Dat Pizza Dough Tho
Original source: Adam Ragusea – How to Make New York–Style Pizza
Makes 4 pizzas, ~1 hour active time (plus a 3–4 day cold rise)
This is my go-to pizza (and bread) dough recipe. It should be prepared when you are not hungry, so plan ahead — cold fermentation significantly enhances the flavor. The quantities below reflect my own experience and differ slightly from the original.
Ingredients
Dough
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Warm water: 500 ml
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Sugar: 1 tbsp
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Active dry yeast: 1 tbsp
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Olive oil: 2 tbsp
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Salt: 1 tbsp
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Wheat flour: 11 dl + extra for kneading
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Additional olive oil for coating
Sauce
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Crushed tomatoes: 1 can
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Olive oil: 2–4 tbsp
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Sugar: 1 tsp
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Dried oregano: 2 tsp
Preparation
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let it sit for a few minutes until it becomes foamy. If it doesn’t foam, the yeast may be dead, and you’ll need fresh yeast.
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Stir in the olive oil, salt, and most of the flour. Mix until you have a shaggy dough. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead, adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic. Take your time — this makes the biggest difference in my opinion.
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Divide the dough into 4 equal balls. Place each ball in a small food-grade plastic bag with a bit of olive oil. Refrigerate for atleast 3–4 days.
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Place a pizza stone or steel on a rack in your oven. I’ve found the middle rack works best. If you don’t have a stone or steel, just use a baking tin (like I do). Preheat the oven to its highest setting, and wait a bit extra to ensure the surface is thoroughly heated.
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In a bowl, mix together the crushed tomatoes, olive oil, sugar, and dried oregano. Adjust the seasonings to taste, obviously. This amount of sauce should be enough for all four pizzas if used sparingly.
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Generously dust a pizza peel or sheet of baking paper with flour. Take a dough ball out of its bag, dust it with flour, and gently stretch it out — rotating and pulling from the edges to form a circular base. Make it as thin as you can, slightly thicker on the edges.
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Spread a thin layer of sauce over the dough, leaving a small border for the crust. Top with cheese and any toppings of your choice — even pineapple.
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Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or steel in the oven. If you don’t have a peel or stone, remove the oven tin, slide the pizza (with the baking paper) onto it, and return it to the oven. Try not to burn yourself. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted — about 10 minutes depending on the temperature.