oven back on but to low
-
Rotate the pizza as needed until cooked to your liking. This will generally take another 3-4 minutes
-
After taking out the pizza, turn the oven back to high to get the stone hot again for the next one
Pizza tips
-
For a good NY Style sauce, blend san marzano tomatoes together with salt and optionally a little sugar. Cook down just a bit until slightly thickened and add some dried oregano. The dried oregano is really key to getting that familiar flavor.
-
Keep toppings simple, let the core ingredients shine.
-
Look for block mozzarella and shred it yourself instead of buying pre-shredded. Go for a 50/50 blend of part-skim and full-fat.
-
For a margherita pizza, top with some olive oil before baking and add your basil after baking.
NY Sauce Recipe
Classic New York–Style Pizza Sauce
Yield
- ~600–650g sauce
- Enough for 2–3 × 16-inch pizzas
- Use ~120–140g per pizza
Ingredients
- 1 can (28 oz / ~800g) whole peeled tomatoes
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 1–1.5 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2–3 drops vinegar (optional, see note)
Method
1. Blend Tomatoes
- Blend until mostly smooth with slight texture remaining
Target:
- Not chunky
- Not completely pureed
2. Simmer
- Add all ingredients to a saucepan
- Simmer uncovered for 20–30 minutes
Stir occasionally.
Target:
- Slightly thickened
- Deepened red color
- Reduced water content
3. Finish & Cool
- Taste and adjust salt/sugar if needed
- Optional: add 1 tsp olive oil off heat for richness
- Cool completely before using
Sauce should be:
- Spreadable
- Not watery
- Slightly thicker than raw tomato sauce
How to Use
- Apply ~120–140g sauce per 16” pizza
- Spread thin and evenly
- Leave ~1/2" border for the crust