Print

Flaky Puff Crust Pizza Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.8 from 68 reviews

This Flaky Puff Crust Pizza recipe combines a beautifully laminated, buttery puff pastry-style crust with classic pizza toppings including rich tomato sauce, Parmesan, and a mix of shredded and fresh mozzarella. The dough is carefully prepared with layers of cold butter to create a light, crispy, and flaky base that bakes up golden and tender. Finished with a fragrant garlic-basil oil drizzle, this pizza offers a gourmet, homemade experience for pizza lovers wanting something special and flaky yet cheesy and satisfying.

Ingredients

Scale

Dough and Lamination

  • 4 tablespoons (57g) butter, cold
  • 2 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon (300g) King Arthur ‘00’ Pizza Flour or 2 1/2 cups (300g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons (8g) table salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup (170g) water, lukewarm (98°F to 110°F)
  • 1 tablespoon (12g) extra-virgin olive oil

Toppings

  • 2/3 cup (151g) pizza sauce
  • 1/4 cup (25g) Parmesan cheese, grated; plus more for sprinkling
  • 8 ounces (227g) mozzarella cheese, shredded; preferably whole milk (about 2 cups)
  • 4 ounces (114g) mozzarella cheese, fresh; cubed into 1/4″ pieces (about 1 cup)

Garlic-Basil Oil

  • 1/4 cup (50g) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 heaping tablespoons (10g) basil, fresh and minced
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon lemon juice, to taste
  • 1/2 clove garlic, grated
  • pinch of table salt
  • pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

  1. Prepare the butter for lamination: Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the cold butter onto a sheet of parchment or wax paper in an even layer. Fold the parchment in half to cover the butter, then transfer the packet to the freezer until you’re ready to laminate, at least 30 minutes or up to several days.
  2. Make the dough: Weigh or measure the flour and whisk it together with yeast, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add lukewarm water and olive oil; stir with a flexible spatula until only a few dry patches of flour remain.
  3. Knead the dough: Knead in the bowl to bring it together, then transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead 1 to 2 minutes until forming a homogenous but slightly craggy dough. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 30 minutes until noticeably puffy but not doubled in size.
  4. Roll out dough for lamination: Transfer dough to floured surface and roll into approximately 10″ x 13″ rectangle with short side facing you.
  5. First fold and butter application: Sprinkle most of the frozen grated butter over the dough, reserving about 1 tablespoon. Press butter lightly to adhere. Fold the left third of the dough toward the center, then fold the right third over to cover (letter fold). Gently roll or press to widen to about 4″.
  6. Second butter layer and fold: Sprinkle the remaining butter over dough and press to adhere. Fold the top third down toward center, then fold the bottom third up over this. Pinch and press seam, forming a roughly 1″ thick rectangle.
  7. Roll and rest the dough: Roll dough into a large rectangle until it begins to resist and snaps back. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
  8. Preheat oven: While dough rests, preheat oven to 475°F with rack in center position.
  9. Roll out the dough to final size: Continue rolling the dough to approximately 13″ x 18″ (size of Crispiest Crust Pizza Pan or half-sheet pan). Pop any bubbles gently and dust buttery spots with flour. If dough becomes too warm or sticky, chill 10-15 minutes in fridge.
  10. Transfer to pizza pan and rest: Transfer dough to an ungreased 13″ x 18″ pizza pan, stretching to edges. Cover and rest 15 minutes.
  11. Stretch and final rest: Push dough to touch edges and corners, reaching halfway up side walls. Cover and rest additional 15-30 minutes until edges are puffed.
  12. Top pizza: Spread pizza sauce evenly almost to edges. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese, then distribute shredded mozzarella followed by cubed fresh mozzarella evenly over the surface.
  13. Bake the pizza: Bake on center rack for 15 to 17 minutes until cheese is melted, browned in spots, and exposed dough is golden. Pop any large bubbles halfway through baking if necessary.
  14. Prepare garlic-basil oil: While pizza bakes, mix olive oil, fresh minced basil, lemon juice, grated garlic, pinch of salt, and optional red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Set aside.
  15. Remove pizza from oven: Use a spatula to loosen any cheese stuck around pan edges.
  16. Finish and serve: Transfer pizza to wire rack, sprinkle with additional Parmesan, and drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons of garlic-basil oil evenly over the top. Let cool 3 to 5 minutes before slicing. Reserve remaining oil for future use. To reheat leftovers, wrap in foil and heat at 350°F for about 10 minutes.

Notes

  • Ensure butter is very cold before grating and laminating for best flaky layers.
  • If dough becomes too warm or sticky while rolling, chill in the fridge to ease handling.
  • You can add additional toppings like pepperoni or vegetables after the cheeses before baking.
  • Use a pizza pan with raised sides to help the dough develop height and crisp edges.
  • To avoid large bubbles while baking, check halfway through and gently pop big bubbles with a knife tip.
  • Leftover pizza reheats beautifully wrapped in foil at 350°F for about 10 minutes.

Keywords: Flaky puff crust pizza, laminated dough pizza, homemade pizza, Italian pizza, puff pastry pizza crust, mozzarella pizza, garlic basil oil pizza

Find it online: https://tastygenius.com/flaky-puff-crust-pizza-recipe/