Pizza dough
Four ingredients and time. That is the secret behind chewy, airy, delicious dough.
Real pizza dough is made from flour, water, salt and very little yeast. The secret is time: let the dough rise slowly in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours. That develops the flavour and the chewy, airy texture. The recipe makes 6 pizza bases and only needs ten minutes of active work.
Ingredients
- 1 kg wheat flour, ideally tipo 00
- 650 g cold water (65% of the flour weight)
- 25 g salt
- 2 g fresh yeast, about the size of a pea
How to make it
- 1
Dissolve the yeast in the water.
- 2
Mix in the flour. Work the dough for 8 to 10 minutes in a mixer or 15 minutes by hand.
- 3
Add the salt near the end and work it in.
- 4
Let the dough rest under a towel for 1 hour at room temperature.
- 5
Divide into 6 pieces at about 280 g each. Roll into tight balls.
- 6
Place the balls in oiled boxes with lids. Put them in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours.
- 7
Take the balls out 2 hours before baking. Shape by hand. Do not use a rolling pin, or you will lose the air.
- 8
Bake as hot as your oven allows: 450 degrees in a pizza oven for 90 seconds, or maximum grill heat on a pizza steel at home for 4 to 5 minutes.
Good to know
- Always weigh the ingredients. Measuring cups lie, scales do not.
- Cold dough is easier to shape. Warm dough snaps back.
- The dough keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Days 2 and 3 are often best.
Common questions
Can I use plain flour?
Yes. Tipo 00 gives a chewier base, but strong plain flour works well too. Just avoid flour with low protein. Check that it has at least 11 to 12 grams of protein per 100 grams.
Why so little yeast?
Time replaces yeast. A little yeast plus a long cold fermentation gives flavour and structure. Lots of yeast plus a short rise gives flat flavour and dough that is harder to digest.
Does the recipe work with dried yeast?
Yes. Use one third of the amount, so just under 1 gram. Mix the dried yeast with the flour instead of the water.
How do I scale this up for a pizzeria?
The same percentages work for a 25-kilo batch: 65% water, 2.5% salt and 0.2% yeast based on the flour weight. A dough mixer and lidded dough boxes are enough. Make dough at the same time every day and the rhythm gets easy.
Dough done? Then you need the sauce.
Real tomato sauce has five ingredients and is never cooked.