Ooni Pizza Dough Recipe

Pizza dough for wood fired ovens

Do you love a wood fired pizza? Have you tried making it at home? Awhile back we bought an Ooni Fyra wood burning pizza oven after seeing a blogger friend raving about them. We are so in love and baking up pizza at least weekly now. After a few tweaks to my regular pizza dough recipe, I have perfected this delicious Ooni pizza dough recipe. Crispy, chewy, bubbly and oh so yummy!

Classic dough balls with everyday ingredients

This classic pizza dough recipe bakes up thin and bubbly in any wood fired pizza oven. It is quick and easy to put together and just needs a little rising time. Once it has risen, divide it into 6-8 and shape into pizza dough balls. Place your dough balls on parchment and cover with a tea towel or more parchment to rest while you prepare your other toppings and fire up your Ooni oven.

My recipe uses easy pantry ingredients. Unbleached all purpose flour, warm water, yeast and salt are all that's required. To speed up my yeast, I add a ½ tsp sugar at the beginning but if you have time to let your yeast bloom a bit longer, you can omit the sugar.

Kneading and proofing for a stretchy, chewy, crisp crust

Using a stand mixer with dough hook (I have a Kitchenaid) makes this even easier and less messy. I start my mixer on low to prevent flour flying everywhere, then bump up the speed to medium low for about 10 minutes. Of course you can knead this by hand if you don't have a stand mixer. Kneading helps the pizza dough develop the gluten (a naturally occurring protein), making a lovely stretchy dough with a satisfying chew.

Once your dough has been mixed, you let it rise for awhile. This step lets the yeast break down the flour and creates that bubbly texture we love in pizza dough. It also further develops the gluten.

Divide and tuck into dough balls

After proofing (the pro term for rising) you will decide on the size of your pizza's and divide your dough accordingly (this recipe makes 6-8 individual sized pizzas but you can also make fewer larger pizzas).

Make each chunk into a pizza dough ball by folding the sides down and tucking them together at the bottom. Place the dough ball on lightly floured parchment with the seam sides down and smooth side up. Once they are all placed on the tray, cover loosely with a tea towel or piece of parchment paper to keep from drying out too much.

Our Ooni Fyra

While you can use this recipe in a regular oven set to it's hottest temperature, the pizza dough really sings when you bake it a wood fired oven. The Ooni wood fired pizza oven we chose is the Fyra. It is the smallest and most portable and you can take this easily on a picnic. Don't let it's size fool you though, this oven gets up to 900' F easily and bakes up a family's worth of pizza in no time.

Use a pizza peel

Both for ease of transferring the pizza and because of the heat and speed of cooking, a pizza peel is a must. Using a pizza peel is easier than you might think. Once you've done your first pizza you'll have gotten the hang of it. (If you can't get a pizza peel, use the back of a thin baking sheet or cutting board. A little more awkward but it will work too.)

Place the peel beside your oven and ingredients and lightly dust it with flour so your pizza will slide off easily. Take one of your smooth, beautiful pizza dough balls and stretch it out. Place on the pizza peel and press it gently but firmly until it is quite thin, approximately ¼".

Working quickly, spread your pizza sauce on and add your toppings including cheese and then slide it into your oven. Jerk the pizza peel back fast to let the pizza remain behind in the oven.

Once the pizza has been in a minute or so and is bubbling and browning, we like to slide it part way out and turn it quickly with a fork before sliding back in to finish baking evenly.

Topping your Ooni pizza

Topping ideas are endless so I won't go too far into it here but I will say less is more. Keep your toppings light to let the pizza dough and toppings cook evenly and quickly. One or two toppings is plenty along with a sprinkle of fresh basil or arugula afterward cooking if you like.

I love a classic Margarita pizza and it's usually a crowd pleaser. Simple tomato sauce (like a tomato basil passata or smooth pasta sauce), fresh mozzarella and basil. Truly divine, Margarita pizza is a classic for a reason. My daughter loves a Hawaiian and mushrooms are another top choice for me. I also love thinly sliced courgette/zucchini like this pizza here.

Have fun trying different sauces (alfredo, spicy tomato, pesto....) and different cheeses too. Provolone, taleggio and parmesan are classics but cheddar, blue and goat are great as is a caramelized onion with brie.

Share your favourite or most creative toppings in the comments below! xo Sabrina

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

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Recipe

Ooni Pizza Dough

A delicious pizza dough recipe that gives you a chewy, bubby and crisp crust in the Ooni pizza oven or any wood fired oven. This will also work in your regular oven set as hot as you can get it, though it won't get as bubby as when cooked in a wood fired pizza. This makes 6-8 individual pizzas.

*You can also brush this dough with olive oil, garlic and herbs for a tasty flatbread.

5 from 16 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes

2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Author: Sabrina Currie

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Traditional Yeast
• ½ tsp Sugar
• 2 c Warm Water
• 4 c Unbleached All Purpose Flour Plus extra for sprinkling on balls and peel
• 1 ½ tsp Salt

Pizza Toppings

• 1 ½ C Passata or tomato basil sauce You can try alfredo, pesto or other sauces too
• Toppings you like: ham, pineapple, pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, roasted veggies, prosciutto, salami, herbs etc.
• Cheese of your choice: Mozzarella, burrata, provolone, taleggio, goat, feta etc.

Instructions

• Into a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, add yeast, sugar and warm water.  (Water should be quite warm but not hot so you don't kill the yeast) Stir and let sit for 10 minutes to get foamy (activate) while you assemble other ingredients.
• In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, mix flour and salt to combine well and then pour into wet ingredients. Stir together or turn on mixer with dough hook to low until it comes into a ball and then knead with mixer or by hand for 10 minutes. Put dough back in bowl if you've kneaded by hand.
• Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap (leave air escape hole) or a clean tea towel and leave dough inside to rise in a warm spot in your kitchen. (On top of the fridge or a warm, draft free corner is perfect.)

  Let rise 1.5- 3 hours until dough has doubled in size. If your dough gets too big for your bowl, give a quick stir to punch it down and continue to let rise.
• Preheat your Ooni oven for 20-30 minutes (or preheat your oven with a pizza stone to 500' F). I like to put these on parchment paper so I have no mess and they don't stick.
• Punch down your dough and divide into 6-8 equal sized pieces. Shape each piece into a ball by tucking the edges under making the top smooth and place on a tray or sheet of parchment. Let rest 15-20 minutes, then flatten each ball out one at a time, place on well floured pizza peel and add toppings.
• Top with favourite toppings but don't overdo the toppings or it won't cook nice and evenly. 

  Slide your pizza in the oven and jerk the pizza peel back. These cook FAST! Our pizza's cook in about 1.5-3 minutes each so watch them carefully. We like to turn them once using the peel and fork to keep the cooking even . Once it's bubbly and browned to your preference, it's done.  Take it out and slide it onto a cooling racks or wooden cutting board to cool a few minutes before slicing.
• *Optional: You can add some fresh basil, arugula, balsamic reduction or other fun condiments as soon as the pizza comes out of the oven too!

Troubleshooting

If your yeast and warm water mixture doesn't get frothy or bubbly within 10 minutes, you likely have old yeast which will not work. Make sure your yeast is active before continuing.

If dough has not doubled by 2-3 hours, you likely need a warmer spot. Try preheating your oven to it's warm setting, then turn it off and put the dough inside for awhile.