High altitude pizza dough
Making your own high altitude pizza dough isn’t just about control over the ingredients — it’s about adapting your pizza dough recipe to work with the challenges of high altitude baking. At higher elevations, the thin air and lower atmospheric pressure mean dough rises faster, moisture evaporates quicker, and you may need less yeast for the perfect texture. By using a flour mixture that includes bread flour or high gluten flour, you’ll get a stronger structure that helps your crust hold its shape and develop more flavor during a slow rise.Whether you bake on a pizza stone, sheet pan, or baking sheet lined with parchment paper, the key is to manage your rise time and bake in a hot oven — sometimes at a slightly higher temperature than at sea level — for that golden brown finish. Cover your dough ball with plastic wrap or a towel during the first rise to keep it from drying out, and always work on a lightly floured surface when shaping. With these high-altitude adjustments, your homemade pizza will rival any restaurant’s, from a rustic pan pizza to a crisp, thin-crust masterpiece.
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water (adjust slightly warmer for high altitude)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt (or kosher salt)
- ¾ tsp active dry yeast (reduce slightly for high altitude to avoid overproofing)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 cups bread flour or high gluten flour (instead of “Nutri-blend or regular flour” for better structure at higher elevations)
Instructions
- Place sugar in 1 cup warm water to dissolve.
- Add yeast; when foamy, add salt, oil, and about half of the flour mixture.
- Beat until smooth, then stir in the remaining flour. Add more flour if needed until a soft dough forms.
- Place on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 6–8 minutes).
- Place in a greased large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size (about 30–40 minutes at high altitude, 45 minutes at sea level).
- Punch down and divide into two equal dough balls. This recipe will make 2 medium (12-inch circle) pizzas.
- Shape dough and transfer to a pizza stone or baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Add toppings and bake in a hot oven — 450°F at sea level, or slightly higher temperature (460°F) at high altitude for the first 5 minutes, then reduce to 375°F to finish baking. Bake 12–15 minutes, until crust is golden brown.
- Healthy Recipe serves 4.
- SBcanning’s Pizza Toppings will be under Main Entrees, so take a look. Happy munching.
- If you are having guests for dinner, look under Salads for ideas to entertain with pizza.