Cold fermented pizza dough is a popular choice among pizza enthusiasts for its exceptional flavor and texture. This method involves letting the dough ferment in the refrigerator for an extended period, allowing the natural flavors to develop and that signature chewy crust to develop.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Cold fermenting pizza dough is a great way to elevate your homemade pizza game. The long fermentation process allows the dough to develop a complex flavor profile and a more open crumb structure. This makes for a great tasting pizza!
Ingredients You'll Need
I highly recommend getting the '00' flour, as it's finer ground and you get a better, more authentic pizza crust. You can find it in most grocery stores in 2 lb bags. It's transformational with pizza crust!
- Warm water
- Active dry yeast
- Sugar
- '00' flour (or bread flour)
- Salt
- Cornmeal, just a sprinkle for the bottom of the pizza pan before baking.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Fermented Pizza Dough
Cold Fermented Pizza Dough is a great option for those who want to make their own pizza at home. The fermentation process can be time-consuming, but the wait is well worth it. The dough is easy to work with and can be used to make a variety of pizza styles.
With a little practice, you can create delicious and authentic-tasting pizzas right in your own kitchen.
Prepare The Yeast
- Any dry active yeast will work. Sprinkle it on warm water that has a tiny amount of sugar. The yeast uses the sugar as 'food' to bloom and grow.
- Here you see the bowl of yeast gobbling up the tiny bit of sugar in the water. The yeast bubbles up and gets a foamy or frothy head on the top of the water in the bowl.
Mix The Dough
- Put your flour and salt in the bowl. Note very little salt is used. Salt can retard yeast development, so we only use a little.
- Add the yeast water and stir until the mixture forms a soft ball.
Let The Dough Rise (Proof)
- You will knead that dough a bit on a floured surface, just enough to mix well. Put in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic film. Let sit in a draft free location.
Cold Ferment For 18 to 36 Hours
- Punch down the risen dough and divide into portions to ferment in the refrigerator. Divide the dough into pizza size portions (2 balls for larger pizza, 3 balls for medium size pizzas).
- Place into plastic tubs and set in the refrigerator for 18 to 36 hours.
- Check the dough periodically, as it will still expand. You don't want it to crawl out of the containers, so push it down if it tries.
- After allowing this long refrigerated fermentation, roll the balls of dough out for your pizza crusts.
Stretch or Roll Into Pizza Rounds
- After cold fermenting, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll or stretch to fit a pizza pan
- Dress your pizza dough with sauce, Mozzarella, and some fresh basil leaves, or whatever toppings you prefer.
Serving Suggestions
Cold Fermented Pizza Dough can be used in many ways. Make pizza with your favorite toppings, such as pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, and cheese. You can also use this pizza dough to create unique pizzas, such as a pesto pizza or a spicy jalapeno pizza.
You can also use this pizza dough it to make calzones or strombolis!
Related Recipes
- Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread
- Mini Pita Bread
- Semolina Bread
- Homemade Breadsticks with Garlic Butter
- Garlic and Herb Bread Twist
Substitutions
- You can substitute All Purpose flour, but the pizza dough will be tighter and less stretchy and chewy.
- The '00' flour will allow you to stretch the dough with less recoil, or dough bounce back.
Storage Options
- This pizza dough can be divided and frozen in portions best suited for your family. The recipe is enough to make a large family size pizza, two smaller pizzas, or three 10" pizzas.
- Just punch the dough down, divide in portions. I use a food scale to make sure the dough is evenly distributed. Pop in a freezer and store up to three months.
- If you decide to store the pizza dough in the refrigerator, use a heavy plastic zip lock type bag. Otherwise, the dough will push the lid off and crawl out on to your refrigerator shelf. Ask me how I know... lol!
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making this paczki recipe.
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Tips for Success
- Use a pizza stone for nice crispy crust!
- The number one tip is to not be in a rush, let the dough ferment overnight in the refrigerator. The fermenting process helps develop that delicious dough flavor.
- Use '00' flour if possible, bread flour if you can't, and all purpose only as a last alternative.
- Let the dough rest overnight, as it will let the dough develop more elasticity.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don't plan to use it in 36 hours, freeze the dough. Otherwise it may start to ferment and that will change the dough taste and texture.
No, but you need that extra lower heat for that most authentic crispy crust on the bottom with the bubbled up edges. The stone give you that. But a pizza pan is still going to make a tasty pizza.
More Bread Recipes
- Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread
- Irish Soda Bread with Raisins
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
- Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze
Cold Fermented Pizza Dough
Equipment
- 1 pizza stone (or)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup warm water
- 1 ½ tablespoon dry active yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 ½ cups '00' Flour (Antimo Caputo 00)
- salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl whisk together the warm water, sugar, and sprinkle the top with the yeast. Stir and let sit for about 15 minutes until the top is bubbly or frothy.¾ cup warm water, 1 ½ tablespoon dry active yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar
- In a large mixing bowl add the flour and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the yeast and water mixture. Using your hands or a spatula, mix the flour and yeast water until a dough forms into a ball. Scrape the sides to pull it all together.salt, 1 ½ cups '00' Flour
- Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the surface becomes smooth.
- Cover the dough with plastic film and set in a draft free location to rise for 2 hours. You can also do this part a day ahead and just let it rest in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
- Punch down the risen dough and divide into portions to ferment in the refrigerator. Divide the dough into pizza size portions (2 balls for larger pizza, 3 balls for medium size pizzas).
- Place into plastic tubs and set in the refrigerator for 18 to 36 hours.
- Check the dough periodically, as it will still expand. You don't want it to crawl out of the containers, so push it down if it tries.
- After allowing this long refrigerated fermentation, roll the balls of dough out for your pizza crusts.
Pizza Cooking Directions
- If not storing the dough in the freezer, preheat the oven to 500 to 550° F and put the stone in the middle rack of the oven so it can preheat also.
- Using both hands shape the dough into a disc or a rectangle. Lay out on a wooden paddle (to later transfer to a heated stone) or on a pizza pan (if not using a stone).
- Dress the dough with a light layer of pizza sauce, cheese, herbs, etc.
- Slide the pizza from the wooden paddle or cutting board onto the preheated pizza stone in your hot oven. If using a pizza pan pop the pan of pizza into your preheated oven.
- Bake 12 to 15 minutes, checking at 12 minutes. Remove when the edges are bubbled up and browned or even crisped.
Notes
- To defrost frozen pizza dough, put in your refrigerator that day before. It will be ready for pizza the next day.
- You can freeze this dough for up to 3 months.
- For stretchier dough, let rest in the refrigerator after punching down the risen dough.
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