Make My Pizza

🍕 Dough Dorks How-To Guide

From freezer to proper pizza.

Follow our Head Dork, Mike Fitzgerald, as he guides you through three simple steps to create a light, airy crust, effortlessly stretch your dough, and bake an authentic Neapolitan-style pizza at home.

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❄️Defrost fullyBring the dough gently to room temperature.
🌡️18–20°CThe ideal room-temperature target.
🤲Stretch by handProtect the air inside the crust.
🔥Bake hotChoose pizza oven or home oven.

Three steps. Brilliant pizza.

Take your time with the dough, use gentle hands and keep the toppings light. The dough has already done the hard work — your job is simply to help it become pizza.

Step 1

Defrost & relax

Do not rush this stage. Proper defrosting gives you softer dough, easier stretching and a lighter crust.

  1. Take your dough ball out of the freezer and allow it to become softer and malleable. Reshape it gently back into a ball if required, then place it in the proofing pot with the lid on.
  2. Keep the proofing pot away from direct sunlight and strong heat sources.
  3. Allow the dough to fully defrost and reach room temperature — ideally 18–20°C.
  4. This is when the dough relaxes, rises and traps more air, which is essential for a lighter crust.
  5. Once at room temperature, remove the lid and generously flour the top of the dough ball. Use your fingers or a simple butter knife to gently release the dough from the sides of the pot.
  6. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, flip it and flour it again. It is now ready to stretch.
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Mike’s tip

Judge the dough by how it feels, not only by the clock. It should feel soft, relaxed and easy to move before you begin stretching.

Step 2

Stretch by hand

Keep the trapped air in the rim and let gravity help you create a thin centre.

  1. Prep your surface: Generously dust your worktop with fine 00 flour or, preferably, semolina flour.
  2. Dust and press: Place the dough seam-side down and press gently into a disc roughly 5–6 inches wide.
  3. Protect the crust: Leave a 1-inch rim around the edge. Avoid pressing this area flat.
  4. Push the air outward: Press from the centre toward the edge with your fingertips, rotating the dough as you work.
  5. Lift and stretch: Drape the dough over your knuckles or hands and let gravity stretch it as you rotate. Do not yank it.
  6. Final shape: Return it to the worktop and stretch it to 10–12 inches, with a thin centre and thicker airy rim.
  7. Top quickly: Add your sauce, cheese and toppings straight away. Keep it light for the best rise and bake.
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Never use a rolling pin

A rolling pin forces out the air created during fermentation and can leave the crust flat and dense.

Step 3

Bake to perfection

Use the method that matches your oven. Option A is for a pizza oven; Option B is for a standard home oven.

Option A

Pizza oven

Wood-fired or gas

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Temperature
  • Target a floor temperature of around 430°C.
  • A dome temperature of approximately 480–500°C is ideal.
  • Expect a cooking time of roughly 60–90 seconds.
Method
  • Brush the deck clean before launching.
  • Launch near the mouth of the oven rather than too deep inside.
  • Begin turning after 20–30 seconds, then turn every few seconds.
  • Remove when the crust is puffed, lightly charred and the base is cooked.
Best result: Keep the flame rolling rather than roaring, and avoid excess flour on the peel because it can burn and taste bitter.
Option B

Home oven

Best with a stone or steel

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Setup
  • Place a pizza stone or baking steel on the top or second-highest rack.
  • Preheat at the oven’s maximum temperature — ideally 250–290°C.
  • Allow the stone or steel to heat for 45–60 minutes.
Method
  • Build the pizza on a floured peel or suitable baking parchment.
  • Launch onto the fully heated stone or steel.
  • Bake for approximately 5–7 minutes until golden and bubbling.
  • Rotate the pizza if your oven has uneven hot spots.
  • If using parchment, remove it once the base has firmed up.
Best result: Use fewer wet toppings. A baking steel will normally produce a darker and crispier base than a stone.
☁️Light, airy crust
🔥Leopard-style spotting
🍕Soft centre, crisp base

Ready for pizza night?

Your Dough Dorks dough has already been fermented, portioned and prepared. Follow this guide, keep the toppings light and enjoy proper pizza at home.

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