Worth the Wait, Soft and Chewy Pizza dough
Yes, this worth the wait, soft and chewy pizza dough does benefit from fermenting a few days in the refrigerator. Trust me, to gain the extra flavour, from the longer fermenting time, is worth it!
My kids love pizza, so I usually keep some on hand in the refrigerator or in the freezer. That way, I’m ready to go!
If you have a sourdough starter it is a great way to use some of the discard. It really adds to the flavour as well!
I usually get this dough going at the beginning of the week, that way it is ready to go when everyone is in the mood for pizza. Once that dough is used up, I make a new one. It is a great dough to keep around, then you are ready for pizza night any day of the week!
Ingredients
1½ cups room temperature water
1 teaspoon dry active yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup oil (I use olive oil)
¼ to ½ cup of sourdough discard (optional)
3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
Method
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the dough hook attachment. Or in a large bowl by hand. Add the water, yeast, salt, oil (and sourdough if using). Mix.
- Add the flour and turn the mixer on the lowest setting, until all is incorporated. If by hand, mix with your hands until all of the flour is incorporated.
- Kneed the dough for about 4 mins in the stand mixer. It should hold together and clean the sides of the bowl. If it is still too wet you can add more flour, a little at a time. (It should be more tacky than a typical bread dough but should hold its shape.) If by hand, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed for about 5 mins.
- Place the dough in a covered bowl and let rise for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, fold the dough. (I flatten it out a bit and just go around stretching and folding the dough circle over on itself.) *See video.
- Place in a covered bowl, larger than the dough ball, and place in the refrigerator to rise; at least over night, or up to 4 days. If you notice it rising too much, you can take it out and fold it again.
Note: This recipe can easily be made into sourdough pizza dough. Simply replace the sourdough discard with active bubbly sourdough starter and omit the dry active yeast!
For the pizza!
- Remove the dough about 30 mins before you want to use it, to bring it up to room temperature. (It will form into a pizza shape more easily, if it is not cold)
- Preheat oven to convection 450° F (230°C) and place a pizza stone.
- Get the sauce, cheese, and desired toppings ready, while you are waiting for the pizza stone to preheat.
- Once it is ready, remove the stone from the oven. Lightly oil the stone and place the dough on top.
- With wet fingertip, gently stretch and press out with your fingertips into a circle. Make sure not to make the centre too thin.
- Top the dough lightly with sauce, cheese, and your toppings of choice.
- Place it back in the oven for 8-12 mins. Check on it frequently, so the top doesn’t burn but the crust bakes all the way through.
- Remove from the oven. Let cool slightly, cut and serve!
Worth the Wait, Soft and Chewy Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 1½ cups room temperature water
- 1 teaspoon dry active yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ⅓ cup oil I use olive oil
- ¼ to ½ cup of sourdough discard optional
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the dough hook attachment. Or in a large bowl by hand. Add the water, yeast, salt, oil (and sourdough discard if using). Mix.
- Add the flour and turn the mixer on the lowest setting, until all is incorporated. If by hand, mix with your hands until all of the flour is incorporated.
- Kneed the dough for about 4 mins in the stand mixer. It should hold together but me mush looser than a bread dough. If it is still too wet you can add more flour, a little at a time. If by hand, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed for about 5 mins.
- Place the dough in a covered bowl and let rise for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, fold the dough. (I flatten it out a bit and just go around stretching and folding the dough circle over on itself.)
- Place in a covered bowl, larger than the dough ball, and place in the refrigerator to rise; at least over night, or up to 4 days. If you notice it rising too much, you can take it out and fold it again.