Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Add the water. Pour 325g of cold water into an empty bowl.
Dissolve the salt. Add 15g of sea salt and stir until it dissolves completely.
Make the flour buffer. Take 10% of your flour (50g) and stir it into the salty water until it dissolves. Salt harms yeast, so this layer protects it.
Add the yeast. Drop in 1g of fresh yeast.
Add the remaining flour. Add the other 450g of flour and mix loosely with your fingertips or a spoon. The dough will feel dry and flaky at first, so keep mixing.
Knead in the bowl. Knead for a few minutes until the dough comes together. It will turn sticky and wet, which is normal.
Knead on the counter. Dust your work surface with a little flour and knead the dough for 10 to 20 minutes. This step builds the gluten network and gives the dough its strength. Shape it into a ball.
Oil the bowl and dough. Brush a thin layer of olive oil inside the bowl. Place the dough ball in the bowl and brush a thin layer of oil on top of it so it does not dry out.
First rest. Cover the bowl with cling film or a damp towel and rest the dough for 2 hours.
Portion the dough. Divide the dough into 4 balls of about 210g each.
Second rise. Place the balls on a baking tray with a little oil or flour. Cover the tray with cling film and leave it at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours.
Use the dough. After the second rise, the dough has risen and is ready to stretch, top, and bake.
Notes
- Flour: Tipo 00 is the best choice. If you cannot find it, use regular bread flour with less water, about 55% to 60% (275g to 300g for this batch).
- Water: Use cold water for a slow rise. Warm water speeds up fermentation, and a slow rise makes a lighter, tastier crust.
- Salt: Use sea salt. Dissolve it fully in the water before adding anything else.
- Yeast: The video calls for fresh yeast. If you only have dry yeast, use half the amount (0.5g for this batch), because dry yeast is stronger.
- Scaling the recipe: Always work with percentages. For one medium pizza of about 220g, use about 131g flour, 85g water, 4g salt, and 0.26g fresh yeast. For a 1kg flour batch, use 1000g flour, 650g water, 30g salt, and 2g fresh yeast, which makes about 8 balls of 210g.
- Ball size: A medium pizza uses a dough ball of about 220g.
- Calories and cost: Both are estimates and vary by brand and location