What’s the best way to knead pizza dough for a chewy yet crisp crust?

[David98]

I’ve been trying to get my homemade pizza crust to have that perfect chewy yet crisp texture, but it always comes out a bit tough or too bread-like. I’m wondering if my kneading technique is the problem—maybe I’m overworking the dough or not developing the gluten enough.

[DavidL]

I used to knead until my arms cramped and the crust came out dense. Now I do short gentle kneads, then a long rest with a few stretch and folds during the first rise. The crust ends up chewier and less bread-like, with a few blistered edges.

[AriaT]

I played with hydration and longer rests between folds, and the dough felt less stiff. The gluten development seemed to need time rather than endless kneading.

[EmmaS]

Maybe the real problem isn’t the dough at all. My oven’s hot spots and bake setup changed the crust more than any kneading tweak. Could the issue be oven temperature or how you bake it?

[Scarlett65]

I wandered off topic once, chasing stone versus steel and even a brief steam shot, then circled back to the dough. It didn’t fix everything, but the tangent reminded me texture isn’t only about kneading.