High Altitude Pizza Dough | Easy Thin Crust Recipe

Thin and crispy pizza crust is the perfect canvas for any delicious pizza. Making your own pizza dough has never been easier. This easy pizza dough recipe has 5 ingredients and only takes 5-7 minutes of prep time. This homemade pizza dough is the perfect recipe for higher altitudes and sea level baking.

I make homemade pizza every Saturday for my family. This high altitude pizza dough recipe is our go-to pizza dough. It’s our Classic Colorado Pizza Dough recipe. We love the crispy crust and the fact it takes way less time than making thick crusts. From start to finish this thin crust pizza recipe takes 30 minutes.

Why is high altitude pizza dough different?

Have you ever tried chain restaurant pizza in high-altitude areas? The pizza crust is typically too dry and tasteless. If you read my About Page I go further in depth about the thin air and dryness at higher elevations. But long story short, making your own pizza dough at high elevation means less yeast and more water for the best pizza crust.

Recommended tools:

Medium bowl and fork – This recipe only requires minimal kneading so I prefer to use a mixing bowl and my hands but feel free to use a bowl of a stand mixer and dough hook.

Rolling pin – I use my trusty wood rolling pin for anything that requires rolling out. If you have little helpers like I do, then check out these awesome kid-size rolling pins.

Pizza pan – I always use a 16″ pizza pan with holes but feel free to use a pizza stone or simply a baking sheet.

Find all of my favorite kitchen tools here and check them out on Amazon.

Thin crust pizza dough ingredients:

All purpose flour – I try to keep my recipes easy so I don’t use bread flour or any other special type of flour. Feel free to experiment with other flours and let me know how it turns out in the comments below.

Warm water – the water should be 100 to 110 degrees F to activate the yeast. Never use water hotter than 110 degrees as this will kill the yeast.

Yeast – use instant or active dry yeast

Salt & sugar – a little amount of each adds the perfect flavor to the pizza crust

See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

How to make thin crust pizza dough:

1. Combine the yeast & water

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine the yeast and warm water into a medium bowl. Let the yeast mixture sit for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add the dry ingredients & mix

Add the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and sugar) to the yeast mixture. Mix together until a ball of dough forms.

3. Knead

Sprinkle a small amount of flour on a clean surface. Dump the dough ball onto the lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes until the dough is no longer sticky.

Note: there is no need to let the dough rest or let the dough rise

4. Roll out the dough

Roll the dough out to a 12-inch circle and gently transfer the dough to the pizza pan.

5. Bake

Place the pizza pan into the hot oven and bake for 5-10 minutes. For a chewy pizza dough, bake for 5 minutes. For a crispy pizza dough, bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and add the pizza sauce and your favorite toppings.

Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the crust is golden brown.

6. Enjoy!

FAQs:

Can you eat raw pizza dough?

Raw pizza dough should not be eaten. Unbaked flour can have harmful bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli.

Can you put pizza dough in the fridge?

Unbaked pizza dough can be stored in the fridge. The pizza dough should be stored in an airtight container or covered tightly with plastic wrap. Unbaked pizza dough will last in the fridge about 3-5 days.

How long does pizza dough last in the fridge?

Unbaked pizza dough will last in the fridge about 3-5 days. Pay attention to the smell and texture of the dough. If the unbaked pizza dough has a sour smell, the dough has over-fermented and should not be used.

How to store pizza dough?

Pizza dough should be stored in an airtight container or covered tightly with plastic wrap. Store the pizza dough in the refrigerator.

My favorite pizza: Alfredo Pizza Recipe

Hands down, my favorite pizza is an alfredo pizza. The rich and creamy alfredo sauce, grilled chicken, fresh spinach, and melted mozzarella cheese makes the most amazing pizza. I use my homemade 3 ingredient alfredo sauce. Check out the delicious, creamy alfredo recipe here.

How to make Alfredo Pizza:

Make the High Altitude Thin Crust steps 1 through 5. After the first bake time add the homemade alfredo sauce. Cover the sauce with mozzarella, then add diced grilled chicken and fresh spinach. Bake for another 10-12 minutes.

Homemade frozen pizza recipe

Make this thin crust pizza recipe to make two homemade frozen pizzas. Divide the dough into two balls. Roll out the dough. Bake for 5 minutes. Allow the pizza crust to cool completely. Add the pizza sauce and toppings. Place the pizza in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bake the frozen pizza at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Try out these other delicious dinner ideas:

5-Ingredient Chicken Casserole – freeze meal option

Homemade Sloppy Joes – freezer meal option

Easy Chicken Pot Pie – freezer meal option

Easy Cast Iron Pork Chops

Spicy Chinese Chicken

Grilled Chicken Alfredo

Sweet and Sour Meatballs – freezer meal option

Copycat Taco Bell Steak Quesadilla