Homemade Fermented Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups water (around 98°F)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 4 3/4 cups (32 ounces) bread flour
- 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar or honey
Preparation
Add the yeast to the water and let it sit in a large bowl. Meanwhile, weigh out the flour in another large bowl.
Add olive oil to the yeast-water mixture. Gradually incorporate generous amounts of the flour mixture, one cup at a time if using a mixer. If hand mixing or kneading, add all the flour at once. Introduce salt halfway through kneading to preserve yeast activity. Knead or mix until the dough is reasonably combined, not necessarily perfect.
Transfer the dough to an airtight container, leaving room for it to double in size. Cover the top with plastic wrap to prevent an 'elephant skin' crust. Place it in the fridge for a minimum of 12 hours and a maximum of 36 hours. It’s okay if it doesn’t precisely double in size during fermentation.
After bulk fermentation, cut the dough into 9.5-10 ounce balls, suitable for comfortable 12-inch pizzas. Place them in airtight containers. If making pizza the same day, let the dough balls sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours before stretching. Alternatively, dough balls can continue to individually ferment in the fridge for up to one week.
