About the Recipe
A rabbit hole of a recipe and dish! Pizza is as delicious to eat as it is challenging to make. Each Pizzaiolo (pizza master) fine-tunes the recipe along the way, and limitless online discussions and experimentation happen every day around pizza. Learning how to make pizza will not only get you a delicious meal, but also boost your pride as well as open up a community with members helping each other with energy and engagement for you to explore.
Ingredients
Makes 4 pizzas
This is not a “mix and hope” dough. Temperature, timing, hydration, and handling are everything.
Poolish (preferment) Ingredients
200g water (room temp, ~70°F / 21°C)
5g honey
5g fresh yeast (or 2g active dry)
200g flour (00 or bread flour)
Final Dough Ingredients
300g Manitoba or strong bread flour
200g 00 flour
Salt Solution Ingredients
300g water
20g salt
Topping Ingredients
200g Mozzarella
300g tomato sauce
EVO as needed
1 Cup Parmigiano
1 Cup fresh basil leaves
Preparation
Poolish (preferment)
Method
Dissolve honey and yeast in water.
Add flour and mix until fully hydrated (no dry spots).
Rest uncovered 15 minutes (start fermentation).
Cover airtight and leave 1 hour at room temperature.
Refrigerate 16–24 hours (do not exceed 24).
Important
Poolish should be bubbly, airy, and slightly domed.
If it collapses completely, it over-fermented.
Temperature control matters — too warm = too fast fermentation.
Final Dough
Remove poolish from fridge and let sit 1 hour at room temp before using.
Add:
300g Manitoba or strong bread flour
200g 00 flour
Mix until incorporated.
Salt Solution
In separate bowl:
300g water
20g salt
Dissolve completely before adding.
Slowly pour salted water into dough while mixing. Do not dump all at once. Allow gradual absorption.
Key technique notes:
The dough will feel sticky; resist adding extra flour.
Mix until cohesive and elastic.
Proper gluten development = smooth surface and slight resistance when stretched.
Rest 15 minutes (bench rest allows gluten relaxation).
Bulk Fermentation
Lightly oil hands.
Shape into a tight, airtight ball.
Pull edges inward and rotate to create surface tension.
Lightly oil top.
Cover with damp cloth or lid.
Rest 1 hour at room temperature.
Divide and final proof
Divide into equal balls (~250–280g each).
Shape tightly again; this step determines oven spring.
Cover and rest 1 hour at room temperature.
Tip: Balls should feel airy but not fragile. If they spread flat, fermentation went too far.
Note: The fermentation-stage dough ball image used in this post is for visual reference only and is sourced from publicly available online material. All recipe instructions and method are original.
Stretching and Baking
High heat is non-negotiable.
Ooni preferred (800–900°F)
Home oven at maximum (with steel or stone, preheated 45–60 minutes)
Baking
Oil hands lightly.
Place dough ball onto heavily floured surface (semolina preferred).
Press from center outward.
NEVER press the rim. You are pushing air toward the edges, not flattening it.
Lift and stretch gently, rotating often. Do not use a rolling pin.
Topping
Thin layer of tomato sauce.(You should still see dough underneath.)
Even-sized mozzarella cubes (pre-drain moisture).
Light drizzle of olive oil.
Minimal toppings = better oven spring.
Baking
Follow oven’s high-heat instructions.
In Ooni:
60–90 seconds, rotate every 20 seconds.
In home oven:
5–8 minutes depending on heat.
Crust should puff dramatically and char slightly. If it doesn’t, your oven wasn’t hot enough.
Final Tips
Pizza dough is about fermentation management.
Measure by weight, not volume.
Watch temperature more than the clock.
Respect hydration, don’t fight stickiness with extra flour.
Strong shaping = airy cornicione.
Master the dough, and toppings become secondary.
