Ingredients

Makes 4 × 250g dough balls (12-inch pizzas)

  • 500g bread flour (or 00 flour)
  • 325g cold water (65% hydration)
  • 10g fine sea salt
  • 3g active dry yeast (or 2g instant yeast)

Method

Day 1 — Mix and cold ferment

  1. Combine flour and yeast in a large bowl. Add cold water and mix until no dry flour remains. Rest 20 minutes (autolyse).
  2. Add salt. Knead by hand for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic, or mix in a stand mixer on medium for 6 minutes.
  3. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24–72 hours. Longer cold ferment develops more flavor.

Day 2 (or later) — Ball and proof

  1. Remove dough from refrigerator 2 hours before baking.
  2. Divide into 4 equal pieces (~250g each). Shape each piece into a tight ball by pulling the surface taut and pinching underneath.
  3. Place balls on a lightly floured surface or oiled tray, cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Rest at room temperature for 2 hours.

Bake

  1. Place a pizza steel or stone on the top rack of your oven. Preheat oven to maximum temperature (260–290°C / 500–550°F) for at least 1 hour.
  2. On a well-floured surface, press dough ball from the center outward using your fingertips, leaving a 1-inch border untouched for the crust. Stretch by draping over your knuckles until roughly 12 inches. Avoid a rolling pin — it deflates the bubbles.
  3. Transfer to a floured pizza peel. Top quickly with sauce, cheese, and toppings.
  4. Slide onto the hot steel. Bake 6–8 minutes until the crust is charred in spots and cheese is bubbling. Broil for the final 1–2 minutes if the top needs more color.

Notes

  • Steel vs. stone: A 3/8-inch steel conducts heat faster than stone and produces a crispier base at home-oven temperatures.
  • Flour: 00 flour produces a softer, more extensible dough. Bread flour is easier to find and works well.
  • Leftover dough balls: Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Whole Wheat Variant (20%)

Swap 100g of the bread flour for whole wheat flour and increase water by 10g (335g total) to compensate for whole wheat’s higher absorption. Everything else — yeast, salt, method, bake — stays the same. Limit cold ferment to 48 hours; whole wheat ferments faster.

The 20% ratio adds a nutty flavor and slightly chewier crumb without making the dough hard to stretch. If the dough springs back when stretching, cover and rest 5 minutes before continuing. Going above 30% whole wheat makes the dough noticeably stiffer and harder to stretch thin.