Original recipe

Yield: two 10" to 12" pizzas

Equipment

Ingredients

Steps

1. Make the dough: In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients, then add the water. Stir until just combined, making a rough but cohesive dough.

2. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise at room temperature overnight, for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours. The dough won’t double in size; it will simply become a bit puffy.

3. Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 500-550°F with a baking steel or stone inside. Make sure your oven is at temperature for at least 30 minutes before baking so the steel or stone can fully preheat.

4. Shape the dough: Divide the dough in half (~200g per piece). Working with one piece at a time, transfer the dough to a well-floured surface.

5. Stretch and fold: holding onto the dough at both ends, pull one end away from the other, then fold it back onto itself. Repeat on all four sides. Keep your hands floured as you work.

6. Pull the ends of the dough towards the middle, then turn it over. Using your fingers, pull the dough under itself to make a smooth, round ball with the seams tucked into the bottom.

7. Repeat with the second piece of dough, and place each ball seam-side down into a floured bowl.

8. Cover the bowls and allow the dough to rise for 45 minutes to an hour while your oven preheats. In colder weather, place the bowls on the stove top to stay warm.

9. Generously flour a wooden peel, or place parchment on a metal peel.

10. Scoop the risen dough onto a well-floured work surface seam-side down, shaping as round as possible. Dust with flour if the dough feels wet.

11. Use your fingertips to gently depress the dough, being careful not to touch the outer edge. Leaving the edge untouched creates a beautiful bubbly crust.

12. Lift the pizza and use your knuckles to gently stretch the dough into a 10" to 12" circle, letting gravity do most of the work. If the dough resists stretching, rest it for 5-10 minutes.

13. Move the dough to the floured peel or parchment. If using parchment, trim the excess flush with the dough to prevent burning.

14. Lightly sauce the dough, then top with cheese and additional toppings as desired.

15. Jiggle the pizza to ensure it moves freely on the peel, then quickly transfer it to the steel or stone.

16. Bake the pizza for approximately 6 minutes on a steel or 7 minutes on a stone.

17. Turn on the oven’s top broiler and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes until bubbly and charred around the edges. Rotate as needed to prevent burning.

18. Remove from oven and top with fresh basil if desired.

19. Switch oven back to bake mode and allow the steel or stone to reheat while you shape and top the second pizza.

Tips

• For a family meal: Double the recipe but divide into 3 larger pizzas instead of 4. This yields bigger pies with a better dough-to-topping ratio.

• Shorter rise version: Increase yeast to 1/2 tsp. After mixing, cover and rest 20-30 minutes. Do a stretch and fold (pull up one edge, tuck to center, rotate, repeat 4 times). Rise at room temperature for at least 8 hours, then proceed with shaping.

• Broiler warning: Do NOT use a broiler with less than 8" clearance between the pizza and the heating element. If your broiler is on the bottom or in a separate compartment without adequate clearance, skip the broiler step and bake a few minutes longer.

• Using parchment on a metal peel is easier than flour while you perfect your technique.

• Apply toppings quickly—the longer the dough sits on the peel, the more it’ll stick.

Storage

Best enjoyed fresh from the oven. Can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat slices in a 300°F oven for 5-10 minutes.