Easy Pizza Dough
Submitted by mansfieldra
Easy homemade pizza dough with a slow overnight rise for deep flavor and a chewy, crisp crust. A high-hydration bread-flour dough you proof cold, then stretch by hand into pizzeria-style rounds.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
5 minCOOK
0 minREADY
15 minGood pizza starts with the dough, and this one earns its crust through patience rather than effort. The mixing is simple, but an overnight rest in the fridge is what gives it real character.
That slow, cold ferment lets the yeast work gently overnight, developing the faintly tangy, complex flavor and open texture you just can’t rush at room temperature.
Two details make or break this dough. First, use bread flour; its higher protein builds the gluten that gives pizza its signature chew. Second, keep the dough moist and a little sticky. It’s tempting to add more flour, but a wetter dough bakes into a crust that stays tender and crisp instead of dry and cracker-like.
After its overnight rest, you divide, shape, and let the rounds rise again before stretching them by hand from the center out.
Hand-stretching, rather than rolling, keeps the airy bubbles that give the crust its lift.
Pro Tips
- Proof the yeast until it foams; if it doesn’t bubble within 10 minutes, it’s dead, so start over.
- Resist over-flouring; a moist, slightly sticky dough makes the best crust.
- Don’t skip the overnight cold ferment, since that’s where the flavor lives.
- If the dough springs back while stretching, let it rest a few minutes and come back to it.
Variations
- Stretch thin for a crispy crust, or leave it thicker for a chewier, pan-style base.
- Work dried oregano, garlic powder, or herbs into the flour.
- Freeze extra dough balls after the first rise for pizza another night.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large bowl, mix together the water with the sugar and 2 teaspoons flour.
Add the yeast.
Set aside until the yeast begins to foam or bubble, 8 to 10 minutes. (If the yeast fails to bubble, discard the mixture and start over.)
Meanwhile, add the salt into the remaining flour until evenly combined.
When the yeast is bubbly, using a fork stir in the oil.
Start adding the flour mixture, a cup at a time, stirring until combined.
As more flour is added, it may become hard to stir the dough with the fork.
Keep incorporating the flour with your hands, gently kneading it into the dough.
When all the flour is added, turn the dough out onto a well-floured board or working surface.
Knead the dough just until it comes together in a smooth, supple mass, 7 to 10 minutes.
Flour the dough and board as needed to be able to knead, but do not over-flour the dough or it will be tough; the dough should be very moist and somewhat sticky throughout (the high moisture content will keep the crust from drying out when baked).
Clean and lightly oil the mixing bowl.
Put the dough back in the bowl, lightly oil the top of the dough, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and refrigerate overnight (this slows the proofing process to allow the flavors to develop).
About 2 hours before baking, remove the dough from the refrigerator, punch it down and divide it into 4 equal pieces (makes 4 pizzas)
Roll each piece into a ball and arrange on a greased baking sheet.
Lightly oil the top of each ball and loosely cover with plastic wrap or damp kitchen towel.
Set aside until almost doubled in volume, 1½ to 2 hours.
Lightly flour each ball of dough to keep it from sticking.
Gently stretch each ball into a flat disk, working from the center of the dough outward, then stretching the outer crust to widen the disk.
If the dough springs back, set it aside to rest on a floured surface and move to the next ball.
Continue to stretch until each disk is 10 to 12 inches in diameter.
Transfer each disk on a well-floured pizza peel or flat baking sheet before assembling to prevent the pizza from sticking before it is moved to the oven.
Assemble the pizzas and bake.
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