✔ Updated · fixed hydration, gram weights + cold-rise option
This Roberta's pizza dough recipe is my copycat-style take on the dough from the famous Brooklyn pizzeria: an even mix of silky 00 flour and sturdier all-purpose flour, a little yeast, salt and olive oil, all mixed by hand in one bowl.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Weigh the flour and water if you can. The dough is about 65 percent water, and scooped cups can easily throw that off and leave it too stiff or too sticky.
After a 3 to 4 hour rise (or an overnight rest in the fridge), it stretches easily into two thin 12-inch pizzas with a chewy, puffy, blistered rim. Weights in grams are given for accuracy, with cup measures alongside. It also makes a great base for our spider web pizza at Halloween. Want to make it further ahead? Here’s how to freeze dough.
Why You'll Love This Pizza Dough
- A puffy, chewy crust, thin in the middle with a blistered, airy rim.
- Just a bowl and your hands: no stand mixer, and only 3 to 4 minutes of kneading.
- Flexible timing: bake it the same day or let it rise overnight in the fridge for more flavor.
What Makes Roberta's-Style Pizza Dough Different?
Roberta's in Brooklyn is known for its wood-fired, Neapolitan-leaning pizzas with a thin center and a puffy, charred rim. This copycat-style dough gets close at home with a few simple choices: an even mix of 00 and all-purpose flour, a moderate amount of water, very little yeast and a relatively short rest.
There are no secret ingredients. The all-purpose flour makes the dough a little sturdier than an all-00 Neapolitan dough, which helps in a home oven that can't reach the 800°F-plus of a wood-fired oven.
Same-Day vs. Overnight Pizza Dough
Both work with the same ingredients. Only the timing and a little flavor change.
| Same-day rise | Overnight cold rise | |
|---|---|---|
| Rise time | 3 to 4 hours at room temperature | 8 to 24 hours in the fridge, plus 1 hour at room temperature |
| Flavor | Clean and lightly yeasty | Deeper, slightly tangy and more complex |
| Handling | Soft and easy to stretch | Very extensible, with more bubbles in the rim |
| Best for | Pizza tonight | Planning ahead or weekend pizza nights |
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Weigh your ingredients. 153 g of each flour and 200 g of water give a soft, easy-to-stretch dough. Cup measures vary a lot with flour, so use a scale if you have one.
- Keep the water lukewarm, not hot. About 95°F feels barely warm on your wrist. Water hotter than about 120°F can kill the yeast.
- Don't mix the yeast straight into the salt. Dissolve the yeast in the water and whisk the salt into the flour, so concentrated salt never sits directly on the yeast.
- Can't find 00 flour? Use all bread flour or all all-purpose flour. The crust will be a little chewier and slightly less crisp, but still very good.
- Try the cold rise. Refrigerating the dough balls for 8 to 24 hours develops more flavor and makes the dough easier to stretch. Give them 1 hour at room temperature first. It’s how I plan our Friday pizza night.
- Skip the rolling pin. Stretching by hand keeps the air bubbles in the rim, which is what makes the crust puffy and blistered. Lucy loves the knuckle stretch, even if her pizzas come out more oval than round.
- Get the oven as hot as it goes. Preheat a stone or steel for at least 45 minutes at 500 to 550°F, and keep toppings light so the center cooks through.
Roberta’s-Style Pizza Dough (Copycat)
2
pizzas25
minutes8
minutes570
kcal4
hours30
minutesA copycat-style take on the Brooklyn pizzeria Roberta’s pizza dough: an even blend of 00 and all-purpose flour, lukewarm water, a small amount of yeast, salt and olive oil, mixed by hand, risen for 3 to 4 hours (or overnight in the fridge) and stretched into two 12-inch crusts with a puffy, blistered rim.
Ingredients
- For the Dough (makes two 12-inch pizzas)
153 g 00 flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
153 g all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups), plus more for dusting
200 g lukewarm water, about 95°F (3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons)
2 g active dry yeast (a generous 1/2 teaspoon)
8 g fine sea salt (1 1/2 teaspoons)
4 g extra-virgin olive oil (1 teaspoon), plus a little for the bowls
Directions
- Mix and Knead
- Stir the yeast into the lukewarm water and let it stand for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together the 00 flour, all-purpose flour and salt.
- Pour the yeast water and olive oil into the flour. Mix with your hand or a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes, until there are no dry patches and you have a shaggy, sticky dough. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 3 to 4 minutes, stretching it away from you and folding it back over itself, until it is smooth and springy. Add only small dustings of flour if it sticks badly.
- Rise
- Divide the dough in half (about 260 g each) and shape each piece into a tight ball. Place them in lightly oiled containers or on an oiled tray, cover and let rise at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours, until about doubled. Or refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours and let them sit at room temperature for 1 hour before shaping.
- Shape and Bake
- At least 45 minutes before baking, put a pizza stone or steel on the top third of the oven and heat it to its highest setting, 500 to 550°F (260 to 290°C).
- Flour a dough ball well and set it on a floured counter. Press it out from the center with your fingertips, leaving a 1/2-inch rim untouched. Then lift and stretch it over your knuckles, turning it as you go, into a 12-inch round. Never use a rolling pin.
- Lay the dough on a floured or semolina-dusted pizza peel, add your toppings lightly and slide it onto the hot stone. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until the rim is puffed and browned and the cheese is bubbling. Repeat with the second ball.
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Topping Ideas and What to Serve
Keep toppings light so the thin center cooks through. A classic margherita with crushed tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil shows off the crust best, and a white pizza with ricotta, garlic and olive oil is just as good. If your tomato sauce tastes sharp, here's how to reduce acidity in tomato sauce.
For a full pizza night, browse our side dishes for pizza, or use the same dough for a calzone (see calzone vs. stromboli).
Frequently Asked Questions
What flour is in Roberta's-style pizza dough?
This copycat-style dough uses an even blend of 00 flour and all-purpose flour. The finely milled 00 flour gives a tender, crisp crust, while the all-purpose flour adds a little more structure and chew and makes the dough easier to handle in a home oven.
Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast?
Yes. Use the same 2 grams (about 1/2 teaspoon) of instant yeast and whisk it straight into the flour instead of dissolving it in the water. The dough may rise slightly faster, so start checking it after about 2 1/2 hours.
How long does the dough need to rise?
Let the dough balls rise at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours, until about doubled. For more flavor, refrigerate them for 8 to 24 hours instead, then let them sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before shaping.
Can I freeze this pizza dough?
Yes. After shaping the dough into balls, wrap each one lightly oiled in plastic wrap and freeze in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then let it sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before stretching.
Can I bake it without a pizza stone?
Yes. Preheat an upside-down heavy baking sheet on the top rack instead, or bake on an oiled sheet pan. The crust will be a little less crisp and may need 1 to 3 extra minutes.
Why is my pizza dough hard to stretch?
The gluten is too tight, and it happens to me too. Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes, then try again. Cold dough straight from the fridge is also hard to stretch, so always let it come to room temperature first.
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