Basic New York-Style Pizza Dough

A food processor quickly develops gluten, while oil and sugar keep the crust tender, for that perfect New York-style pizza chew.

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated September 18, 2025
A homemade New York-style pepperoni pizza on a cutting board with a pizza wheel.

Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

Why It Works

  • Using a food processor to mix the dough rapidly develops gluten, ensuring a well-structured crust with minimal effort and time.
  • Adding oil to the dough contributes to a tender and chewy crust.
  • Adding sugar helps the crust brown more evenly for a golden and flavorful crust.
  • Allowing the dough to rest and rise in the refrigerator for at least a day gives the crust a more complex and developed flavor.

New York-style pizza dough is an offshoot of Neapolitan-style dough—still a thin crust pie, but slightly thicker than its Italian cousin. The crust is sturdy, but not cracker-like, and instead features a tender chew thanks to the addition of oil in the dough. Using a food processor brings the dough together in 30 seconds flat, which is ready to bake the next day, so anyone can enjoy a city slice at home.

July 2012

Recipe Details

Basic New York-Style Pizza Dough Recipe

Prep 10 mins
Active 30 mins
Rising Time 26 hrs
Total 26 hrs 10 mins
Serves 3 pizzas
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Ingredients

  • 22.5 ounces bread flour, plus more for dusting (630 g; about 4 1/2 cups)

  • 0.5 ounces sugar (15 g; about 1 1/2 tablespoons)

  • 0.35 ounces kosher salt (10 g; about 1 tablespoon)

  • 0.35 ounces instant yeast, such as SAF Instant Yeast (10 g; about 2 teaspoons)

  • 1.125 ounces extra virgin olive oil (32 g; about 3 tablespoons)

  • 15 ounces lukewarm water (420 g; about 1 3/4 cups)

Directions

  1. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in bowl of food processor. Pulse 3 to 4 times until incorporated. Add olive oil and water. Run food processor until mixture forms ball that rides around the bowl above the blade, about 15 seconds. Continue processing 15 seconds longer.

  2. Transfer dough ball to lightly floured surface and knead once or twice by hand until smooth ball is formed. It should pass the windowpane test. Divide dough into three even parts and place each in a covered quart-sized deli container or in a zipper-lock freezer bag. Place in refrigerator and allow to rise at least 1 day, and up to 5. Remove from refrigerator, shape into balls, and allow to rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours before baking.

Special Equipment

Food processor

Make-Ahead and Storage

The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for long-term storage.

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
908 Calories
17g Fat
159g Carbs
27g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3
Amount per serving
Calories 908
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 22%
Saturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1304mg 57%
Total Carbohydrate 159g 58%
Dietary Fiber 6g 21%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 27g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 38mg 3%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 242mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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