Ooni Pizza Dough Recipe (Plus Key Ooni Tips!)

This overnight Ooni Pizza Dough recipe is the most reliable, easiest to work, and absolutely delicious pizza dough for all your Ooni pizza recipes. Some people say that toppings make a great pizza. I say that pizza without great pizza dough and pizza sauce isn’t worth eating.

Read on for info about the best flour and the critical ingredient in this Ooni dough recipe, detailed instructions, and tips to get through the Ooni pizza oven learning curve. Or just grab your pizza peel, hit that Jump to Recipe button, and let’s make this Ooni pizza dough recipe!

olive and artichoke pizza with pesto base cooked on ooni pizza dough.
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Why you’ll love this Ooni pizza dough recipe

See what readers say about this pizza dough recipe:

Great dough! Nice and crispy crust with a lot of flavor.

This is perhaps the easiest, best dough recipe for Ooni that I’ve found.

Ingredients

pizza flour and other ingredients to make the ooni pizza dough on a countertop.

 

There are pizza people who will say, “You have to make pizza this way.” or “You can’t make an Ooni pizza dough with oil and sugar, or it will burn.” To them I say, “pffffffft.” Please make your pizza the way you like best.

One big difference between making pizza dough for the Ooni and your home oven is that you want a lower hydration level (the weight of water divided by weight of flour). That’s because pizza cooks for a shorter time in the Ooni, and there’s less evaporation.

This recipe makes a 60% hydration level pizza dough. That’s an ideal hydration for the Ooni pizza oven. And it’s in the range to be called Neopolitan pizza by the international pizza police.

The classic pizza flour is 00 pizza flour, which is a finely ground flour with a protein content like bread flour. Higher protein flours are used when you want more gluten development and a stretchy dough, like with pizza dough, sandwich breads, or bagels.

Please see the recipe card below for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations and substitutions

You could use any flour in this Ooni pizza dough recipe, but a lower protein flour like all-purpose flour may be harder to work with and might rip as you are shaping the pizza dough. A higher protein bread flour is the best substitution here.

To make a same day pizza dough for the Ooni, double the yeast to 2 teaspoons. Let it rise at a warm room temperature for 3 to 4 hours prior to dividing into four dough balls. If your dough seems too elastic and snaps back during shaping, let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes and try again.

You can add Parmesan, garlic powder, or herbs like dried oregano or basil to your Ooni pizza dough. This would be particularly helpful for a same-day dough to compensate for the flavor development missed in the overnight rise.

Step by step

What’s the secret to great Ooni pizza dough? Like when making baguettes and breads flavored by flour, salt, and yeast, the most important ingredient in the best Ooni pizza dough recipes is time. While you can make a same-day pizza dough, it won’t have the same flavor. And it will be much harder to stretch, shape, and launch.

Step 1: Combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer or other large bowl. You can always make pizza dough entirely by hand if you prefer.

Step 2: Add the water and olive oil and mix. If using a stand mixer, change to the dough hook once the pizza dough comes together. This will prevent burning out your stand mixer motor – many stand mixers have problems with higher protein bread and brioche dough.

partially mixed dough in a mixing bowl and paddle.

Step 3: Knead the Ooni pizza dough for about 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth and tacky but not sticky. Add small amounts of flour at a time if it is too sticky, or add a teaspoon of water if it is too dry.

Please see the FAQs for an explanation why humidity can impact yeast doughs and why you might need to adjust flour or water. The goal is to end up with a pizza dough for the Ooni that is smooth and only slightly tacky.

Step 4: Form the dough into a ball, lightly oil the bowl, and roll the dough ball around to cover it in oil. I recommend doing this stage in a single container just because it takes less space in the refrigerator!

unrisen pizza dough boule in a mixing bowl.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator overnight or up to three days. It should about double in size.

overnight pizza dough after the overnight rise in the refrigerator in the mixing bowl.

Step 5: Divide the pizza dough into four dough balls of about equal size (about 300 grams) Or divide into five or more dough balls if you’re making smaller or personal pizzas in your Ooni.

Step 6: Shape the dough balls into boules, place the dough into a pan or container dusted with flour, cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, and let the dough balls rise for a few hours before shaping. Here’s a great video to watch on how to shape pizza balls.

two balls of pizza dough rising in a floured baking pan.

If your kitchen is chilly, you might want to take it out earlier or let your pizza dough balls rise in a oven warmed to 80 degrees. If your kitchen is hot, it will only take a couple hours for them to double in size.

two balls of pizza dough in a baking pan ready for shaping.

Step 7: Stretch and shape your pizza dough until it’s 14 inches in diameter. Top with your favorite sauce and toppings!

Why buy a home pizza oven

We were forever on a quest for the perfect homemade thin crust pizza. But the perfect crust is a challenge with a home oven that maxes out at 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

You might have tried these same tricks. We bought different pizza stones. We used the broiler. I tried to convince Mr. Ugly Duckling Bakery he could love deep dish pizza.

The Ooni has its own issues because it reaches temperatures of over 1000 degrees. Below is what we’ve learned so far.

Ooni pizza oven cooking tips

First is a big safety warning. Never use your Ooni pizza oven indoors. It’s a fire hazard and risk for carbon monoxide poisoning.

Tip from the wise quacker: The Ooni also needs a warning label about its steep learning curve. When you first get your Ooni, watch a bunch of videos. And if you make edible pizza, congratulate yourself. It’s good to have an alternative meal planned for that first try.

There are no pics of our first pizzas. The peel we used was too short and made of wood, and the mister burnt the hair on his arms.

Tip #1: Have the right equipment

Our second try was better. We bought a metal peel with a long wood handle and a pizza spinner. But the pizza stuck to the peel, resulting in a parallelogram of a pizza.

Funny-shaped, burnt pizza with sausage, fennel, and artichoke hearts.

Folks recommended fewer pizza toppings. While generally true, the solution to our second practice session was less about toppings and more about making sure the peel was well-dusted.

Tip #2: Dust your peel and don’t dilly-dally adding toppings

Our next Ooni session was a pizza party with 10 or 12 pizzas. The challenge to a pizza party is that you need to shape your pizza dough and top your pizzas one by one, or they won’t release from the peel. Some people pre-bake their crusts for parties.

Use a mix of cornmeal and semolina flour on the peel because using only cornmeal makes the pizza taste charred. Also, the more practice you get, the better your pizzas will be.

Tip #3: Heat the Ooni to max temperature and turn it down

This pizza was accidentally cooked on the max temperature. Oops.

pizza with sausage and red onions burnt in the Ooni pizza oven.

If you like a crisper crust, you might even turn off the Ooni completely and leave the pizza for a minute. Turning off the Ooni helps prevent the pizza toppings from burning while you get the best crust on your perfect Ooni pizza dough.

Tip #4: Use an overnight rise

The slower, overnight rise gives you a better tasting crust and dough that is easier to shape. If you have time, foresight, and space, leave your Ooni pizza dough in your fridge for even longer.

round pizza with pepperoni and olives.

Tip #5: Practice, practice, practice

This basil pesto, roasted garlic, and artichoke heart pizza slid off the peel easily. The crust puffed up, and the bottom crust fully cooked. The only downside of practice is that you have to eat pizza!

pizza topped with pesto, mozzarella, garlic, artichoke hearts, and basil.

Helpful tools for the Ooni pizza oven

These are some of the tools we use with our Ooni pizza oven:

  • long-handled (wood, so it doesn’t heat up) metal pizza peel
  • pizza spinner or spinning pizza peel
  • infrared thermometer
  • pizza cutter
  • the Super Peel Pro may be the answer if you’re having problems launching your pizza

Everyone seems to have their own style. Some people recommend using a perforated peel instead of dusting. Some use pizza screens. Again, there’s no right or wrong.

Recipe FAQs

Why is my pizza dough so sticky?

Measuring your flour by weight is the best way to get consistent results with this Ooni pizza dough recipe. However, if it’s super humid in your kitchen, your flour absorbs more water from the air. You can adjust this recipe by reducing the water you start with, or add a tablespoon or two more flour as you mix.

If you still have sticky pizza dough after the overnight rise, use wet hands to ball your pizza dough. Then use flour or semolina to dust whatever you’re using to let the balls rise so they don’t stick.

Can I use a rolling pin to roll out my pizza dough?

Purists will tell you not to use a rolling pin because it flattens out the air pockets and puff at the edge of the pizza. If you roll it, you’ll still get a tasty crust. It may just be less puffed.

Can I freeze this pizza dough recipe?

Yes, pizza dough can be frozen for up to three months and will still rise after being frozen. If you make the dough and intend to freeze it all, increase the yeast by half.

To freeze dough balls, the best time is after the overnight rise. Double wrap any balls you don’t want to use in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer bag. To defrost, put them in the refrigerator overnight. Then take out the balls and leave them at room temperature about four to six hours before making your pizza, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

What else can I make in my Ooni pizza oven?

The beauty of the Ooni is that it not only makes great pizza, but you can also use your Ooni pizza oven to make pita pockets and other flatbreads, steaks, and so on.

Got pizza dough down? Check out favorite Ugly Duckling Bakery yeasted bread recipes like:

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-heart 💜💜💜💜💜 rating in the recipe card below. Let me know how much you loved it, or any problems you had, in the comments section further down.

Recipe

Ooni Pizza Dough Recipe

5 from 12 votes
Category: Pizza
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
1 day
Total Time: 1 day 15 minutes
Servings: 4 12-14″ pizzas
Calories: 854kcal
This Ooni pizza dough recipe makes an overnight pizza dough recipe for your outdoor pizza oven that's easy to work with and delicious.
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • cups (754 grams) 00 flour or (780 grams) bread flour plus more for when stretching dough
  • 1 teaspoon (3 grams) instant yeast
  • 1 teaspoon (4 grams) sugar
  • teaspoon (14 grams) salt
  • 2 cups (471 grams) water, plus more as needed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for bowl
  • ¼ cup semolina flour
  • ¼ cup fine cornmeal

Instructions

Ooni pizza dough

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer or other large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.
    6½ cups (754 grams) 00 flour or (780 grams) bread flour, 1 teaspoon (4 grams) sugar, 2½ teaspoon (14 grams) salt, 1 teaspoon (3 grams) instant yeast
  • Add the water and olive oil and mix. If using a stand mixer, change to the dough hook once the dough comes together.
    2 cups (471 grams) water, plus more as needed, 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for bowl
  • Knead the dough for about 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth and tacky but not sticky. Add small amounts of flour at a time if it is too sticky, or add a teaspoon of water if it is too dry.
  • Form the dough into a ball, lightly oil the bowl, roll the dough ball around to cover in oil, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator.

Forming the pizzas

  • Four to six hours before making pizza, take the pizza dough out of the refrigerator and divide the dough into four balls. Place the individual dough balls in a metal pan or baking sheet with a little bit of flour to prevent sticking, cover them loosely with a kitchen towel, and let them rise.
  • On a floured countertop, flatten one ball into a disc and then work your way around the dough, gently stretching it out to 12 to 14 inches. If it becomes difficult to work, with the dough snapping back, let it rest for a few minutes before trying again.
  • Dust your peel with an equal mixture of semolina flour and cornmeal, carefully transfer your dough to the peel, and top as desired.
    ¼ cup semolina flour, ¼ cup fine cornmeal

Notes

This recipe makes an Ooni pizza dough with hydration about 60% and four dough balls of just over 300g each. You can also divide the dough into five balls if you have a 12 inch or 14 inch pizza oven.
If you want to freeze extra balls of pizza dough, the best time is after the overnight rise when you are shaping the balls. Double wrap the balls of pizza dough in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer bag.
To use frozen balls of pizza dough in the Ooni, put them in the refrigerator overnight to defrost. Then remove them from the refrigerator about 4 to 6 hours before making pizza as if you were making this Ooni dough recipe from the start.

Nutrition

Calories: 854kcal | Carbohydrates: 164g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 1460mg | Potassium: 284mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 3mg
Love this recipe?Mention @Uglyducklingbakery or tag #uglyducklingbakery!

This Ooni pizza dough recipe and Ooni pizzas were a submission for the 2021 reddit 52 week baking challenge (savory baking).

You’re an adventurous home cook looking for inspiration in your weeknight meals and weekend baking. Get that inspiration here:

29 Comments

  1. After taking this dough out of the fridge 4-6 hours in advance, do I then just leave it on the countertop for that time before dividing and making the disks? Or do I divide right away and let it sit divided for the 4-6 hours and then make the disks. It’s a bit unclear.

    1. Hi Elizabeth, thanks for the question! You’ll want to ball the dough when you take it out of the refrigerator and let the balls rise at room temperature until you’re ready to make pizza. I’ll edit the recipe card to make it clearer. Joanne

  2. 5 stars
    We loved the pizza dough. I got nice puff at the edges and caught my 7yo picking at a bubble before I got around to cutting it- clearly his favorite part! I will try to remember to cover with a moist kitchen towel next time as I got a little skin on my dough balls as they rose out of the fridge today.

    1. Hi Kathie – thanks for the question! With instant yeast, you don’t need to activate it using warm water or another liquid. If you have another type of dry yeast (labelled “active” yeast), then yes you would need to activate it by soaking it in warm water. Hope this helps! Joanne

  3. 5 stars
    Joanne – thanks for the great recipe! We have an Ooni Koda 12” propane oven that we love. The learning journey is part of the fun. You get to eat your mistakes while planning your improvements. So far, we have only ended up with one calzone!

    We tried your dough recipe tonight and really enjoyed it. We did a 48-hour refrigerator rest with the dough and pulled it 5 hours before making pizzas.

    After 5 hours at room temp, my wife divided the dough for 5 pizzas. It was still resistant to stretching, so Susan gave it some more time. After another 15 minutes, the dough was more workable. Each following dough ball was easier to work with (more individual warming time). The last was our best result – easy to stretch and good bubbles while cooking.

    Room temperature affects the workability of the dough. Our room temp today (mid-March) was 60 degrees F at 5100 ft. above sea level. Outside temp at cooking time was 62 degrees F. This summer should shorten the warm up process. Next fall/winter, we may try oven proofing for an hour or so after the 5-6 hours at room temp.

    We used straight Semolina for launching from the peel. The crusts had good browning, without burning. They also held up to 1/3 C+ sauce, 1 C Mozz, roasted green chile, hot Italian sausage (pre-cooked), fresh mushrooms, kalamata olives, sautéed onions, and pepperoni – a full combo!

    The Ooni temp was at 920 degrees back dead center, about 800 at the middle of the stone, and 680 at the opening. We turn the oven to “Super-secret low” after launching, then turn 90 degrees after 30-40 seconds. After 2 minutes, we lift the pizza to check the bottom. We turn it to give any bottom light spots another 30 seconds for more browning. If the top needs any attention, I’ll turn up the heat again at the same time. After pulling the working pizza, it goes on a grate and into the oven to hold it at 100 degrees until we get all 5 cooked.

    I use a Weber charcoal rake to scrape the stone between pizzas. The Ooni get turned back up to full to heat for the next pizza. It works out that the heat up time is enough to build the next pie. The last pizza is first up for dinner!

    We’re enjoying the adventure! Thanks for your great site and recipes.

    1. Chris – thanks for sharing part of your Ooni pizza adventure with us! Happy pizza making – Joan

  4. 5 stars
    Thanks for the great tips! I have made more than one accidental calzone in my Ooni! And my husband bought the most absurd long oven mitts because… he knows me well. Ha! Curious whether you like the Super Peel Pro? I’m intrigued by the idea, but paranoid about the fabric melting or catching fire?

    1. Hi Ella. We’ve used it a few times and use it a lot now. It was easy to figure out how to load and launch. And it uses less flour/semolina/cornmeal on the bottom of your pizza. It’s expensive for what it is, but it could be worth it if you’re finding it a challenge to launch your pizzas after a bunch of tries. Hope that helps! J

  5. 5 stars
    When I originally commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a comment
    is added I get several e-mails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove people from that service?
    Thanks a lot!

    1. Hi PJ. I don’t see your previous comment. Are you not able to just uncheck the box to checked? If not, I’ll see what I can do.

  6. 5 stars
    Joanne,

    This is perhaps the easiest, best dough recipe for Ooni that I’ve found. The pizza dough stays two days in the fridge, and then half of it goes into the freezer, leaving two large delicious pizzas to make that day. (And two another day.)

    Once the floor of the Ooni hits about 750 degrees F, I turn the heat all the way down (as if it is just being turned on), and put the pizza in and let it cook for about 2.5 minutes. Lovely leopard spots on the crust and the top is turned often enough that it doesn’t burn.

    Thanks!

  7. Your recipe calls for 6 1/2 cups of flour = 754 grams. However, 754 grams of flour is 5 cups. Also, 2 1/2 teaspoons of salt is 9 grams, not 14 grams. I went ahead and made your recipe using grams and not British units. It’s in the fridge now, I will let you know how it turns out…..

    1. Hi Laura. Thanks so much for your comment on my Ooni pizza dough recipe. It’s a great example of why using weight gives more consistent results. I’m not sure what flour you’re using that’s 150g/cup, but the 00 pizza flour I use is stated to be 116g/cup and the bread flour is 120g/cup. Similarly, if you’re using a different salt that has a larger grain size than my table salt, that would probably explain the difference. Glad you decided to go by weight! I would love to hear how it turns out.

      1. 5 stars
        Actually, I have been trying to make a good dough now for about a year, and your recipe comes the closest to fixing the problems I was having, using the weights of course. Your recipe is now at the tops of my list. I still need to work on how much yeast to use depending on the amount of time I have before the guests come over for a late-announced visit!

        1. Woo-hoo! I love it, Laura. Thanks for sharing. I was thinking this week that I should try to recipe-test a same-day pizza dough, but I’m not sure I want to go back!

  8. Hi! Looking forward to making this more a friend who has an Ooni. I’m wondering if a sourdough version would be doable?

    1. Hi Kelsea! Thanks for the question. While I’ve been making yeasted doughs forever, I’m a beginner at sourdough. There’s no reason you couldn’t make a sourdough version, but I wouldn’t want to lead you astray by giving you an adaptation. It looks like Ooni has a sourdough pizza dough recipe that you could either use entirely or use to guide this recipe. I’d love to know what you decide to do and how it turns out.

  9. 5 stars
    Great dough! Nice and crispy crust with a lot of flavor. I made it the night before, next time I will let it sit for a few days. Your recipe calculator is super helpful for scaling the recipe up as well.

  10. 5 stars
    This dough recipe works..I was skeptical adding everything together n the resting in fridge. I took it out earlier n rested covered. This dough is the kind u can actually toss. As described, (4) 12 in, no prob. I infused olive oil w garlic n herbs n dressed prior to sauce, cheese, then into oven. Get that stone up to 850-900, then drop the flame down a bit, 1 minute pizza. Thank u for recipe. Wish I could share pics.

    1. Hi Mary. Thanks so much for saying hi and letting me know this Ooni pizza dough worked for you too. Feel free to tag me on IG or FB. I’m uglyducklingbakery in both places. And I’d LOVE to see your pics!

  11. 5 stars
    Waiting for Ooni to arrive while gathering advice and recipes plus practicing. Since Ooni cooks so fast should the pizza sauce be pre-warmed? Should cheese and meat be room temp?

    1. Hi Terry. Congrats on your new Ooni! The biggest difference is that you’ll need to pre-cook your toppings like onions and mushrooms, because they won’t have time to cook in the Ooni. You don’t need to warm your sauce unless you’re pulling it out of the freezer. Same thing with cheese and meat – no need to warm unless it’s coming from the freezer – though sausage and other meat should be cooked before putting it on the pizza. (Also, food safety warnings and all that about leaving meat and dairy at room temperature…)

  12. I am debating getting an Ooni, but it feels like there is so much planning that has to go into it with the dough, and time to rise, and although the cooking time is quick, is it a deterrent to making pizza often? Thanks1

    1. You don’t always have to make a dough that has an overnight rise – it’s just the one that I find tastes best and is easiest to handle. When I was first talking about it, someone gave me the advice that you should plan to use the Ooni every week or other week or so for it to be worthwhile (and so you don’t forget all of your lessons learned!). I have no relationship with Ooni, so I’m not going to try to convince you that you need one, but it definitely raises your pizza to a new level.

      1. I’ll agree with the ‘Ooni taking your pizza game to another level’. Used to use an oven at 550 F, with a pizza steel. Everyone loved it. Enter the Ooni on sale.

        However, as everyone warned me, the first few tries with the Ooni were not successful. Everything cooks so fast, much less margin for error.

        Now with the Joanne’s dough recipe for the Ooni, success! Pizza at another level. Thanks Joanne!

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