Description
This Artisan Pizza Dough recipe yields a crispy, chewy, and bubbly crust perfect for making authentic homemade pizzas. The dough utilizes a slow fermentation process in the refrigerator to develop complex flavors and an airy texture, resulting in a professional-quality crust that crisps beautifully in a hot oven with a pizza stone or steel.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 500 grams (about 4 cups) bread flour
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 2 grams (1/2 teaspoon) instant yeast
Wet Ingredients
- 375 grams (1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon) water, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for coating)
Instructions
- Mix Dough: In a large bowl, combine the bread flour and instant yeast. Gradually add the room temperature water while mixing until no dry flour remains, creating a sticky and shaggy dough.
- Autolyse Rest: Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes to hydrate the flour and begin gluten development.
- Add Salt and Fold: Sprinkle the fine sea salt over the dough, then fold the dough over itself repeatedly until it becomes smooth and cohesive.
- First Rise: Cover the dough and let it rise at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or until it doubles in volume.
- Stretch and Folds: During the first rise, perform a series of “stretch and folds” every 30 minutes to build dough strength and gluten structure.
- Cold Fermentation: After the first rise, refrigerate the covered dough for 24 to 72 hours to develop flavor and texture.
- Portion and Rest: Remove the dough from the refrigerator, bring it to room temperature, then divide into portions. Shape each portion into a ball and let rest for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.
- Preheat Oven and Pizza Stone: Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C) or higher, placing a pizza stone or steel inside to heat thoroughly for a crisp crust.
- Shape, Top, and Bake: Stretch each dough ball into a pizza shape, add your preferred toppings, then bake on the preheated stone for 7 to 10 minutes until the crust is bubbly, golden, and crisp.
Notes
- Using bread flour with higher protein content helps develop better gluten structure for a chewy crust.
- Cold fermentation enhances flavor and texture but can be adjusted depending on schedule.
- Ensure the pizza stone or steel is thoroughly preheated for optimal crust crispiness.
- Stretch and folds help create an airy and bubbly dough without kneading.
- Use instant yeast for convenience and reliable fermentation.
- Room temperature water aids fermentation; avoid water that’s too hot or cold.
