The dough people remember is not a technique problem, it's a time problem. A same-day dough tastes of yeast; the same ingredients left in the fridge for twenty-four to seventy-two hours taste of bread. Hydration is the other lever — 65% water by flour weight is forgiving enough to handle and wet enough to blister.
The ratio500g flour + 325g water (65%) + 10g salt + 1g yeast. Cold ferment 24–72 hours.
By Vince Gonzalez · Published July 2026 · Sourcing verified 5 Jul 2026
Prep20 min
Cookcold ferment 24h
Makes4 x 250g balls
CuisineItalian
Cost$
Vegan
Contains gluten
Make it gluten-free: swap in a gluten-free flour blend (check the other labels too).
The Ingredients — and where to get them
Cook for4x
Bread or 00 flour
00 for Neapolitan, bread flour for New York style. Plain flour makes a slack dough that won't hold a rim.
A light hand — your arteries say thanks. · plan ahead — needs marinating, soaking, or resting time
EffortA project
Cook it with
Stovetop
The Method
Mix and restFlour, water and yeast stirred to a shaggy mass with no dry flour left. Cover and leave twenty minutes — the flour hydrates on its own and halves the kneading.
Add salt and kneadSalt in, then knead eight minutes by hand or four in a mixer. It's ready when you can stretch a piece thin enough to see light through without it tearing.
Bulk rest, then ballTwo hours at room temperature, then divide into four 250g pieces and shape each into a tight ball by dragging it against the counter.
Cold fermentBalls into oiled containers, into the fridge, twenty-four hours minimum. Seventy-two is better. This is where all the flavour comes from.
Bring back to room temperatureTwo hours out of the fridge before you shape. Cold dough fights you and tears.
Shape by hand onlyPress from the centre outward, leaving the outer inch untouched — that trapped gas is the puffed rim. Never use a rolling pin; it crushes exactly the air you spent a day making.
Make it yoursSwap a fifth of the flour for rye or whole wheat for a nuttier crust. A spoon of honey in a New York dough helps it brown in a domestic oven. Semolina on the peel instead of flour stops sticking and adds crunch.
Can you make How to Make Pizza Dough in an air fryer? — Sometimes
Sometimes — if the pieces are small and cooked dry, an air fryer can handle it in a single layer; anything saucy or liquid needs a pan. When in doubt, the stovetop or oven is the safe call.
Can you freeze How to Make Pizza Dough? — Yes
Yes — cool it, portion into airtight containers, and freeze; thaw in the fridge and reheat.
Can you make How to Make Pizza Dough ahead of time? — Yes
Yes — it needs the chill time to set, so making it ahead is the whole point.
Is How to Make Pizza Dough gluten-free? — Not as written
Not as written — it contains gluten. Make it gluten-free: swap in a gluten-free flour blend (check the other labels too).
Is How to Make Pizza Dough vegan? — Yes
Yes — no meat, seafood, dairy, egg, or honey in it as written.
Community Notes
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