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Table of Contents
This pizza recipe is based off of a video that I made to demonstrate how delicious a homemade pizza using King Arthur Baking Company’s Bread Flour is. Let me tell you – it’s amazing! Add toppings if you’d like – I made this true to the original recipe.
Credit to this recipe goes to Martin Philip and originally resides on King Arthur Baking’s website
Let’s Prep:
Let’s talk about New Haven-style pizza, a delicious thin-crust delight that’s sure to become a favorite in your homemade pizza repertoire. This recipe will guide you through every step, from prepping the dough to that first delicious crisp, crunchy bite. So, roll up your sleeves and get ready to make (in my opinion) the best pizza recipe around.
Before we get into the full details of cooking, let’s talk preparation. Making homemade pizza is all about planning and patience, especially with New Haven-style pizza. The key to that perfect thin crust lies in the dough, and giving it time to develop is crucial.
Check out the video on Instagram
Ingredients:
For the Dough:
- 2 cups (240g) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
- 1 teaspoon (6g) table salt
- 1/4 teaspoon (1g) instant yeast
- 2/3 cup (152g) water, room temperature
For the Toppings:
- One 28-ounce can (794g) whole peeled tomatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt, adjusted to taste
- Yellow cornmeal or King Arthur Semolina Flour, for dusting
- 4 ounces (113g) whole milk, low-moisture mozzarella cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
- Pecorino Romano, freshly grated; for garnish
- Dried oregano, for garnish
- Olive oil, for garnish
Making the Dough:
Mixing: Weigh your flour for accuracy, or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup and leveling off the excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the water and mix until everything is well combined. Then, use your hands to knead the dough until it’s smooth, which should take about 2 to 3 minutes.
Resting: Cover the dough and place it in a warm spot (about 70°F to 75°F) to rest for an hour. This resting period is essential for developing the dough’s structure.
Dividing and Storing: After the initial rest, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Shape each piece into a tight round and place them seam-side down in a lightly greased container. Cover and refrigerate for at least 48 hours and up to 4 days. This cold fermentation is what gives New Haven-style pizza its distinctive flavor and texture.
Returning to Room Temp: When you’re ready to make your pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 3 to 5 hours. This step ensures the dough is pliable and easy to work with.
While the dough is warming up, it’s time to prepare the sauce. Open your can of whole peeled tomatoes and strain them. Pulse them in a blender or food processor until they’re coarsely pureed. Season with salt to taste.
Let’s Cook:
Your pizza recipe is coming along well!
Now comes the fun part: cooking your New Haven-style pizza. Whether you’re using a pizza oven or your kitchen oven, you can achieve that crispy, charred crust that makes this style so special.
Preheat the Oven: For this pizza recipe hour before you plan to bake, preheat your oven to 500°F. Place a baking steel or stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven. This high heat is crucial for creating the perfect crust.
Shaping the Dough: For this pizza recipe take one of your dough rounds and invert it onto a well-floured surface. Without distorting the shape, flip it over so both sides are coated in flour. Use your hands to gently pat and press the dough, starting at the edges and working towards the center, until it’s about 1/8-inch thick and roughly 13 inches in diameter. If the dough resists rolling, let it rest for 10 minutes.
Assembling the Pizza: Transfer the shaped dough for this pizza recipe to a peel that’s been lightly dusted with semolina or cornmeal (King Arthur’s semolina is awesome for this, or any pizza recipe!) Spread about 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce evenly over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle on 1/2 cup of grated mozzarella. Garnish with Pecorino Romano, dried oregano, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Baking: Use the peel to transfer the pizza onto the baking steel. Bake for 5 minutes, then check the bottom of the crust. It should be spotted and charred in places. If it needs more color, rotate the pizza and bake for another 1 to 2 minutes. Once the bottom is perfect, transfer the pizza to the top rack, switch the oven to broil, and broil for 2 to 3 minutes until the top is well-charred. Keep a close eye on it to avoid burning.
Let’s Eat:
Finally, the moment we’ve all been waiting for: eating your homemade New Haven-style pizza. Let the pizza cool briefly on a wire rack before slicing and serving. This step helps maintain the crispness of the crust.
New Haven-style pizza is best enjoyed fresh out of the oven. The crust should be thin and crispy, the cheese melty and slightly browned, and the toppings perfectly balanced. This homemade pizza is a true testament to the flavors you can achieve with a little patience and the right technique.
If you have any leftovers (which is rare in my house), store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. To reheat, wrap the slices in foil and warm them in a low-temperature oven.
Making New Haven-style pizza at home is a rewarding experience that brings the flavors of arguable the best pizza recipe right to your kitchen. The thin, crispy crust, tangy tomato sauce, and melty cheese create a symphony of flavors that’s hard to beat. With a bit of planning and patience, you’ll be able to enjoy this delicious homemade pizza any time you want. Happy baking!
New Haven Style Pizza
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 C King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
- 1 tsp Table Salt
- 1/4 tsp Instant Yeast
- 2/3 C Water room temp
Toppings
- 28 oz Can of Whole Peeled Tomatoes
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 4 oz Whole Milk, low-moisture mozzarella cheese grated
- Pecorino Romano, for garnish
- Dried Oregano, for garnish
- Olive Oil, for garnish
Instructions
- To make the dough: Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast until well combined. Add the water and mix until combined and homogenous, then use your hands to knead it until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Cover the dough and place in a warm spot (about 70°F to 75°F) to rest for 1 hour.
- To divide the dough: On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough in half (about 200g per piece). Form each piece into a tight round and place seam-side down in a medium (1-quart) lightly greased container. (The dough will double in size.) Cover the container with a lid and refrigerate it for at least 48 hours and up to 4 days.
- After the cold rest in the refrigerator, remove the dough and allow it to sit at room temperature, still in its container, for 3 to 5 hours before use. (In a warmer environment, aim towards the lower end of the time range; in a colder one, the dough will need the higher end.)
- While the dough comes to room temperature, prepare the sauce. Open and strain the tomatoes. Using either a blender, food mill, or immersion blender, pulse the tomatoes to a coarse consistency. Taste and season with salt.
- An hour before you want to bake, preheat the oven to 500°F with a baking steel or stone placed on a rack in the lower third and an empty oven rack in the upper third.
- To shape the dough: Working with one container of dough at a time, remove the lid and invert the dough onto a well-floured surface. After about a minute, the dough will release from the container, falling to the work surface in a perfect round.
- Without distorting the round dough, flip it over so that both sides are coated with flour. Pat and press to flatten and extend the round, starting first with the edges and working towards the center.
- Once the dough is flattened and degassed, switch to a rolling pin and roll to an even thickness of 1/8″ and a rough 13″ diameter. While rolling, invert the dough and flour the surface as necessary to prevent sticking. If the dough resists rolling, set it aside for 10 minutes to relax. Transfer the shaped dough to a wooden or metal peel that’s been lightly dusted with semolina or cornmeal. If the dough retracts when transferring it to the peel, gently reform it.
- To bake the pizza: Evenly spread about 1/2 cup (140g) sauce over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle on 1/2 cup (57g) grated mozzarella. (You’ll have about 1 cup of sauce leftover; freeze it for the next time you make pizza.) Garnish with pecorino Romano, a sprinkle of dried oregano, and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Use the peel to transfer the pizza onto the steel, then bake for 5 minutes. Check the bottom of the crust — it should be spotted and charred in places, and the edge crust should start to have some color. If not, rotate the pizza and bake for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- When the bottom has sufficient color, transfer the pizza to the top rack, switch the oven to broil, and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until well-charred in spots. (Don’t walk away — pizza can go from perfectly charred to burnt quickly.) Home ovens vary substantially, so use the visual cues and your own preferences to gauge when you’ve achieved the perfect bake.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and cool briefly on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
- Return the oven to bake mode and let the steel come back to temperature. Meanwhile, shape and top the second round of dough. Bake according to instructions.
- Storage instructions: This pizza is best enjoyed the day it’s baked. Store leftover New Haven-style pizza in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days; to reheat, wrap in foil and place in a low-temperature oven until warm.
