Yeasted Neapolitan Pizza Dough

Instructions

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment, add water, then flours. Mix on low until fully combined, about 4 min at the lowest speed. Turn the mixer off and let the dough rest in the bowl for 20 min.

• Add salt and yeast and continue to mix at the same speed until dough is supple and homogeneous, about 9 to 12 min.

• Lightly oil the inside of a large airtight container. Transfer the dough to the container and, beginning with the edge farthest away from you, grab the dough from underneath and fold it up and toward you. (This motion should be done confidently to stretch the dough without tearing it.) Then rotate the container 90 degrees and repeat the process until the dough has been folded on itself a total of four times. Cover the dough and rest it at room temperature for 30 min. Repeat the folding process two more times, resting the dough for 30 min at the end of each folding session.

• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and, using a dough scraper, divide it into four even pieces and shape into balls.

• Lightly oil and flour four containers, one for each dough ball.

• Working with one ball at a time, fold each corner toward the centre of the ball. Place the dough seam side down on the table and, applying moderate pressure, gently press your hand on the dough and move it in a circular motion until you have a smooth ball with no tears or large air bubbles.

• Place each shaped ball, seam side down, in a container. Cover or seal and chill in the fridge for 24 hrs.

• When you’re ready to make your pizza, remove the dough from the fridge and let sit for 20 min.

• Place a rack in lower third of oven and remove the rack above it. Slide the pizza stone onto the rack and preheat oven to 500F. Let the stone preheat for at least 1 hr before baking pizza. (If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can bake the pizza directly on an inverted baking sheet without preheating it.)

• Flip the dough ball out of its container onto a small mound of flour. Be mindful of how you handle the dough—you want to preserve its round shape and avoid creating holes as you move it. It is also important to keep the top and the bottom facing the same way throughout. Make sure both the top and the bottom are well floured before you begin stretching out the dough.

• Using your fingertips, begin by pressing a rough round shape in the centre of the dough ball, allowing for a 1 1⁄2-in. edge, which will become your crust. (You want to keep the air in the crust, so avoid pressing the dough around the edges throughout the process.)

• Once you have established the inner ring, gently press down the dough inside it, gradually stretching it out in a circular motion. Add more flour underneath the dough if needed. If your dough still needs more stretching, carefully slide your hands underneath it to open it up some more. With practice, you can learn how to move your hands in a circular motion to stretch your dough. Continue until you have stretched your dough to about 10 in.

• Flour your pizza peel, then shake it gently to remove any excess flour. There should be enough flour on the peel so that your pizza can move around freely without sticking, but not so much that it bakes into the bottom of the crust, making it mealy and floury.

• Using your hands, gently transfer the stretched dough onto the pizza peel, making sure it retains its round shape. Your dough is now ready for toppings!