Flaky Crust Artisan Pizza Recipe

Pizza Sugo Sauce Preparation: In a mixing bowl, combine SwissBake® Pizza Sugo Powder, water, and extra-virgin olive oil. Whisk vigorously until the sauce is smooth, fully hydrated, and completely lump-free. Cover and keep the prepared sauce under refrigeration until required for pizza assembly. 

Butter Preparation for Lamination: Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the cold butter onto a sheet of parchment paper in an even layer. Fold the parchment paper in half to cover the grated butter and transfer the packet to the freezer until required for lamination. Keep the butter frozen for at least 30 minutes in advance to ensure it remains firm during folding and rolling. 

Dough Mixing & First Fermentation: In a mixing bowl, combine MORCOTE® 00 Pizza Flour, instant dry yeast, salt, and granulated sugar. Add water and extra-virgin olive oil, then knead the dough in the bowl until it begins to come together. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and continue kneading for 1–2 minutes, dusting with flour only as needed, until any dry bits are incorporated and a homogenous but slightly craggy dough is formed. Cover the dough and allow it to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes, until noticeably puffy. The dough may not necessarily double in size at this stage. 

Dough Division: Divide the risen dough into three equal portions. Work with one dough portion at a time while keeping the remaining portions covered in the refrigerator. This helps maintain dough temperature and prevents the butter from softening too early during the lamination process. 

First Lamination Fold: Transfer one dough portion to a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle of approximately 25 × 33 cm, keeping one of the short sides closest to you. Working quickly, sprinkle most of the frozen grated butter over the surface of the dough while reserving some butter in the freezer for the next fold. With lightly floured hands, gently press the butter into the dough so that it adheres. Bring the left third of the dough toward the centre, then bring the right third over the top to cover the same section, forming a letter fold. Pat, press, or gently roll the folded rectangle to widen it to approximately 10 cm. 

Second Lamination Fold: Distribute the remaining frozen grated butter over the top of the dough and press it gently with lightly floured hands to adhere. Bring the top third of the dough toward the centre, then bring the bottom third over the top. Gently pinch and press the seam together, but do not pinch the sides shut. Press the folded dough packet into a roughly 2.5 cm thick rectangle. 

Rolling, Resting & Temperature Control: Flour the work surface as needed and begin rolling the laminated dough into a large rectangle. If the dough begins to resist or snap back, pause, cover it, and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. While the dough is resting, preheat the oven with a rack in the centre. After resting, uncover the dough and continue rolling until it reaches approximately half-sheet pan size, around 33 × 45 cm. During rolling, bubbles or butter spots may appear on the surface. Pop any larger bubbles with the tip of a sharp knife or toothpick and dust any buttery spots lightly with flour. If the dough becomes warm or sticky at any point, transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes before continuing. 

Panning & Final Rest: Transfer the rolled dough to an ungreased half-sheet pan. Stretch and push the dough gently toward the edges of the pan, then cover and rest for 15 minutes. After resting, gently stretch the dough again so it touches all edges and corners of the pan, reaching approximately halfway up the side walls. Re-cover the dough and allow it to rest for another 15–30 minutes, until the dough becomes visibly puffy around the edges. 

Topping & Baking: Spread the prepared pizza sugo sauce evenly over the dough surface, taking it nearly to the edges. Sprinkle a portion of grated parmesan over the sauce, followed by shredded mozzarella and fresh mozzarella cubes. Bake on the centre rack at 220°C to 230°C for 15–18 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and browned in spots and the exposed dough is golden brown. Check the pizza halfway through baking and pop any especially large bubbles with the tip of a sharp knife if required. 

Garlic-Basil Oil Preparation: While the pizza is baking, prepare the garlic-basil oil. In a small bowl, combine extra-virgin olive oil, minced fresh basil, fresh lemon juice, grated garlic, fine sea salt, and optional red pepper flakes. Mix well and keep aside until the pizza is baked. 

Finishing & Service: Remove the pizza from the oven and use a spatula to loosen any cheese that may have stuck around the edges of the pan. Transfer the pizza to a wire rack, sprinkle with additional parmesan if required, and drizzle approximately 12g to 25g of garlic-basil oil generously over the top. Allow the pizza to cool slightly on the rack for 3–5 minutes before slicing and serving. Repeat the rolling, lamination, topping, and baking process for the remaining dough portions.