How to Twirl Pizza Dough

Practice to master twirling pizza dough.

Knowing how to twirl pizza dough is not only a fun trick but a good technique for making a perfect pizza crust. By twirling the dough in the air, you stretch it evenly while still keeping a slightly thicker edge for the crust. In this case, practice makes perfect, so don't worry if you mess up the first few times. Once you've mastered the technique, you'll be able to show off to guests as an expert (almost) pizza twirler.

Things You'll Need

• Pizza dough
• Sharp knife
• Flour

Instructions

1. Flour the pizza dough and shape it into a ball.

2. Use your hand to flatten one piece of dough to a thickness of about one inch. Once you've flattened the dough, pinch and stretch along its outside to stretch it out. (It should be slightly floppy by the time you're ready for the next step.)

3. Place the dough over your fist, then make a fist with your other hand and put it under the dough, too. Slowly separate your fists so the dough continues to stretch. It's best to rotate your fists as you separate them so the dough doesn't tear. To rotate your fists, move the left fist away from you and the right fist toward you.

4. Start rotating your fists faster once the pizza dough is 8 to 10 inches wide. You can move your right fist up slightly as you twist the dough, which will cause it to twirl in the air.

5. Catch the dough carefully so it doesn't tear. Keep twirling until your pizza is the desired diameter.

References

• "The Pizza Book: Everything There is to Know About the World's Greatest Pie"; Evelyne Slomon; 1991
• "The Art of Pizza Making: Trade Secrets and Recipes"; Dominick A. DeAngelis and Suzanne Ling; 2009