| |

Workhorse Pizza Dough

Bynottomytaste
Jump to Recipe

Ah, pizza. I had one once. Well, I’ve had many. But there was this one, back in my 20’s (no, I’m not providing the year). It was at the Brooklyn Flea Market back when that’s truly what it was–a bunch of stalls with random stuff and not much food, down by the water near the carousel. It was a steaming hot simple pizza served out the back of a truck on a chilly Fall day. And it was good. The best to date, actually. I’ve been chasing that pie ever since, trying to recreate it at home. And until these fancy pizza ovens came out (which are totally cheating, btw, and I do not care), I failed. Over and over. And I still can’t quite get it…but this is close.

Now, look, you’ve got all kinds of pizza people. You’ve got your 3-day Neapolitan crowd, your Detroit pan obsessives, your “I mill my own flour” folks. I love them all. But this is the dough I reach for when it’s Friday and I hear, “hey, wanna do a pizza night?” No pretense, just solid, consistent, chewy, crispy perfection.

It ain’t Brooklyn Flea perfection, of course. But when your starter needs the day off, reach for this one.

Workhorse Pizza Dough
Print

Workhorse Pizza Dough

Recipe by NotToMyTaste
Servings

5

270g dough balls
Prep time

30

minutes
Total Fermentation

4

hours 

The go-to dough recipe for a day-of pizza night. Makes 5x 270g dough balls–enough for a family pizza night + a test pie for just for you. You’ll need a scale that measures grams, bowls, and a stand mixer if you’re lazy like me.

Oh, and here’s the Baker’s % (if you’re into that):

FLOUR: 100%
WATER: 66%
SALT: 3%
ACTIVE DRY YEAST: 0.1% (yep. tiny.)

The Workhorse Formula

  • 799g Flour (00 or Bread)

  • 527g Water

  • 24g Salt

  • 0.9g Active Dry Yeast

Method

  • Morning Setup (around 10am if you’re eating at 7pm): Mix yeast and water in your mixer bowl. Stir until it dissolves.
  • Add Dry Ingredients: Combine flour and salt in a separate bowl. Add to the mixer slowly on low.
  • Knead + Rest: Mix until combined, then hand-knead for ~5 minutes. Transfer to a covered bowl.
  • Bulk Ferment: Cover and let rise at room temp until doubled. Optional: once mixed, do three stretch-and-folds on the half hour for better structure
  • Ball + Rest: Two hours before bake, divide into 270g balls. Rest in lightly oiled containers until puffy.
  • Bake: Crank your oven as hot as it’ll go. Top your pie and bake on a preheated steel or stone until your smoke alarm says you’re done (or get a fancy outdoor pizza oven. Please. They’re amazing.)

Recipe Video

Dad Hacks

  • If you’ve got a sourdough starter, toss a little in for flavor! Just subtract the flour/water weight from the main recipe measurements accordingly. My stater (Calvin) insists.
  • Got time? This dough, once balled, can be put in the fridge overnight. Just take it out a few hours before you want to make your pies.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply