This is our New York style pizza dough, and we love it. It's got everything you want in a classic NY slice: crispy bottoms, chewy centers, and that perfect fold. Even better, it's ready in about 24 hours instead of the full 72-hour wait.
This dough runs at 65% hydration, which is the sweet spot you'll see in a lot of traditional New York style dough formulas. It gives you a light, airy crumb without making the dough too sticky to handle. If you want to dig deeper into hydration and formulas, check out our Baker's Percentage Guide.
We build strength with a few rounds of folds and a long room-temperature ferment, so you get that classic chew and oven spring without complicated mixing. The process is simple, repeatable, and perfect for home ovens.
Making a 16-inch pizza in your home oven will absolutely level up your pizza game. Handling a 16-inch pie on your peel takes a little practice, so don't stress if the first one isn't perfect. If your oven or baking surface isn't quite that big, no problem — this dough also makes fantastic 12–14 inch pies using the same formula and calculator below.
Watch: New York Style Pizza Live Demo (45 min)
Want to see the complete process from start to finish? Watch this 45-minute live class where I walk through mixing, folding, shaping, and baking authentic New York style pizza. This is the full, unedited class with every technique, tip, and answer to common questions.
New York Style Pizza Dough
Choose your dough-ball size. 16-inch pies typically use 350–400 g per ball; 12–14" pies land around 280–300 g. This calculator uses our formula: 65% hydration, 3% salt, 2% sugar, 0.2% ADY, 2% oil.
Ingredients
- Organic bread flour—
- Water—
- Fine sea salt—
- Organic cane sugar—
- Active dry yeast—
- Olive oil—
- Flour for dustingas needed
Method
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast.
- Add water and mix by hand for 4–5 minutes, or about 3 minutes in a mixer with a dough hook.
- Add olive oil and mix until smooth. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
- Folds: Every 30 minutes, perform one set of stretch-and-folds (4 folds total). Repeat three times.
- Ferment at room temperature for 18 hours.
- Divide and make dough balls based on your baking surface and target size (use this calculator). Rest balls, covered, for 3 hours.
- One hour before baking, preheat your oven to 500°F with your Baking Steel inside (top rack for faster top color).
- Stretch, top, and bake until the crust is deeply golden and crisp.
Tip: For true NY slices on a 16" steel (like our Baking Steel Pro), aim for 350–400 g per ball. On smaller steels (12–14"), 280–300 g is money.
Pro Tips
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Weigh everything. Precision matters for hydration and consistency.
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Fold, don't overmix. The folds build gluten and create that classic chew without toughening the dough.
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Steel placement matters. Top rack = faster top color and balanced bake.
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Big pies need big heat. A thick baking steel (like our Baking Steel Pro) gives you the thermal mass you need for 16-inch New York style pizzas.
Gear note: You can bake this dough on a stone, pan, or steel. A baking steel will usually give you a faster, crispier bottom bake; if you're making 16-inch pies regularly, our Baking Steel Pro is built for that.
FAQ
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?
Yes. Bread flour gives more chew and structure, but all-purpose works fine. The dough might feel a bit stickier and the crumb a bit softer.
Can I cold-ferment this dough?
Absolutely. After the folds, refrigerate the dough for up to 72 hours. Bring it to room temperature before balling and baking.
What size dough balls should I use for 16-inch vs 12–14-inch pies?
For 16-inch pies, use about 350–400 g per ball. For 12–14-inch pies, aim for 280–300 g. The calculator above will scale the ingredients automatically.
What oven setup works best for New York style results?
Preheat your oven to about 500°F with a baking steel on the top rack for faster top color. Bake until the crust is deeply golden and crisp. If you don't have a steel yet, use your hottest-safe temperature and a preheated stone or heavy pan.
About Andris
I'm Andris Lagsdin, and I invented the Baking Steel in 2012 after years of chasing the perfect homemade pizza. I'd worked in professional kitchens alongside chefs like Todd English, but couldn't recreate that pizzeria-quality crust at home—until I read one line in Modernist Cuisine: "Steel conducts heat better than stone." My family had run Stoughton Steel Company for over 50 years, so I grabbed a slab from my dad's shop and tested it. That first pizza told me everything: steel beats stone. Today, tens of thousands of home cooks and pros use Baking Steel to make legendary pizza, bread, and more from regular ovens. Read more about my story and the Baking Steel journey.
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