Guide · Italian cuisine
Make pizza yourself
Good dough, little topping, lots of heat: that's how pizza turns out like in Italy. Here's the step-by-step guide — and you'll learn more Italian classics in the cooking class in Ratingen.
Step by step
1Make the dough
Knead flour (Tipo 00) with water, a little yeast, salt and a dash of olive oil. Rule of thumb: about 60 ml water per 100 g flour, little yeast for more flavour.
2Let it rise long
Cover the dough and let it rise for several hours, ideally overnight in the fridge. A long rise makes the dough digestible and aromatic.
3Stretch, don't roll
Gently stretch the dough balls by hand from the centre outwards so the rim stays airy. Don't flatten it with a rolling pin.
4Top sparingly
Little but good: puréed tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil. Too much topping makes the pizza soggy.
5Bake it hot
As hot as possible. In a home oven, 250 to 300 degrees with a preheated tray or pizza stone, just a few minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Which flour for pizza?
Fine wheat flour Tipo 00. For more bite, a blend with some durum wheat flour also works.
How long does pizza dough need to rise?
The longer the better. Several hours at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge with little yeast.
How hot does the oven need to be?
As hot as possible, 250 to 300 degrees. A preheated pizza stone or a hot tray gives a crispy base.
Why does my pizza turn out soggy?
Usually too much or too wet a topping and too little heat. Top sparingly and bake properly hot.
Will I learn pizza in a cooking class?
Our Italian classes in Ratingen are all about dough and classics — perfect for seeing the techniques live just once.
Prefer to cook together?
Italian cuisine from the ground up, in a cooking class in Ratingen with Chef Ervin.
View classes