High Protein Pizza Crust
A real yeasted high protein pizza crust made with Greek yogurt or cottage cheese for 70% more protein than regular dough. Ready in 90 minutes, par bakes beautifully, and freezes for up to 3 months.
Servings: 2 pizzas
Calories: 109kcal
Equipment
- - Stand mixer with dough hook
- kitchen scale
- Pizza stone, steel, or heavy rimmed baking sheet flipped upside down
- Parchment paper
- Small spray bottle with water
- Fork for docking
- Pizza peel or sheet pan
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 380 grams bread flour 3 and 1/4 cups
- 200 grams nonfat Greek yogurt OR 200 grams cottage cheese blended smooth with 15 grams milk, warmed scant 1 cup
- 120 grams water warm 100 to 110 degrees F (1/2 cup)
- 20 grams olive oil 1 and 1/2 tablespoons
- 4 grams instant yeast 1 and 1/4 teaspoons
- 7 grams salt 1 and 1/4 teaspoons
- 5 grams sugar 1 teaspoon
For Baking
- Your favorite pizza sauce
- Low moisture shredded mozzarella
- Toppings of choice
- Water for the parchment
Instructions
- If using cottage cheese, blend 200 grams with 15 grams of milk until completely smooth before measuring. If using Greek yogurt, measure straight from the container. Both should have a thick smooth consistency.
- Warm the yogurt or cottage cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the bread flour, instant yeast, salt, and sugar and mix briefly on low to distribute. In a separate bowl whisk together the Greek yogurt or blended cottage cheese, warm water, and olive oil until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour.
- Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms, about 2 minutes, then increase to medium speed and knead for 6 to 8 minutes until the dough is smooth, pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl, and passes a partial windowpane test. The dough should be tacky but not sticky. If it severely sticks to the bowl after 3 minutes add flour one tablespoon at a time. If it looks too stiff add water one tablespoon at a time.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and bulk ferment at room temperature for 1 to 1.5 hours until visibly puffy and increased in size. You do not need it to double, just to look noticeably puffed and airy. Check at the 1 hour mark as instant yeast moves quickly.
- Place your pizza stone, steel, or upside down heavy baking sheet on the top rack and preheat your oven to 475 degrees F for at least 30 minutes. If using the upside down baking sheet shoot for about 10 minutes. A fully preheated surface is the most important factor in getting a crispy bottom crust at home.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball, cover, and rest for 20 to 30 minutes before shaping. The rest period lets the gluten relax so the dough stretches cooperatively.
- Lay a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface and give it a light spritz of water. This keeps the dough from sticking without adding extra flour. Place one dough ball in the center and press from the middle outward with your fingertips, working around the dough in a circle and stretching evenly as you go. Once the dough gets larger switch to pushing outward around the edges with your fingertips to build the crust rim. Work to a 10 to 12 inch round. If the dough springs back cover and rest another 10 minutes before trying again.
- Use a fork to dock the crust all over before baking. This prevents large air bubbles from forming and gives you a flat even surface for toppings.
- For a par bake, slide the docked crust on parchment onto the preheated stone and bake at 475 degrees F for 6 to 8 minutes until just set and lightly golden with no raw patches. Remove, cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. To finish from frozen, add toppings and bake at 475 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes.
- To bake right away, slide the docked crust on parchment onto the preheated stone and bake at 475 degrees F for 6 to 8 minutes until just set and lightly golden with no raw patches. Remove, add sauce, cheese, and toppings directly to the shaped crust and bake again on the preheated stone at 475 degrees F for an additional 12 to 15 minutes until the cheese is deeply golden and the crust rim is dark brown. Watch closely after 10 minutes as the dairy in this dough accelerates browning.
Notes
This Is Not a Lean Pizza Dough:
This is an enriched dough. The Greek yogurt or cottage cheese creates a soft, tender crumb with a satisfying chew and a golden crust that browns faster than a lean dough. Do not expect a thin cracker style Neapolitan crust. Expect a soft interior, sturdy structure, and beautiful golden color. That is exactly what this dough is designed to deliver.
Partial Windowpane Test:
Because this is an enriched dough with dairy, you will not achieve a full translucent windowpane the way you would with a lean pizza dough. You are looking for a partial windowpane where the dough stretches without immediately tearing. That is the correct target. Do not over knead chasing a full windowpane.
Cottage Cheese or Greek Yogurt:
Both work at a 1:1 measured swap with no other adjustments needed. To use cottage cheese, blend 200 grams with 15 grams of milk until completely smooth before measuring. Use Good Culture cottage cheese for best results. Use nonfat Greek yogurt for the highest protein content. Whatever you use must be thick. Thin or regular yogurt will throw off your hydration.
Protein Boost:
This dough delivers 70% more protein than a standard pizza dough made with flour and water alone. The boost comes entirely from the Greek yogurt or cottage cheese with no protein powder required. Each slice of plain dough contains approximately 7 grams of protein.
No Pizza Stone:
No pizza stone or steel? Flip a heavy rimmed baking sheet or cookie sheet upside down and place it on the top rack of your oven. Preheat at 475 degrees F for at least 10 minutes before baking. The flat bottom acts just like a pizza stone and gives you a much crispier bottom crust than baking on a cold pan.
Active Dry Yeast:
If you only have active dry yeast, bloom 5 grams in the warm water with a pinch of sugar for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy before adding to the recipe. Do not add active dry yeast directly to the dry ingredients the way you would instant yeast.
To Par Bake and Freeze:
Par bake the shaped docked crust at 475 degrees F for 6 to 8 minutes until just set and lightly golden. Cool completely before wrapping. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap then foil and freeze flat for up to 3 months. To bake from frozen, add toppings and bake straight from the freezer on a preheated stone at 475 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes.
Storage:
Shaped dough balls can be refrigerated covered for up to 24 hours after bulk fermentation. Let them come fully to room temperature before shaping. Par baked crusts can be refrigerated wrapped tightly for up to 3 days.
Sourdough Version:
If you want deeper flavor from a long fermented crust, check out my High Protein Sourdough Pizza Crust for the overnight version of this same recipe.
