Discover how to make delicious, crispy thin-crust pizza at home in just a few easy steps

Homemade pizza night just got a lot more exciting with this straightforward method for crafting the perfect thin-crust pizza. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a novice in the kitchen, these steps will guide you through the process of making a pizza that rivals your favourite pizzeria.

Step 1: Prepare the Dough

Begin by placing flour in a large bowl. Add yeast and sugar to the mix, enhancing the flavour and aiding the dough’s rise. Create a well in the centre of your flour mixture and pour in 200ml of warm water, followed by a generous pinch of salt. This temperature helps activate the yeast for a better rise. Mix everything together with a wooden spoon until the flour is completely absorbed and you’re left with a soft dough.

Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for about 5 minutes, or until it becomes smooth and elastic. This step is crucial as it develops the gluten in the dough, which gives the crust its chewy texture. Once kneaded, place the dough back into the bowl and cover it with a clean tea towel. Let it rest for 5 minutes. If time allows, you can let it rise longer, but for a thinner crust, a short rest is adequate.

Step 2: Bake the Pizza

Preheat your oven to a high temperature of 240C (220C fan/gas mark 8). This high heat is key to achieving a crispy base. Place a pizza stone or a sturdy baking sheet on the top shelf of the oven to get hot. This mimics the environment of a traditional pizza oven.

If your dough has risen, give it a quick ‘knock back’—a gentle kneading to remove air bubbles—then divide it into two equal portions. Take one portion and roll it out on a floured surface into a large circle. The rolling pin should make this task easy and give you that desired thin profile.

Carefully transfer the rolled dough onto a floured baking sheet. Here’s where you can unleash your creativity with the toppings. Spread your favourite sauce and sprinkle with toppings generously. Quickly, yet gently, slide the pizza from the baking sheet directly onto the preheated stone or tray in the oven.

Bake the pizza for 8-10 minutes. Watch as the edges become golden and the toppings bubble—a sign of a perfectly cooked pizza. Remove it from the oven, and repeat the process with the second ball of dough.