How to Make Store Bought Pizza Crust Crispy: All in One Guide

Delicious, appetizing pizza with a crispy crust – what could be tastier? But we don’t always have enough time to go all the way from scratch. So, how to make store bought pizza crust crispy?

#1 Take the pizza dough out of the bag

As a rule, pizza dough is sold frozen, before starting any work with the dough, it needs to be defrosted. To do this, it is enough to put the pizza dough in a warm place and let it thaw, then take the product out of the package. Now you can proceed to the next step.

#2 Dust it with some flour and form a dough ball

To prevent the dough from sticking to all surfaces, sprinkle the board or table with flour. This way your dough won’t stick too much to surfaces, your hands, or a rolling pin.

In order for the dough to have a lighter shape and crispy crust pizza, mix it, and then form a ball. The main thing to remember is that you need to knead the dough very carefully and for a short time because this dough is not for bread.

In general, this step can be skipped, because the store pizza dough itself is self-sufficient, and most likely you will be able to cook a good pizza, but if you want a super-crispy crust pizza, then do not skip this step.

#3 Cover the dough for 30 minutes

Perhaps this is one of the most important stages. You need to put your pizza dough in a warm place and let it stand for 30 minutes – 1 hour so that it rises and becomes lusher.

Thanks to the active bacteria that are in the yeast, the pizza dough acquires the same rich taste and a pleasant texture and shape.

Yeast begins to ferment in a warm place, thereby giving its unique taste. The main thing here is not to overdo the pizza dough, the bale then the taste can become unpleasant, almost beer.

#4 Knead the dough again and stretch it properly

After the dough has risen, many cooks recommend kneading it again, this is done in order to give the dough even more elasticity. Also, the kneading process will help you to form the pizza dough correctly for further rolling.

#5 Roll it thinly and form a pizza base

This is where the fun begins. First, choose the form of the test that you like the most.

Adhere to this rule that your hands should always be dry before starting to work with the dough. You can lubricate them with a little flour so that the dough does not stick strongly to your hands, and then

Follow the instructions:

1. Take the dough and flatten it to make a uniform small pancake.
2. Dip it in flour on both sides (use the slide that was made before starting work).
3. Gradually begin to increase the area of the pancake, wielding with both hands – rotate the workpiece, flattening the surface with the fingers of both hands.
4. When the pancake becomes larger than a dessert plate, place it on a table sprinkled with flour.
5. Continue to form a wide circle of dough using the fingers of both hands.
6. Pay attention that the edges and the central part of the future homemade pizza base are denser than the intermediate sections.
7. Finish the process of forming the workpiece by applying the technology of stretching the store-bought dough – press your palms to the circle and gently, distributing the pressure, expand the workpiece. It is acceptable for the edges of the base to hang off the table, but this is already a suggestion for those who have “stuffed their hands” and control the process.

#6 Add your favorite toppings to enhance the taste pizza crust crispy

The filling for the perfect pizza can be any desired toppings. The classic consists of sausage, and tomatoes. If meat is used, then chicken and minced meat will do. To add flavor – smoked sausage, green peas, olives, corn, pineapples, mushrooms, and pickled cucumbers.

The cheese filling is often used in pizzerias. The product of soft varieties is taken. It is cut into thin plates and laid out on top of the sauce.

In addition, the cheese is cut into cubes, and distributed evenly over the entire surface of the store-bought dough base. Hard cheese is taken from above and rubbed on a grater. Another option for a delicious pizza filling is sausage.

Usually smoked varieties (bacon, ham) are used for the pizza base. The ingredients are cut into thin slices/cubes. They are laid out, and evenly distributed over the entire surface of the test base. Smeared with tomato sauce. Hard cheese is sprinkled on top. If you like smoked flavor and want to enhance it, try making pizza on a Pit Boss Pellet Grill.

Chicken makes a good pizza if you take smoked or boiled poultry. As a sauce – creamy, tomato. Additional ingredients as an idea for fasting and vegetarians – bell pepper mushrooms, pickled onions, herbs, olives, pineapples, olives, olive oil, and lettuce leaves.

The pizza is sprinkled with hard cheeses on top. If seafood is used, it is combined with a creamy sauce to give a soft taste to the dish. At the same time, pizza crispy takes longer to cook, because seafood is rubber.

Vegetables that require roasting are only slightly steamed. On top of the pizza crispy is sprinkled with fresh herbs (onion, dill, parsley, olive oil).

To be satisfied with a delicious dish, you cannot bake pizza for an extremely long time. It is enough that the cheeses melts on top, and the thin dough is baked until a soft crisp crust is obtained.

What pizza sauces can be used:

• ketchup;
• mayonnaise;
• homemade sauce;

The topmost sprinkle will serve good varieties of cheeses – Gouda, Mozzarella, Parmesan. The dish is served hot on the table.

Everyone has their own preferences, so it is impossible to say unequivocally: what is the best pizza filling? Those who like it sharper, are advised to cook pizza “Diablo“. A good classic recipe for a dish with a mild taste is “Margarita”. Here’s a Margarita video recipe by Gordon Ramsay:

#7 Transfer the pizza in your preheated oven

The oven must be well heated preheated oven before you put the pizza in it. We recommend you to warm up to 850-900 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the pizza for 7-10 minutes on a cast iron pan.

It’s not worth it anymore, otherwise, the cheese pizza crust will be too browned and bitter, and the store bought pizza crust from under the dough may burn at.

#8 Bake up to the state pizza crust crispy

As already mentioned, bake the pizza for 7-10 minutes. Signs that the pizza is ready will be the golden brown color of the pizza crust, melted cheese, and a strong aroma and pizza taste.

The time may vary depending on the type of oven, its capacity, filling, and the shape of the pizza, but the average time will be no more than 10 minutes.

Tip, keep an eye on her constantly so that the pizza doesn’t burn.

#9 Check the pizza crust and bake more if needed

After you feel that the pizza is ready, take it out of the oven and gently lift it by the edge, to see what color the bottom of the pizza is, if it is too light, we recommend returning it to the oven for 2-3 minutes, if everything is perfect, turn off the oven and clean the table. Undercooked pizza can be dangerous to your health.

#10 Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool down

We recommend letting the premade pizza crust cool down for a couple of minutes before serving, so it will be more convenient for you to cut it and eat.

As an addition, you can sprinkle the pizza with olive oil. After that, remove the pizza from the cast iron pan and put it on a plate or oven rack.

You can cut it into as many portions as you need. Following the clear instructions, you will be able to cook a very tasty pizza with a crispy crust pizza.

Why doesn’t your premade pizza crust come crispy?

The most common question among fans of crispy crust pizza. How to make store bought pizza crust crispy? We have already answered this question above. But what are the reasons why a crispy crust pizza does not work?

There are many such reasons, but let’s look at the most popular 3 reasons:

1) The wrong dough for cooking pizza crust crispy

There are many points in the text that may not allow you to get the desired effect. One of the most common is yeast.

Yeast should be fresh, good, and alive, only under this condition you will get a perfect store bought pizza crust, so we advise you to buy the freshest thin pizza crust possible, often the more expensive the better.

Another reason is flour. Not every kind of flour can be used to make a really high-quality pizza. Italians generally use only certain varieties of flour labeled “00” to prepare a national dish.

Some pizza makers take different flour – a mixture of “00” and “0”, considering it an ideal combination.

The whole secret is that these varieties have a high gluten content, which gives the pizza dough the necessary structure.

A lump of thin pizza crust from the wrong flour will be elastic, when trying to make a base, the store bought dough will tear. Ultimately, it will affect the taste of the pizza.

Of course, it is difficult to find Italian flour while not in Italy. But for the preparation of a national dish, ordinary baking flour of the highest grade is suitable.

The ideal flour for pizza is wheat, hard varieties. At the same time, it is necessary to pay attention to the composition: the amount of protein should be at least 10.5 g; carbohydrates – 68.9 g; fats – 1 g.

2) Moisture level

Too much moisture can harm your pizza crust. It will soften, and corrode it, thereby you will not achieve a crispy dough and pizza crust. Flour grade affects dough moisture, read more about hydration here: Pizza dough hydration in simple words.

Use only thick pizza sauce. Also, as strange as it may sound, processed cheese also affects the humidity of the thin pizza base, so if you want a crispy crust pizza, then use it in moderation, do not overdo it with the amount of cheese.

3) Wrong temperature which prevent you from getting pizza crust crispy

The secret of delicious and crispy pizza lies in the high temperature of the oven. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to monitor the temperature, and sometimes it can be too low, as a result of which you will not be able to get crisp.

Also, before putting the pizza in the oven, you should preheat the oven, the oven should not need 850-900 degrees Fahrenheit, otherwise crispy pizza base will not work.

What is a pizza stone for?

The main advantages of the pizza stone are the following characteristics:

1. the material warms up evenly, which allows the pizza crust to baking evenly over the entire area, regardless of thickness.
2. the baking speed is significantly reduced compared to using a conventional baking tray;
3. the stone can be used not only for cooking dough dishes.
4. the ceramic composite accumulates heat, providing dishes with an optimal degree of stewing, roasting and baking;
5. it is recommended to use the stone for cooking dishes in dishes with a thick bottom.
6. thus, the bottom of the container will receive heat evenly, and all the ingredients will be baked evenly;
7. the crispy crust of meat dishes, fish, and pizza cooked on a stone is provided by evaporation of moisture;
8. the stone does not pick up the smells of food. Even if you first cook dishes with a lot of spicy spices on it, and then start cooking dessert, the flavors will not mix.

Some useful tips on the use of pizza stone

• as soon as the pizza stone is purchased and you intend to use it for its intended purpose, wipe it with a damp clean sponge or a piece of cloth the day before. In this state, the pizza stone should rest for at least 12 hours, we can advise you 5 Easy Steps How To Season A Pizza Stone;
• in order for the pizza stone to last for many years, and not to crack, it is put exclusively in a cold oven or grill. If you do not adhere to this rule, the cold composite will crack or may split into several parts with a temperature contrast;
• chilled foods cannot be placed on a stone, frozen meat, and fish, this also applies. Froze pizza is pre-cooled, after which you can bake the product on a pizza stone;
• it is generally believed that the slower the pizza stone warms up, the more delicious the final product will turn out. For this reason, chefs recommend gradually increasing the cooking temperature;
• the pizza stone is designed exclusively for cooking. This is not a cutting board, and you cannot divide a ready-made dish into portions on it. From the pizza stone of the knife blade, the pizza wheels quickly fail, and the composite from such an impact also acquires an un-presentable appearance;
• the pizza stone can be placed on any shelf of the oven, at your discretion. At the same time, cookies, crackers, and chips are better cooked on the top shelf, while the pastry is better baked on the middle and bottom;
• baked ingredients do not stick to the pizza stone. For this reason, it is completely useless to apply parchment paper, butter, and breadcrumbs to its surface.

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Conclusion

The question of how to make store bought pizza crust crispy will always be relevant. The frozen pizza crust crispy just requires some effort, but it’s worth it. Delicate crunchy taste and pleasant texture.