Five hundred grams of flour, 315 grams of water, 10 grams of salt and about 1/2 teaspoon of instant yeast make enough homemade pizza dough for three 12-inch pizzas. That is a hydration of 63 percent, meaning the water weighs 63 percent as much as the flour: wet enough to stretch thin and puff into an airy rim, but firm enough for a first-time pizza maker to handle without it sticking to everything.
The small amount of yeast is deliberate. This dough is designed to be made ahead and given a long, cold rise in the refrigerator, from 24 hours up to 3 days. The wait builds flavor and makes the dough easier to stretch, and it turns pizza night into a job of about 30 minutes instead of an afternoon.
The Make-Ahead Plan
Mix the dough on any evening when there are 30 minutes to spare. From then on, it needs only to be taken out of the refrigerator a few hours before baking.
The dough is usable after 24 hours, at its best around 48 to 72 hours, and starts to weaken after that. If plans change, freeze the balls instead of stretching their refrigerator time.
Why Cold Fermented Pizza Dough Tastes Better
At refrigerator temperature, yeast works slowly, producing gas gradually rather than in a rush. Meanwhile, enzymes in the flour break down some of the starch into sugars, and gluten continues to develop on its own. After a day or two, the dough has more complex flavor, slightly tangy and wheaty, and the extra sugars help the crust brown and blister in the oven.
Cold-fermented dough is also more relaxed. Freshly kneaded dough is elastic and springs back when stretched; dough that has rested for 2 days stretches easily and holds its shape. That makes shaping a thin, even round much easier for beginners.
Bread flour or all-purpose
Bread flour, with about 12 to 13 percent protein, forms a stronger gluten network that gives a chewier crust and holds up well to long fermentation. All-purpose flour works too, giving a slightly more tender crust, and the dough will be a little softer to handle. Tipo 00 flour, sold for Neapolitan pizza, is finely milled and designed for very hot ovens above 800°F; in a home oven at 500°F it can bake up pale.
Mixing and Balling the Dough
Stir the flour, salt and yeast together, add the water and olive oil, and mix until no dry flour remains. Let the rough dough rest for 20 minutes. During this rest the flour absorbs the water fully and gluten starts forming on its own, which makes kneading quicker.
Knead for about 5 minutes on an unfloured counter, or 4 minutes with a stand mixer and dough hook, until smooth and slightly tacky. Divide into three equal pieces of about 275 grams each. Shape each into a tight ball by folding the edges into the center and rolling it seam side down under a cupped hand until the surface is smooth and taut. A tight surface traps gas and gives a rounder, more even pizza.
Put each ball in a lightly oiled container with a lid, or in an oiled zip-top bag with room to expand, and refrigerate. Individual containers are easier than one large one, because the balls do not stick together and each can be used separately.
Storing and Freezing Pizza Dough
Storage is what makes this dough useful, so the details here deserve attention.
In the refrigerator
Keep the balls covered at 38 to 40°F (3 to 4°C) for 1 to 3 days. They will rise slowly, roughly doubling by day 3, and develop small bubbles on the surface. A few dark gray spots on very old dough are oxidation, not mold, but dough with fuzzy growth, a sour, unpleasant smell or a collapsed, soupy texture should be discarded.
Freezing pizza dough
For longer storage, let the balls ferment in the refrigerator for 24 hours first, which develops flavor, then freeze them. Wrap each ball tightly in plastic and seal in a freezer bag, pressing out the air. They keep for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or about 4 hours at room temperature, still in the bag.
Bringing dough to room temperature
Cold dough is stiff and tears when stretched. Take it out 2 to 3 hours before shaping and leave it covered on the counter. It is ready when it has warmed through, feels soft and slightly puffy, and a gentle press leaves a dent that springs back slowly.
Baking in a Home Oven
Home ovens reach about 500 to 550°F (260 to 290°C) at most, far below a wood-fired pizza oven. A baking steel or pizza stone, preheated on the top-third rack for 45 to 60 minutes, makes the biggest difference. Steel conducts heat faster than stone and gives a crisper, more blistered bottom.
Stretch the dough by hand on a floured counter, pressing from the center outward and leaving a thicker rim. A rolling pin pushes the gas out of the rim, so it bakes flat. Keep toppings light; too much sauce or wet toppings make the center soggy before the crust finishes.
Topping and Launching Without Sticking
Getting a topped pizza from the counter onto a hot steel is the step that makes many first-timers nervous. A pizza peel, a flat paddle with a thin edge, is the standard tool; a rimless baking sheet or the back of a rimmed one works as a substitute.
Dust the peel generously with semolina or cornmeal, which act like tiny ball bearings under the dough, or use flour. Stretch the dough on the counter, then transfer it to the peel before adding any toppings. Give the peel a gentle shake: the dough should slide freely. If it sticks in one spot, lift that edge and toss a little more semolina underneath.
Top quickly. The longer wet sauce sits on raw dough, the more it soaks in and glues the dough to the peel. Use about 1/3 cup of sauce for a 12-inch pizza, spread thin, and 4 to 5 ounces of cheese. Shake the peel once more before heading to the oven.
To launch, set the tip of the peel at the back of the steel, tilt it slightly, and pull it back toward you in one smooth, quick motion, so the pizza slides off. Hesitating halfway is what causes folded, misshapen pizzas.
A parchment shortcut
Build the pizza on a sheet of parchment paper trimmed close to the dough, and slide paper and pizza onto the steel together. After 3 minutes, when the crust has set, pull the parchment out with tongs. Most parchment is rated to about 425 to 450°F, so it browns at higher temperatures; removing it early avoids scorching.
The Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe
Makes three dough balls, each for one 12-inch pizza. Weigh the ingredients for the best results; cup measures are approximate.
The recipe
Homemade Pizza Dough
A 63 percent hydration pizza dough with a small amount of yeast, divided into three balls and cold-fermented in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 days, or frozen for later.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 27 hr 30 min
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
Method
- Mix. Whisk the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Add the water and oil and stir until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest 20 minutes.
- Knead. Knead on an unfloured counter about 5 minutes (or 4 minutes with a dough hook) until smooth and slightly tacky.
- Ball. Divide into 3 pieces of about 275 g. Shape each into a tight ball and place in a lightly oiled lidded container or oiled zip-top bag.
- Cold rise. Refrigerate 24 to 72 hours. To freeze, refrigerate 24 hours first, then wrap and freeze up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Warm up. Take the dough out 2 to 3 hours before baking and leave covered at room temperature until soft and slightly puffy.
- Bake. Preheat the oven to its highest setting, 500 to 550°F (260 to 290°C), with a baking steel or stone on the top-third rack for 45 to 60 minutes. Stretch each ball to 12 inches by hand, top lightly and bake 7 to 10 minutes, until the crust is puffed and spotted brown.
Notes
- Total time includes a 24-hour cold rise and 2 hours of warming.
- On a preheated sheet pan without a steel or stone, bake 12 to 15 minutes.
Oven temperatures are for conventional ovens; for convection, reduce by about 25°F (15°C).
Ideas for the Dough
Beyond pizza, the same dough makes good flatbread: stretch it thin, brush with olive oil and garlic, and bake on a hot steel for 4 to 5 minutes. It also makes calzones, folded around ricotta, mozzarella and cooked fillings, and baked for 15 to 18 minutes at 475°F (245°C), until golden. Cut into strips, tied into knots and brushed with garlic butter, it makes simple garlic knots in about 12 minutes.