How to Make Pizza Dough Balls

By: Grega Ivančič

Making good pizza starts long before the oven is hot. Properly shaped dough balls help your dough ferment evenly, rise correctly, and stretch effortlessly later on. In this video, we show three easy ways to make pizza dough balls — from beginner-friendly to faster, more advanced techniques.

You don’t need special tools or perfect precision. With a bit of practice, these methods will quickly become second nature.

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Instructions

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Method 1: The Classic Hand Roll

The Beginner-Friendly Approach

This is the most traditional way to shape dough balls and often the first method taught in pizzerias. After portioning the dough, simply rotate it in your hand, closing the bottom as you turn.

It’s slow, simple, and perfect for beginners who want to understand how dough behaves.

Best for:

  • Beginners
  • Small batches
  • Learning dough handling basics

 

 

Method 2: Push & Fold

Faster and Still Easy

In this method, the dough is pushed back onto itself and gently folded to create surface tension. It’s quicker than the classic hand roll while still being very easy to control.

This technique produces well-shaped dough balls with minimal effort and is ideal for home bakers.

Best for:

  • Faster prep
  • Consistent results
  • Home pizza sessions

 

 

Method 3: The Professional Technique

Fast, Efficient, and Precise

This is the method used by experienced pizza makers. The dough is stretched, folded inward, and closed quickly — similar to handling mozzarella. Once shaped, the dough is cut cleanly and ready for proofing.

It’s the fastest method and ideal when preparing multiple dough balls.

Best for:

  • Experienced bakers
  • Larger batches
  • Efficient workflow

Proofing Tips

Give Your Dough Room to Rise

Once shaped, place your dough balls into proofing trays. For best results:

  • Use no more than 6 dough balls per small tray
  • Fewer is fine (4–5), but overcrowding prevents proper fermentation
  • Always place dough balls seam-side down

Proper spacing ensures even rise and better final texture.

 

 

Why Dough Balls Matter

Small Step, Big Difference

Well-shaped dough balls lead to:

  • Better fermentation
  • Easier stretching
  • More consistent pizzas

Master this step, and every pizza you make will improve.