We bought an outdoor pizza oven for the back deck this summer in celebration of actually having a deck. After lots of pizza parties we realized the most time-consuming part of the whole process was rolling out the dough, since the pizzas themselves only take 2 minutes to cook. So we made a pizza dough press to do the dough shaping for us.

It’s basically an oversize tortilla press with some modifications.

Materials:

1/2″ x 12″ x 36″ edge-glued pine board
2″ x 4″ x 8′ board
12″ square black granite tile
Two 3″ strap hinges
4″ length of 1/4″ threaded rod
14″ length of 1″ x 4″ board
Liquid Nails
Screws
1/4″ nuts

Tools:
Hand saw
Hack saw
Drill or screwdriver
Caulking gun
Clamps
Hammer
Vice

We added the granite tile to the press for added weight, easier cleaning, and a less sticky surface. Plus, it looks really nice. You can see all of the instructions for the build in the instructable we wrote.

We celebrated the project by inviting people over for pizza.

To Press your pizza dough:

1 – Lightly flour both the top and bottom of the press. This keeps your dough from sticking as you pull the sides apart.

2 – Use the lever to press the dough down to your desired thickness.

3 – Allow the dough to sit in the press for a minute, to let the gluten calm down so the dough won’t immediately tighten back up.

4 – Gently open the press and remove your pizza dough, all ready for toppings.

Works like a charm!

Do you have a favorite pizza dough recipe or topping combination? Tell us in the comments!