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When it comes to shaping doughs, I think that pizza is probably the hardest item to get right. The idea that you just have to toss and spin the dough for the perfect round shape is far from reality. Those of you who have made pizza at home probably know the frustration of getting oblong or misshapen blobs. They taste good, but they don’t have that picture perfect appeal that you were hoping form. When you couple this with that fact that pizza dough is designed to be loose and stretchy, it can make for some interestingly shaped pizzas.
Before we get into the instructions, I know that the popular method is to shape the dough on your fists. I personally find that method is much more likely to cause a dough tear. The dough that I tend to make stretch out very easily. Working the dough without something to support the majority of the dough weight can cause a lot of headaches.
Step by Step Instructions on How to Shape a Pizza
- Make sure that you are starting out with a round ball.
- Lift up the ball about 3-4 inches off of the work surface. Make a circle by pinching your thumb and index fingers together, and lightly pinch the ball while letting the weight of the dough fall to the table. The bigger the circle the bigger your crust. Move around the edge of the ball, lightly holding the dough with your pinched fingers and letting the dough fall.
- As the dough stretches out, you will notice that it will start to thin. At this point, I typically will lay it on the work surface and gently pull the outer edge of the dough into a nice round circle.
- At this point, you may be done. If, however, you want to make it bigger go back to step number 2.
- When you are done, put the dough on a pizza peel (if using a pizza oven, baking stone, or baking steel) or directly onto your non-preheated pan.
Pro-Tip: At some point in your pizza making hobby, the dough will rip. Don’t fret! Lightly press the surrounding dough around the hole and close it up. If the dough is too floury for it to stick, just get a dab of water and seal up the whole.