Parmesan Thin Crust Pizza Dough (ABM)

This pizza dough outsources the kneading to your bread machine and bakes into a thin, crisp crust with built-in flavor from grated Parmigiano-Reggiano worked right into the flour. The cheese gives the crust a savory, nutty edge before any sauce or toppings hit it.

Bread flour is the right call here, not all-purpose. The higher protein content gives the dough the structure it needs to stretch thin without tearing and crisp up at high heat instead of going floppy. A single tablespoon of olive oil keeps the crumb tender.

The oven setup matters as much as the dough. A pizza stone needs a full hour at 500°F (260°C) to load up enough thermal mass to crisp the bottom in 15 minutes. Pans need at least 30 minutes of preheat. Cold dough on a cold pan equals soggy crust, every time.

Chef Tips

• Use bread flour, not all-purpose, for the chew and crisp this dough is meant to deliver
• Make ahead and refrigerate up to a week, the cold ferment actually deepens the flavor
• Pull dough from the fridge 30 minutes before rolling so it stretches without snapping back
• Slide pizza onto a hot stone with a peel dusted with semolina or cornmeal for easy release

Variations

• Add 1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian herbs to the flour for a herbed crust
• Stir in 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato bits for a Mediterranean dough
• Brush rolled dough with garlic oil before topping for an extra savory base