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Crispy pizza crust on a baked homemade pizza, one slice lifted from a wooden board
Ben Lewis

Homemade Pizza Dough

A six ingredient bread flour dough for two 12 inch pizzas with a crisp base and chewy rim, ready tonight or after up to 72 hours in the fridge.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rising Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 260
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dough
  • 4 cups 500 g bread flour
  • 1 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon 325 ml water at 100°F (38°C)
  • 1 teaspoon 3 g instant yeast
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons 10 g fine sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons 30 ml olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon 5 g honey or sugar
Toppings for two pizzas
  • 1 cup 240 g pizza sauce
  • 8 ounces 225 g low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
  • 2 tablespoons fine semolina or cornmeal for the peel

Method
 

  1. Stir the yeast and honey into the warm water until it clouds.
  2. Add the oil, then the flour and salt, and mix on low for 2 minutes.
  3. Cover and leave for 10 minutes.
  4. Knead 8 minutes by mixer or 12 by hand, until it passes the windowpane test.
  5. Tape the container at the dough's height and let it rise 40 minutes to half again.
  6. Cut two 435 g pieces and tighten each into a ball.
  7. For tonight, cover the balls for 40 minutes and heat the oven to 500°F (260°C) with the steel inside. For later, refrigerate them in oiled containers.
  8. Stretch each ball to 12 inches with a 1 inch rim.
  9. Spread 1/2 cup sauce, add 4 ounces of cheese, and slide onto the steel.
  10. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until the rim is amber and blistered, then rest 2 minutes on a rack.

Notes

The 2 hours 15 minutes includes an 80 minute rise and a 10 minute rest.
All purpose flour works with 300 ml of water instead of 325 ml.
Weigh the flour if you can, since a scooped cup can run 30 g heavy.
Storage Notes:
Refrigerate balls at the tape line in oiled, lidded containers for up to 72 hours.
Freeze balls at the same point for up to 3 months and thaw them overnight in the fridge.
Reheat baked slices in a covered skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes.