Homemade New York-style pizza is a delicious way to bring the classic pizzeria experience right into your kitchen. With the right tools, ingredients, and patience, you can make authentic New York-style pizza at home without a pizza oven, featuring a thin, chewy crust and flavorful toppings.
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🍕 The Pizza Ingredients
The carefully selected ingredients for this amazing pizza work together to deliver the authentic taste and perfect chewy texture that define this iconic dish. Get started a few days before serving with authentic New York-Style Pizza Dough. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.
🍅 Pizza Sauce and Toppings Ingredients
👉 More About the Ingredients
- Dough – For the most authentic taste with superior taste and texture, we highly recommend going with New York-Style Pizza Dough (with Starter). You can purchase dough from your local pizza restaurant, but this recipe truly delivers authentic taste and texture.
- Tomatoes – The types of ground tomatoes and whole tomatoes that are used in NY pizzerias (and from artisanal pizza restaurants around the country) can easily be ordered online. However, keep in mind that they are typically only sold commercially, so they are sold in large quantities. We divide our tomatoes up and freeze them until we are ready to use them. However, San Marzano (certified) whole tomatoes and top-notch crushed tomatoes can be found in most supermarkets and will still deliver great taste.
- Pork and Pepperoni – For best flavor, ask your butcher to grind pork shoulder on a medium grind. Packaged ground pork will work in a pinch, but ground pork should is amazing (and freezes wonderfully). We recommend pepperoni that is in natural casing, which can be found often in the deli section of most well-stocked supermarkets. Boar’s Head is excellent.
- Mozzarella – For best flavor and even melting, we recommend whole milk mozzarella that is in a loaf (not shredded or sliced). Chop the fresh mozzarella in your food processor or with a large, sharp knife. Bagged shredded mozzarella can be used in a pinch, but non-sticking additives are added to shredded cheese and don’t deliver the creamy melted cheese you want with this pizza.
See the recipe card (with video) below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
⚖️ The Tools
Having the right tools is essential for making perfect pizza dough with the ideal texture and crispness.
- Digital scale – Necessary for measuring the exact right amount of flour. Weighing ingredients is much more precise than measuring by volume.
- Palm scale – You’ll need this for weighing yeast and other ingredients. It should register to 0.01 grams.
- Stand mixer – You can knead the dough by hand (from start to finish), but a stand mixer makes life much easier.
- Straight-edge dough cutter – This is also called a “bench scraper.” It’s perfect for cutting the dough evenly and cleaning your counter.
- Round-edge bowl scraper – This makes getting the tacky (sticky) dough out of the bowl so much easier.
- Half sheet pan – Or, two quarter sheet pans.
- Extra-Wide Plastic Wrap – Extra wide makes wrapping the dough in the pan easier, but regular size works well, too.
- Tape Measure – For ensuring your pizza dough is 13 inches in diameter.
- Large Rectangular Pizza Steels – You’ll want two of these. Large pizza stones work, too.
- Extra-Wide Pizza Wheel – This makes getting the pizza in and out of your oven much easier.
- Rocking pizza cutter – A pizza slicer is perfectly fine, but the cutter will give you more precision when slicing the pizza.
👩🏼🍳 How To Make New York-Style Pizza Sauce and Toppings
- Step 1: Purée the ground tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and pepper with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Step 2:
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, then chill for 24 hours.
- Step 3: In a small bowl, mix together the ground fennel and anise seed with salt, pepper, and water.
- Step 4: Place the pork in a large bowl and top with the seasoning and honey.
- Step 5: Mix and cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
- Step 6: Pour the oil over the garlic and let it rest for at least 2 hours.
👨🍳 How To Make New York-Style Pizza
- Step 1: Allow the pizza dough to sit at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Step 2: Transfer dough to a flour/semolina-dusted surface and then use your hands to work the dough into a 13-inch diameter.
- Step 3: Gently pull the dough onto the peel and spoon on the sauce in a circular motion, starting at the center.
- Step 4: Sprinkle on the mozzarella, then the pepperoni, prepared fennel sausage, and dried oregano.
- Step 5: Bake for 10 minutes in the oven on a baking steel (or stone) that has been preheated to 500°F for at least 1 hour. Remove with a pizza peel.
- Step 6: Top with grated Parmesan and drizzle with the garlic oil. Slice and then serve at once!
Expert Tip
Using two baking steels (or stones) helps to create an even browning on the bottom of the crust. After 4 to 5 minutes, turn the pizza 180° and then transfer it to the lower baking steel. The new steel will heat and brown the crust perfectly. It’s okay if there are some dark spots on the bottom of the crust. This is normal, but you don’t want them burned. This may take some practice as you learn the temperature of your oven.
😋 Other Homemade Pizza Recipes
Ready to make the best pizza this side of the Big Apple? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Homemade New York-Style Pizza
Homemade New York-Style Pizza features a thin, chewy crust topped with savory tomato sauce and melted cheese, capturing the classic flavors of the Big Apple right in your own kitchen. You'll need to invest in a few tools, some specific ingredients, and some time (3 days), but the end result will most likely be the most delicious pizza you've ever encountered!
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Calories: 452kcal
Video
Equipment
- See blog post for equipment recommendations
Ingredients
Pizza Dough (2 to 3 days before making the pizza)
- 1 13 oz pizza dough
For the Pizza Sauce (1 day before making the pizza)
- ½ cup ground tomatoes
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup whole tomatoes seeded and hand torn (see NOTES)
For the Sweet Fennel Sausage (1 day before making the pizza)
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon anise seeds
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp cool tap water
- 1 lb ground pork preferably ground pork shoulder
- 1 tablespoon honey
For the Garlic-Infused Olive Oil (1 day before making the pizza)
- 2 teaspoon garlic minced
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
For the Pizza (Day of making the pizza)
- ¼ cup high-gluten flour
- ¼ cup semolina flour
- ⅔ cup pizza sauce
- ¾ cup whole milk mozzarella sliced (or chopped)
- ½ cup pepperoni thinly sliced, preferably in natural casing
- ½ cup sweet fennel sausage
- dried oregano for dusting
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated, for garnish
- garlic-infused oil for drizzling
Instructions
Make the Dough (2 to 3 days before making the pizza)
- Prepare the pizza dough1 13 oz pizza dough
Make the Pizza Sauce (1 day before making the pizza)
- Combine the ground tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and oil in a large bowl. Purée with an immersion blender. Stir in the hand-crushed tomatoes.½ cup ground tomatoes, ¼ cup tomato paste, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ cup whole tomatoes
- Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Be sure to bring back to room temperature before adding to pizza dough (usually about 2 hours sitting on the counter).
Make the Sweet Fennel Sausage (1 day before making the pizza, or the morning of)
- Grind the fennel seeds and anise seeds in a spice grinder until lightly ground. There should still be some texture; you don't want a powder. Add the seeds, salt, and pepper to a small bowl and add the water, and stir to form a paste.1 tablespoon fennel seeds, 1 tablespoon anise seeds, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cool tap water
- Place the pork into a large bowl and top with the spice mixture and honey. Use your hands to incorporate the spices and honey into the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.1 lb ground pork, 1 tablespoon honey
Make the Garlic-Infused Oil
- Add the garlic to a small bowl and pour the garlic over it. Keep covered on the counter for at least 2 hours, or even better for 1 to 2 days. Give it a stir every now and then to help infuse the garlic into the oil.2 teaspoon garlic, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Make the New York-Style Pizza
- 2 hours before preparing the pizza, take the dough and the sauce out of the refrigerator.
- 1 hour and 15 minutes before baking, place the pizza steel(s) or stones in the oven, one on the second-highest grate placement and the other on the lowest grate placement. Turn the oven to 500°F.
- Mix together the high-gluten flour and semolina flour in a bowl. Liberally sprinkle the flour mixture on your counter and on the pizza peel.¼ cup high-gluten flour, ¼ cup semolina flour
- Carefully remove the plastic wrap from the dough on the sheet pan. Use your fingers to help pull the plastic from the dough (it will be sticky). Try and maintain the dough shape, but it's okay if it loses its dome shape somewhat. Use your dough cutter/bench scraper to gently loosen the bottom of the dough from the pan. Once it's free, transfer the dough to the floured surface. Flip the dough so both sides are coated with the flour/semolina mixture.
- Use your cupped hands to push the dough into a circle. Use the palms of your hands to expand the diameter of the dough. Gently lift the dough and toss it back and forth with your hands. Toss the dough onto both of your fists in the center of the dough, being careful not to tear the dough. Transfer to the pizza peel and continue working the dough with your fingers and palms until a 13-inch diameter is reached.
- Transfer the room temperature sauce to the center of the dough. Use the back of a spoon to spread the sauce to about 1 inch from the edge of the exterior of the dough. Don't add too much sauce. It should be thin. Give the pizza peel a shake or two to keep the dough mobile on the peel.⅔ cup pizza sauce
- Sprinkle the mozzarella over the sauce, and then top it with the pepperoni slices and then pinches of the sweet fennel sausage (you will have leftover pork that can be frozen, or used again).¾ cup whole milk mozzarella, ½ cup pepperoni, ½ cup sweet fennel sausage
- Carefully transfer the pizza onto the heated steel or stone on the top rack and bake for 5 minutes. Open the oven and rotate the pizza 180°, and then pull it onto the wheel and transfer to the lower steel or stone. Bake for another 5 minutes, or until the crust and cheese are just starting to brown.
- Remove from the oven. Garnish with freshly shave Parmesan cheese and dried oregano. Slice and serve at once!dried oregano, garlic-infused oil, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Notes
NOTE: Watch the video near the top of the recipe for visual guidance.
Watch the video on how to shape the dough. This takes practice, and you’ll get better at it every time you make a pizza.
To make the hand-crushed tomatoes, place the tomatoes in a sieve over a bowl. Grab the whole tomatoes, and then use your fingers to tear them up, remove the seeds, and any tough parts of the tomato. Place in a separate bowl.
This recipe requires a small investment in tools, ingredients, and time…but the result will be a pizza you and your loved ones will want to make time and time again!
Nutrition
Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 132g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 212mg | Sodium: 712mg | Potassium: 1119mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 2849IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 986mg | Iron: 15mg
Tried this recipe? Take a Picture!Mention @HowToFeedALoon or tag #HowToFeedALoon!
NOTE: This recipe is adapted from the amazing chef master pizza maker Tony Gemignani and his book The Pizza Bible.
DonD says
If you are looking for a authentic NY pizza recipe, you just found it! This recipe makes the best pizza ever, I’m serious it is so good. Make sure you follow the recipe for the dough exactly as it is written. It does take tiime to make but well worth it.So plan ahead. I make a double batch of dough and freeze one so I have it ready for next time. This truly makes the best pizza ever!
Kris Longwell says
We are THRILLED you made the pizza with the dough and hit it out of the park! We agree, the taste and texture is so New York!!! Thank you so much for sharing your experience and the great review!!! You are the BEST!! Stay in touch!! xoxo