This grandma pizza dough recipe makes just enough pizza dough to make 1 large grandma pie. If you love thick-crust pizzas and adore a crisp crust with a chewy crumb, you're going to love grandma pizza!
10gkosher salt2 teaspoons of Morton's or 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal
5ginstant yeast1 teaspoon
415gcool water14.65 oz or a very slightly generous 1 3/4 cups
2teaspoonsolive oil for the stretching and foldingI usually use a lot more than this. It will not adversely affect the dough if you use more than 2 teaspoons. Omit if doing coil folds (See Post section on coil folds.)
¼cupolive oil for panning
2teaspoonsminced garlic for panningYou can also use garlic powder if that's what you have on hand.
Instructions
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, instant yeast, and salt.
Add the water and stir in until you have a shaggy dough, about 1 minute.
Use your hand to rub a couple of teaspoons of oil out on a clean counter into about a 15" circle-ish.
Plop the dough out onto the oiled counter.
Oil your fingers and press, dimple out the dough to about a 15" square-ish shape.
Use your bench knife to help you fold the dough into thirds like a letter and then in thirds again the other other way. Cover with a bowl and let rest 20 minutes.
Repeat steps 6-7 3 more times for a total of 4 rounds of folding, waiting about 20 minutes between each fold.
After the final fold, place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, and oil the top of the dough. Cover with a lid or with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Alternate Method: Coil Folds
Rather than folding the dough on your counter with a bench knife, you can also choose to do coil folds. You do these right in the bowl with dripping wet hands.
With very wet hands, shimmy your hands under the dough from either side until your fingers meet in the middle under the dough. Pull straight up until the dough releases from the bowl. The dough may break during the first fold, but it will gain strength and suppleness on subsequent folds.
Now you basically have a "rope" of dough with some hanging in front of your hands and some hanging in back. Lower the dough back into the bowl so the two ends overlap each other and release the dough so it roughly is now in thirds. Turn the bowl 1/4 turn, wet your hands again, and repeat this lifting and folding. This is one coil fold.
Allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes, covered, and repeat the coil folds 3 additional times, resting in between each fold. You will notice the dough getting smoother and stretchier with each fold. After the 4th fold, drizzle on some olive oil and spread it out with your hand. Cover the dough and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To Pan the Dough
FOUR HOURS before baking, line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper and pour on 1/4 cup olive oil. Spread it out with your hands or a brush. If you have a LloydPans grandma pizza dough, you will not need the parchment.
Scrape the dough into the middle of the pan in the pool of oil.
Use your fingertips to dimple out the dough as far as it will go. Cover the dough with an upside down half-sheet pan and let rest at room temperature for 3 hours.
With wet or oiled hands, gently lift the edges of the dough and pull them out towards the corners. Then use your fingers to dimple the dough in the center, pressing some of the bulk of the dough towards the edges.
Once the dough fills the pan, sprinkle the garlic or garlic powder evenly over the crust and let rest, covered, for an hour. Top as desired and let rest for an additional hour.
Place a rack on the lowest level of your oven and put a baking stone or pizza steel on the rack. Heat the oven to 500F for the last hour of the rise. You want the stone to be as hot as possible.
Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pizza, adding any particularly delicate toppings at this point. Bake an additional 5-8 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown around the edges, and the bottom of the crust is nicely browned from the olive oil.
Remove from the oven and let sit 5 minutes. Loosen any stuck, bits with a thin, flexible spatula, and slide out onto a cutting board. Use a pizza wheel to slice into 12-16 servings.
Video
Notes
The dough can wait for you in the fridge for up to 3 days before using it. You can also use this dough to make thin-crust pizza. You should be able to get 3 12" thin-crust pizzas from 1 recipe of dough.Make focaccia by baking in a 9" x 13" pan, dimpling it well with lots of fruity olive oil, and topping it with your favorite focaccia toppings, such as caramelized onions and/or herbs.