High Altitude Pizza Dough: your answer to crappy take-out pizza!
Crappy take-out pizza abounds in the mountains. The crust is too often dry, almost cardboard-y, and tasteless. If you’ve been to a really good pizza restaurant, you know why this feels like a travesty. In really good pizza, the crust almost always takes center stage. It’s like eating the world’s best crusty french bread for dinner (hello, lover). Each bite features a light, crisp exterior that shatters delightfully between your teeth before giving way to a satisfying chewy center.
Traditionally, pizza is made with all or some Tipo 00 flour (the number refers to the fineness of the grind; think powdered sugar versus granulated). Without going into how it all works, just know that 00 flour helps produce a thin, crispy crust with a modest chew. We are thin-crust fans in my house, but I do loooove that chew, so I use a 50/50 mix of 00 and all-purpose flour to strike the right balance of crispy/pliable.
You can form the dough with a bread hook attachment on your mixer, or your hands – your choice. I’ve tried both, with similar results. The mixer method is, of course, less messy, but sometimes it’s really satisfying to sink your fingers into the flour and form a pleasingly squishy dough with just your hands.
Either way, once the dough comes together, let it rest a good 15 minutes. This lets both the gluten and the flavor really start to develop during the initial fermentation process. Conventional wisdom says to let any yeast dough rest and rise in a warm-ish environment. At high altitude, though, that rise can go a little crazier than we want it to, so in order to slow things down, find a cool spot. Unless it’s a particularly cool day in my kitchen, I usually let it rest in the fridge.
I recommend the fridge for the second rise as well, in order to develop maximum flavor and a slightly airier texture. The longer you allow the dough to rest here (within reason – we’re talking a couple of days, not weeks), the better it will taste. It’s still delicious when made the same day, but its flavor starts to blossom into that yummy tang the second or third day.
When you’re ready to shape your pizza, take a round and use your fingers to press and flatten it into a circle, keeping the edges slightly thicker. If you’re feeling adventurous, this process goes faster if you hold the dough between your hands, gently pulling and stretching it into a thin circle (this is where the pros throw it up in the air and catch it). One note: if the dough resists stretching and wants to bounce back, it’s telling you it’s not quite ready, so let it rest for a few minutes more. Listen to your dough, people.
When you’ve got the dough to your desired shape and thickness, place it on a pizza peel or cutting board that’s been coated with cornmeal. The cornmeal acts like hundreds of tiny ball bearings that will allow you to easily slip the pizza onto the hot surface in your oven. Trust me on this; I have tried to transfer pizza to the oven without using cornmeal and ended up with a sticky nasty mess.
Then, add your toppings. I don’t need to tell you how to do this; you know what you like. Our favorites feature 1) hot Italian sausage with sweet peppers and olives, topped with basil, and 2) a riff on a classic Margherita using pesto and sliced tomatoes. Cheese is almost always thin-sliced fresh mozzarella with a sprinkle of shaved fontina and parmesan. I like to drizzle a little olive oil on the crust edges to give them that gorgeous golden color.
Though it’s nearly impossible to replicate the results achieved in a blazing hot professional pizza oven, we can get close. Get your oven as hot as you can, 500 degrees or above if yours goes that high (I set mine at 525 degrees). Use a pizza stone if you have one. If you don’t, use a metal baking sheet or pizza pan. Either way, place your cooking surface in your oven when you preheat so it, too, is as hot as can be.
This is not the face of someone eating crappy takeout pizza. Enjoy!
If you like this recipe, consider my High Altitude Sourdough Pizza next!
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High Altitude Pizza Dough
- Prep Time: 15 mins + rise time
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: about 25 mins + rise time
- Yield: 2 12-inch pizza crusts 1x
- Category: entrees, high altitude
Description
When you’re tired of crappy take-out pizza, this simple pizza dough is the easiest possible way to have the crisp-chewy pie you crave.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup Tipo 00 flour (or bread flour)
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 tsp dry active yeast
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 tsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Instructions
- If making your pizza immediately, place a pizza stone or metal baking sheet in oven and preheat to 500 – 525 degrees (as hot as you can get it).
- Whisk the flours and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer or other medium bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the warm (baby bathwater temp) water, yeast, and olive oil. Whisk well to combine and add water to flour.
- Using either your hands or the bread hook attachment on your mixer, combine all ingredients, adding a tablespoon or two more water if the dough seems too dry. Once all ingredients are incorporated and dough begins to form a cohesive ball, continue kneading in the bowl about 3 minutes more.
- Coat a medium bowl with olive oil and transfer the dough into it. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes in the refrigerator or other cool spot.
- Remove the dough, which will have become airy and puffy, and begin to knead on a lightly floured surface for 3-7 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic.
- Separate into two balls and transfer to oiled bowls. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature (if cool), or in the refrigerator, for at least three hours, and up to three days.
- When you’re ready to shape your pies, set the dough ball(s) on pieces of parchment large enough to hold the finished pie. Cover with a damp towel and allow the dough to rest at room temperature for at least 15-30 minutes, then roll out on parchment paper to desired size & thickness. If the dough springs back when rolled, let it rest a little longer.
- When you have achieved your desired crust size and thickness, add sauce and toppings.
- Using a pizza peel, carefully transfer the pizza – still on the parchment – to the stone or pan. Bake for 12-15 mins, until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.
- Carefully remove the pizza on parchment and transfer to a large cutting board. Let rest for 5-10 minutes to let the toppings set. Slice and serve.
Notes
… dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days, or frozen for up to two weeks.
Great information here! The refrigerator rise is particularly interesting, I was not aware of this little tweak. We’ve started using Semolina Flour instead of cornmeal and it really works well too!
The cool rise is mostly to slow the rise from the yeast, but I hear it does wonders for flavor at all altitudes! I’m gonna try semolina next …
Are there any adjustments for an altitude of 7000 feet? It’s also very dry here in Santa Fe. Our problems have been dough almost too sticky and bubbles forming as the pizza bakes. We use a wood-fired Mugliagni oven, baking the pizzas at 850 for 2 minutes.
Those annoying bubbles in the crust are often a result of too much water and/or not enough rise time. Try letting your dough proof a little longer and see if that helps. If it’s still very sticky after proofing, I suspect you may need to add a bit more flour in the initial recipe. Sadly, I can’t speak to the specifics of cooking in a wood-fired oven (though I am covetous of yours), but for reference please do let me know if you find a time/temp combo that works for you!
We are in Oak Creek Colorado. About 7400 feet.
This dough is the best! It so beats any pizza place around here.
Thank you!
I have been trying to find a great high altitude pizza for a long time! We are in Fort Collins, CO (5,000 ft) and this is hands down the best pizza dough recipe I’ve found!! It is definitely not like cardboard and is chewy and delicious.
I’m so glad it worked for you, Michelle!
We are in Fort Collins also and I just discovered and made this recipe exactly as listed. OMG. amazing!! Hello great pizza again!!🙏🏻🙏🏻 Perfectly crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Woot!! Thanks for sharing Robyn!
So glad you love it!
Hi, I made this recipe this past weekend and enjoyed the texture and flavor of the crust. It was a big hit with my kids. I’m curious about scaling it up to make more pizzas in the future. Would the yeast scale up at a 1:1 ratio along with the other ingredients?
Joe, yes, generally you will want to double or triple all ingredients, including the yeast. That’s what I’ve done and it works beautifully. That said, if you’re taking the time for a longer rise, the amount of yeast you use actually won’t matter quite as much, as over time the dough will continue to expand. But for a shorter rise, go ahead and add it at the same ratio.
Just a heads up. When the website offers the ability to scale 2x and 3x the only thing that changes is the flour. You’ll want to make sure that
The other ingredients get adjusted too.
Thanks for pointing that out – I’ve fixed that glitch!
Made this last night and it was great, added some dried thyme to the dough. The one question I have is if you cover the dough with plastic wrap on the bowl? I did the first time, partially but I don’t know if this has a difference. Seems like it would for drying out?
Hi Heather, yes, definitely cover in plastic wrap while proofing in order to avoid a dry crust on the dough. Thanks for the catch – I’ve updated it in the original recipe! Dried thyme in the dough is a great idea, btw.
I am living in a South America and having a hard time finding bread flour. Can i use all purpose for it all or what should is substitut?
Hi Pam, you can definitely use all-purpose flour, though your pizza dough may be slightly less chewy. However, protein content in flour varies throughout the world. If your flour has the protein content on the label, check to see what the percentage is. In the U.S. most commercial all-purpose flour has a protein content of around 9-11%, whereas bread flour has around 12-15%. Perhaps you can find a flour with a higher protein content? But regardless, your pizza dough will work!
THE best pizza dough! We use this recipe every Friday for family pizza night. Perfect texture. Bakes well. Delicious flavor.
YES. Thanks, K! ❤️
I made this pizza dough recipe as directed and it was GREAT! I just moved to Colorado Springs from Ft. Lauderdale, FL – so Im desprarately looking for High Alt. recipes. I made my dough 2 days ahead and it was perfect… My Husband Was Thrilled… Thanks. looking forward to more High Altl recipes.
I’m so glad you loved it!
I found this at last! You nailed it! Thank you for sharing. Our quarantine just got a little bit better.
Yay! I’m so glad you love it.
I too was brought here thanks to quarantine. I initially missed the step of letting the dough sit for 3 hrs, so once I got to that step I winged it, (let the dough sit apx 45 mins) and also used 2 C of all purpose flour since that was all we had. It was still delicious. The crust was so light and crispy, not too crispy, just the right amount. 10/10 will make again, and can’t wait to do it with the right amount of prep time (now that I know). Thank you for this recipe! I hope you and your family are well and safe during this weird time.
Thank you so much! Really glad you are enjoying the recipe and I think you will enjoy the flavor and texture even more with a longer rise.
I’ve made dozens of loaves of your French bread. It’s awesome. The pizza dough is equally awesome and surprisingly easy. Before cooking either, I had very little experience. Your instructions are very easy to follow. Thank you for making this website.
Thank you, Jim!
Awesome recipe! Pizza came out great with 3 day slow rise in the fridge.
I’ve seen a few pizza dough recipes with a bit of sugar or honey mixed into the water/yeast. Would that work with this recipe?
Hi Reed, sugar or honey is generally added to help activate the yeast. I’ve never found it to be necessary, but if your yeast is struggling to get nice and foamy, it won’t hurt to add a little.
This is hands down the best pizza crust recipe I have tried . We live in high elevation and this comes out perfect every time. Moved to Colorado from New Hampshire and am accustomed to using King Arthur All purpose Flour. Worked great!
Fantastic!
This is a tasty pizza dough recipe. As an amateur pizzaiola in a land of mediocre pizza I’ve been using quite testing Nd refining recipes from some o fire great pizza restaurants. I added a teaspoon of diastatic malt to aid in browning the crust. A handy trick for those who may have challenges handling dough on a pizza peel; use a piece of baking parchment. It aids transferring the dough to your oven (ideally a baking steel). After about 3 minutes, you can remove the parchment.
You do a great job with your blog. Have you considered offering your recipes with quantities in weight? I think this is really useful for flour and makes for more consistently reproducible results. Keep the recipe coming!
– Mark in Vail
ingredients call for 1 cup of 00 PLUS 1 Cup of regular all purpose? If I have semolina can I use that instead of the all purpose . I have 00 flour.
Hi Melinda, semolina is a high-gluten flour which, in higher quantities, can cause your crust to be overly dense and hard to chew. If you want to use it in place of the AP flour, I’d recommend altering the ratios to 1 1/2 cups 00 flour and 1/2 cup semolina.
Ok I will remember that. Is it possible to just use 00 alone?
Yes, you can use 00 flour alone for pizza dough, although you will likely need to add more water because it absorbs liquid much more rapidly. The texture will likely be more crispy than a dough made with all-purpose flour.
Made it!, after 3 years finally! LOL I think water is key. I think I’m trying way to hard to get NY STYLE thin PIZZA . But im.acccepting that it’s the water. This recipe was pretty good at least this time I didn’tfoght with the dough. I was so happy that it felt silky!!! I would like it a little more thinner so gonna try adjusting a little. I want to than you & a million thanks to responding in a timely matter.
Great! To get a thin crust, you mostly need patience, I’ve found. Roll/stretch the dough, then let it rest. Repeat until it’s right!
Can you freeze 1/2 of the dough?
Yes, absolutely! Just make sure you bring it fully to room temperature before trying to roll it out. Cold dough is tough to stretch.
Am I really supposed to add my yeast water without letting it foam first and without any sugar? I’m making this right now but I feel like I’m missing steps.
It’s not necessary to add yeast to sugar to activate it (it gets its fuel from the flour once mixed). But if you’re concerned that your yeast might be old, you can add a little sugar to the warm water to test it. If it doesn’t foam after about 10 minutes, you need fresh yeast.
Is there a reason not to proof the yeast? I’m at 9400 ft and the dough is not rising well. I wonder if it’s my yeast. I wonder if I should’ve proofed my yeast first to make sure it was alive and active. If I do that next time, will it affect the dough in any way? Thanks!
Cristina, you can certainly activate your yeast if you fear it’s outdated and want to test it. Adding pre-activated yeast to the dough will not affect it.
If anything, dough rises better at elevation. Most recipes call for less so your yeast may be old. If nit, try increasing the amount a bit. I live near Vail and see no issues. Hydration is the main challenge to baking at elevation.
I don’t usually comment on anything but this was perfection. I am in Wyoming at 7200 ft and it worked perfectly. Made a double batch with half rising on the counter and half in the fridge for a few days later. Both were great! I pulled one very thin and it was both crunchy and fluffy. Best pizza recipe I’ve tried since I moved here. Thank you so much!
I’m so glad it worked well for you!
Hi,
I only have rapid rise yeast, will that work in place of the active dry yeast? If so, do I need to adjust the amount?
I’m new to the world of making dough so any insights you have would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Ginny
You can use the same amount of rapid rise yeast.
This has become my go-to pizza dough recipe for here in Bozeman, MT. It works amazingly well! I would recommend the long rise in the fridge, after three days the dough has a nicely developed flavor (although it’s great after just a few hours too!). This is by far the tastiest and easiest dough recipe I’ve found. Thank you!!!
A note for anyone who doesn’t have a pizza stone, and uses a baking sheet like me. I choose to cook it on a lower temperature, 425-450 seems good. It usually takes about 15-18 minutes to be bubbly and browned on the top. A trick I learned to get the bottom of the pie crusty without the stone if you cook with an electric oven (coils on the bottom): In the final 2-3 minutes of cooking, open the door of the oven until it cools enough for the coils to come back on. Then carefully transfer the pizza WITHOUT the baking sheet (I transfer onto a cutting board as an intermediate) to the bottom rack of the oven. Close the oven and cook for a few minutes, the bottom will be nicely browned!
Great tips!
The recipe did not include sugar, was that intentional?
Yes. Sugar is sometimes added to help activate yeast but if your yeast is within its freshness window, it’s not usually necessary.
I. am wondering how to handle the dough after the fridge rise. How long does it take to warm up? II can’t imagine it will shape well cold.
Thanks in advance!
2 to 3 hours. You want the dough to be warm and pliable to stretch easily.
Great thank you!
Thank you so much, this recipe is amazing!!! When is it best to freeze the dough? After the second refrigerated rise? Or before?
After the second rise. Just let it come up to room temp after freezing!
Great pizza dough! Made as directed and left it in the fridge for two days to build flavor. Love how thin of a crust this makes. Will definitely be using this recipe again in the future.
Excellent!
We used this recipe last night for a homemade pizza feast and it was perfect! We are in Highlands Ranch, CO. I am saving this recipe!!
Why is there no sugar for the yeast?
Yeast actually does not require sugar to “feed.”
Hello, in the wording before the actual recipe you talk about using cornmeal and putting the dough on the peel & then add the toppings, but in the actual recipe, you say to use parchment paper. I’m using an Ooni fire pizza oven so I assume parchment isn’t an option.
Skip the parchment in your Ooni. I use Semolina flour on the launching peel.
Sorry to be such a newbie, but how do I do a second rise? Do you take it out of the fridge and then punch it down and put it back in? How long? Thanks for your expert advice!!
After the first short rest/rise, take it out and knead as instructed before allowing to rise again. It’s explained in more detail in the recipe instructions (at the bottom of the post).
Thank you!! I see that now, but had somehow not understood that that is the “second rise”. Looking forward to trying this tonight and then trying again in the future to allow it to sit a couple days.
I love your pizza dough!, I have a house at 10,000 ft but we also live in Hawai’i part time. How would I adjust the receipt for sea level?
You should not need to adjust the ingredients, but lower altitude will affect the rise time (it may rise more slowly), so watch it carefully.
I just want to say that I’ve been using this recipe for 2 years now and it’s my forever go-to high altitude pizza dough recipe. Thank you for putting in the time to create it and share it with us all.
Also, the dough definitely does have a better texture and tastes better the longer it sits in the fridge to rise. I always aim for 3 days max as suggested but if I can’t, 1-2 days taste just as great.
Hello
What steps do I go thru if freezing the dough for an up coming camping trip?
Not sure when to freeze it.
Thank you for an awesome recipe. We use it all the time.
Sherri
I made your dough in Denver at 5280 feet and it is the best I’ve tried. I admit that I didn’t quite follow the directions though. I could not imagine how to add flour through the feed tube of my food processor, so I put the flour in first and added the liquids to it. It came together perfectly. The dough was tricky to stretch so our pizzas were closer to 9-10” than 12”. Still delicious!