| INGREDIENT | QUANTITY | BAKER’S % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 350g | 1½ cups | 70% |
| Fine sea salt | 13g | Scant 2 ½ teaspoon | 2.6% |
| Instant dried yeast | 1.5g | ¾ of ½ teaspoon | 0.3% |
| White flour, preferably 00 | 500g | Scant 4 cups | 100% |
Bulk fermentation – 2 hours
Divide, shape, and cover dough – 10 minutes
Second fermentation – 16 to 48 hours, refrigerated
Sample schedule – mix the dough at 7 PM, shape it into dough balls at 9 PM, cover and refrigerate, make pizza the next evening (optimal) or the day after that (still very good)
Using your digital scale, measure 350 grams of 90° to 95°F (32 to 35°C) water into a 6-quart dough tub. Measure 13 grams of fine sea salt, add it to the water, and stir or swish around in the tub until it’s dissolved. Measure 1.5 grams (¾ of ½ teaspoon) of instant dried yeast. Add the yeast to the water, let it rest there for a minute to hydrate, then swish it around until dissolved. Add 500 grams of flour (preferably 00) to the water-salt-yeast mixture.
Mix by hand, first by stirring your hand around inside the dough tub to integrate the flour, water, salt, and yeast into a single mass of dough. Then use the pincer method to cut the dough into sections with your hand, alternating with folding the dough to develop it back into a unified mass. Continue for just 30 seconds to 1 minute. The target dough temperature at the end of the mix is 80°F (27°C); use your probe thermometer to check it.
Let the dough rest for 20 minutes, then knead it on a work surface with a very light dusting of flour for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. The skin of the dough should be very smooth. Place the dough ball seam side down in the lightly oiled dough tub. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Hold the dough for 2 hours at room temperature (assuming 70° to 74°F/21° to 23°C) for the first rise.
Divide the dough and shape it into dough balls. Moderately flour a work surface about 2 feet wide. With floured hands, gently ease the dough out of the tub. With your hands still floured, pick up the dough and ease it back down onto the work surface in a somewhat even shape. Dust the entire top of the dough with flour, then cut it into 3 or 5 equal-sized pieces, depending on the style of pizza. Use your scale to get evenly sized dough balls. Shape each piece of dough into a medium-tight round, working gently and being careful not to tear the dough. There is no floor time for these dough balls before going into the refrigerator.
Put the dough balls on one or two lightly floured dinner plates, leaving space between them to allow for expansion. Lightly flour the tops, tightly cover with plastic wrap, and put them into the refrigerator. Refrigerate until ready to make pizza, either the next evening (ideal) or the day after (still good).
Remove the dough balls from the fridge 60 to 90 minutes before making pizza.