dough

Pizza in 24h

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Day 1:

Mix the following ingredients:

  • - 500g water (or substitute 50g with olive oil for a crispy crust)
  • - 5g yeast (yes, you don’t need any more)
  • - 625g flour (Tipo 00 or plain wheat work well)
  • - 15g salt

Knead the dough for 8 minutes. Alternatively, if you’re lazy, skip kneading and let the dough rise for 8-12 hours at room temperature. If you choose to skip kneading, ensure you thoroughly mix the yeast with the water to distribute it evenly. Just mix the ingredients with a spoon and call it done.

Let the dough rest in a closed container and rise overnight. I usually do this in the evening.

Day 2:

Now, fold the dough in the container over and over until it becomes hard and you can’t fold it without breaking the surface. It’s easy to tell when the surface stretches and breaks, becoming no longer elastic. Use your fingers or a spoon to fold it. There’s no wrong way to do it; just fold it a few times.

Tip: If your fingers are wet, they won’t stick to the dough.

Place the dough in the refrigerator in the closed container for 3 hours before you want to make pizza. You can store it for up to 12-24 hours easily this way. Maybe even longer? I haven’t gone that long without pizza.

It's pizza time!

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and place it on a floured surface.

Fold the dough in on itself again, then fold it the other way. Don’t fold it too much this time, just a few times.

Cut the dough into four equal pieces.

Place a piece of dough in your hand. Place the side with the flour (dry side) on your hand to prevent sticking.

Fold the dough in on itself again and again until you have a firm ball. Repeat until you have a firm ball.

Repeat this process for all four pieces.

Place each ball on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Lightly brush the dough with olive oil and cover it with a clear, food-safe plastic wrap. I use my hands to gently cover each ball.

Let the dough rise for 2 to 3 hours, or until you can’t wait any longer. It should be big and look bubbly under the plastic wrap.

While the dough rises, it’s time to...

Make the sauce!

Cook some tomatoes, blend them, and add crushed garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. You can also use canned tomatoes. Sometimes, this is better in winter when ripe and full tomatoes are hard to find.

Put the pot on low heat and let the excess liquid evaporate until it’s nice and thick. This usually takes an hour or two. Be gentle with the heat. You can also add olive oil to make it richer and creamier. I like my olive oil in the dough and sprinkled on the baked pizza.

Time to shape the pizza!

Hit the dough with your fist to form a hole in the center. Don’t remove the plastic wrap.

With your wrist from the hole and out, turn your hand away from yourself and roll the dough towards the rim.

Continue rolling until you have a pizza shape. Now, remove the plastic wrap. It should come off easily, leaving you with a nice, glossy pizza ready for topping.

Add a couple of spoons worth of tomato sauce and add your desired toppings.

Tip: Don’t add too much as it will make your pizza wet and soggy after cooking.

Bake the pizza!

Bake it in the oven for 5-10 minutes, depending on the heat and whether you’re using a baking stone or steel. I use a 6kg baking steel and cook at 275 degrees Celsius (527 Fahrenheit). It usually takes 6-7 minutes to cook the pizza to my liking. Don't forget to preheat your oven.

If your pizza is wet and soggy, you’ve added too much topping. If you bake at a higher heat, cook for a minute or two less, but you’ll get a brown crust quicker. This way, your pizza can take less topping. The choice is yours.

While one pizza is baking, prepare the next one. After about half an hour, you should have four pizzas ready.

Tip: If you want your pizza hot, pop the first one in the oven for 2 minutes to reheat. Nobody will know how you did it.

Fresh basil leaves add a final touch.

Enjoy your pizza!