Good pizza is all about the crust. In our mind great pizza is thin and crisp on the bottom. It has a tender crumb with a complex flavor from a long, slow fermentation. There are usually large, irregular air bubbles that hint of the resiliency of the crumb. Biting into a slice, you experience the contrast between the shattering crust, the soft chewy crumb, and the sweet, complex flavor.

　　

Ingredients

makes 3 1/2 pounds of dough, enough for 2 large pizzas

　　6 cups/900 grams all-purpose flour

　　1 tablespoon/18 grams fine sea salt

　　1 tablespoon/12.5 grams sugar

　　1/2 teaspoon/1.5 grams instant yeast

　　3 cups/675 grams room-temperature water

　　

Step 1

Combine the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Whisk them together to thoroughly blend the yeast into the flour. Pour in the water and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the water is absorbed and there are no lumps. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 4 hours. The dough will rise to approximately one and a half times its initial volume.

　　

Step 2

Using a rubber spatula, gently loosen the dough from the bowl. Dampen your hands with cool water and, with the dough still in the bowl, slide one hand under one side of the dough. Fold that side of the dough into the center and press down gently so the dough adheres to itself. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the folding process. Do this two more times. After the fourth fold, flip over the dough so the seams are on the bottom. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours until you are ready to make pizza. The dough will double in volume during this time.

　　

Step 3

Alternatively, after the first rising you can refrigerate the dough. Gently deflate the dough once it has chilled and then you can leave it in the refrigerator overnight to use the next day. Let it come to room temperature for at least 1 hour before using. To freeze dough, rub it lightly with olive oil, wrap it securely in plastic, and put it in a zip-top bag in the freezer after the first rise. Defrost your dough in the refrigerator overnight and pull it out a few hours before you want to use it. Fold the dough and give it the second rising period before making your pizza.

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