Ingredients
- 500 g 00 pizza flour or bread flour
- 350 ml cold water 70% hydration
- 10 g fine sea salt
- 1 g instant dry yeast about ¼ teaspoon
- Extra flour for dusting
Instructions
- Add cold water to a large bowl.
- Dissolve yeast into the water.
- Gradually add flour while mixing until no dry flour remains.
- Cover and rest for 20 minutes (autolyse).
- Sprinkle salt over dough.
- Pinch and fold dough gently to incorporate salt.
- Perform stretch-and-folds in the bowl for 2–3 minutes.
- Cover and rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Perform one gentle fold halfway through resting.
- Transfer dough to refrigerator and ferment for 24–48 hours.
- Remove dough from fridge and divide into 3 equal portions.
- Shape each portion into a tight dough ball.
- Place in lightly floured container, cover, and rest at room temperature for 3–4 hours.
- Lightly flour work surface and dough ball.
- Press dough gently from center outward, leaving edges puffy.
- Do not use a rolling pin.
- Preheat oven to 500–550°F (260–290°C).
- Preheat pizza stone or steel for at least 45 minutes.
- Add sauce and toppings lightly.
- Bake for 6–8 minutes until crust is puffed and lightly spotted.
Notes
Use a kitchen scale for accurate measurements.
High hydration dough will feel sticky; avoid adding excess flour.
Handle dough gently to preserve air bubbles.
Less toppings result in better oven spring.
Lower hydration option: use 325 ml water for easier handling.
Same-day dough: increase yeast to 3 g and ferment 6–8 hours.
Whole wheat option: replace 10% of flour with whole wheat flour.
Sourdough option: replace yeast with active sourdough starter.
Dough balls can be refrigerated up to 72 hours.
Freeze dough balls up to 2 months; thaw overnight in fridge.
Bring dough to room temperature before shaping.