Pizza Dough Redux - Testing

1 - This recipe was gifted to me, and I don't know which book it came from. It is an improvement on the dough I have been making, which I've been finding disappointing.

1 1/2 cups/350g water (90F/32C)

2 3/4 tsp/15g salt

1/4tsp/.3g Instant dried yeast (Laura note = x1.33 for 4 big dough balls)

Scant 4 cups/500g white flour, preferably 00

1. Combine the water and salt, stirring until the salt dissolves.
2. Add the yeast to the water. Wait 1 minute to let it hydrate. Stir to dissolve.
3. Add the flour and mix by hand.
4. Use the pincer method (VIDEO) (just squeeze the dough to cut into 4 balls and then fold it back together).
5. Do this for about 1 minute or until the internal temperature of the dough is 80F/27C.
6. Let the dough rest 20 minutes, then knead it with a very light dusting of flour, for about 1 minute. The ball of dough should be smooth and only slightly tacky.
7. Lightly oil a large bowl and set the ball of dough into it, seam down,. Cover tightly and let proof for 2 hours at room temperature (70F/21C). (HOW TO RECOGNIZE THIS PROCESS IS FINISHED?)
8. Moderately flour a work surface about 2 feet wide. With floured hands, gently lift the dough and ease it onto the floured surface keeping a regular shape. Dust the top, then cut into 3 to 5 equal pieces. Shape into rounds.
9. Place the dough balls on lightly floured dinner plates or a baking sheet, leaving space to allow for expansion.
10. Lightly flour the tops and cover tightly. Allow to rest at room temp for 6 hours.
11. Use within 4 hours.

Makes 3 regular or 5 thin-crust dough balls.

Bulk fermentation - 2 hours

Divide, shape and cover - 10 minutes

Second fermentation - 6 hours (4 in a very warm kitchen, more in a cooler winter kitchen)

Hold time for use at room temperature - 4 hours, or refrigerate to extend the use until the next evening

Sample schedule - Mix the dough at 9am, knead it at 9:20am, shape it into dough balls at 11 am, make pizza between 5 and 9pm. For next day pizza, refrigerate the dough balls 4 hours after they are made up, then leave them out at room temperature for 1 hour before making pizza.

Overnight cold ferment — your dough, translated

350 g water (90 F / 32 C)
15 g salt
0.25 tsp (≈0.3 g) instant yeast

500 g white flour (00 if possible)

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Day 1 — Evening (about 20 minutes total)

6:00 pm 5:40 — Mix

• Dissolve salt in water

• Add yeast, wait 1 minute

• Add flour, mix by hand

• Pincer method ~1 minute

• Target dough temp ~26–27 °C

6:50 pm 6:30 — Rest (20 minutes)

7:10 pm 6:50 — Brief knead

• 1 minute, just to smooth

• Dough should feel supple, not tight

7:15 pm 6:55 — Divide & ball

• Cut into 3–5 portions

• Shape gently

• Light dust of flour

7:20 pm 7:00 — Refrigerate

• Place dough balls on tray or plates

• Cover airtight (important)

• Into fridge at ~4 °C

No bulk proof at room temperature.
No waiting for rise.
Cold arrests things before they run.

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Day 2 — Bake day

11:00 am–12:00 pm — Take dough out

• Remove dough balls from fridge

• Keep covered

• Let warm 4–5 hours at room temp (20–22 °C)

What you’re looking for:

• Dough softens and spreads slightly

• Surface looks satiny, relaxed

• When pressed, it springs back slowly

4:00–7:00 pm — Bake window

• You now have several calm hours

• Flavour is at its peak

• Stretching is easier than same-day dough