This chewy pizza dough recipe uses semolina flour. That’s what makes the crust so chewy and delicious! As a bonus, we found the dough really easy to work with.

Last Updated October 11, 2024 – Originally Published November 26, 2018

Featured Comment:

Definitely the best crust I’ve made making this effort the best pizza I’ve made to date. This is a keeper. ~ Greg

The Man of the House (TMOTH) makes us pizza once a month.  He takes his pizza very seriously.  This means that he uses quality ingredients, a pizza stone and he makes the dough from scratch using the bread machine.

One day TMOTH tried a new pizza crust recipe.  It used semolina flour, the same type of flour used to make many types of pasta.  It turned out great!  The dough was easy to work with and the pizza crust was chewy and tasty.

Chewy Pizza Dough Recipe for the Bread Machine

I make the below recipe in my two-pound machine. Note that you’ll be using the dough setting.

Follow the instructions that came with your bread machine in terms of what ingredients to add first.  

Check on the dough after five or ten minutes of kneading.  Pop the top of the bread machine and look at the dough. It should be a smooth, round ball. 

If the dough is too dry add liquid a teaspoon at a time until it looks right.  If it looks too wet, add flour a tablespoon at a time until it looks good.

Making Pizza Using a Pizza Stone

Here’s how we make round pizzas on a pizza stone.  Don’t have a pizza stone?  Not to worry.  I’ve got instructions for using a cookie sheet down below.

Once the dough is done, separate it into two balls.  Let the balls of dough rest for at least 5 minutes. Then use a rolling pin to form two rounds of dough. 

Move the pizza crusts onto parchment paper.

At this stage of the process, TMOTH puts his pizza stone into the oven and sets the temperature to 545 degrees.   If your oven doesn’t go over 500 degrees, set the oven for about 5 degrees under its maximum temperature.

Lightly brush olive oil on the crust to seal it.  Then spread the sauce over the pizza avoiding the edges.

Cover the pizza with pepperoni.  At our house, we use lots and lots of pepperoni.  It comes to about half a pound for both pizzas. 

Then we move to the cheese.  TMOTH uses fresh mozzarella and grated Parmesan. 

Then he uses a special tool called a peel to move the pizza and the parchment paper onto the pizza stone. Note that the pizzas will cook one at a time.

Keep an eye on the pizza and watch for the cheese to melt.   That’s how you’ll know when it’s done. In our oven that takes between 6 and 8 minutes.

When the pizza is done TMOTH uses the peel to remove the pizza and parchment paper from the oven.  Then he slides the pizza onto the cutting board and discards the parchment paper.

Making Pizza Using Cookie Sheets

Before we had a pizza stone, TMOTH made pizza using our two, extra-large cookie sheets. 

Once the dough is done, roll it out and make two rectangles.  Lay the dough in the cookie sheets.

Then brush the pizza dough with olive oil to seal it. Then spread the sauce over the pizza avoiding the edges.

Cover the pizza with pepperoni.  Then add the cheese.   TMOTH uses fresh mozzarella and grated Parmesan

Once the pizza is assembled bake it for about 25 minutes at 400 degrees.

Chewy Pizza Dough Recipe – 2 Pound Machine

Note that this recipe is for a two-pound loaf and made with the dough setting. 

1 ¼ cups water
2 cups bread flour
1 cup semolina flour
½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons active dry yeast yeast

Follow the instructions that came with your bread machine in terms of what ingredients to add first.  Use the dough setting.