Neapolitan Pizza Dough (24-Hour Cold Ferment)

Ingredients

• 620 g 00 flour (or bread flour; see notes)
• 403 g cool water (about 65% hydration)
• 18 g fine sea salt
• 0.6 g instant yeast (about 1/4 tsp; scant)
• Extra 00 flour or semolina, for dusting
• Crushed tomatoes, mozzarella, and toppings of choice

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the salt in the water.
2. Add about 10% of the flour and whisk to make a loose slurry, then sprinkle in the yeast and whisk again.
3. Add the remaining flour and mix with your hand or a sturdy spoon until no dry flour remains and you have a shaggy mass.
4. Turn the dough onto an unfloured counter and knead 8–10 minutes, until smooth and elastic; it should feel tacky but not wet. If it’s sticking heavily, dust the counter lightly with flour (use as little as possible).
5. Cover the dough (in a bowl or on the counter under an inverted bowl) and let rest 20 minutes.
6. Knead 1 minute more to tighten the surface.
7. Place in a lightly oiled container, cover, and let sit at room temperature until it shows slight activity (a few small bubbles and a subtle rise), 1–2 hours depending on room temp.
8. Refrigerate the covered dough 18–24 hours.
9. Remove dough from the fridge.
10. Divide into 4 pieces (~250 g each).
11. Shape each into a tight ball: cup your hands and drag the dough against the counter until the surface is smooth and taut.
12. Place in a lightly floured dough box or covered containers, leaving space between balls.
13. Let the dough balls proof at room temperature until puffy, relaxed, and very extensible, 3–5 hours.
14. Sensory cue: a gentle fingertip press should leave a dent that slowly springs back; the dough should feel airy and “alive,” not tight.
15. Heat your pizza oven to 430–480°C / 800–900°F (or heat a baking steel/stone in your home oven at maximum for 45–60 minutes; place it high in the oven).
16. Dust the dough ball and the counter lightly with flour/semolina. Flip the dough so both sides are coated.
17. Press from the center outward, leaving a 1–1.5 cm rim; then stretch over your knuckles to about 10–12 inches, keeping the rim thicker.
18. Top quickly (go light—Neapolitan hates overload) and launch.
19. Bake until the rim is leopard-spotted and the underside is browned: 60–120 seconds in a pizza oven, or 5–8 minutes in a home oven (finish under the broiler if needed).

Notes

Flour: 00 flour is traditional and stretches beautifully. Bread flour works well at home (slightly chewier, often easier in lower-heat ovens). Yeast: If using active dry yeast, use the same weight but dissolve it in the water 5 minutes before mixing; if using fresh yeast, use 1.8 g. Temperature: Fermentation speed depends on room temp; if your kitchen runs warm (>24°C/75°F), reduce yeast slightly. Same-day option: Increase yeast to 2 g (about 3/4 tsp) and skip the cold ferment. Bulk 2–3 hours, ball, then proof 2–3 hours until airy. Storage: Dough balls keep 2–3 days cold; flavor improves on day 2. Freeze dough balls after 1–2 hours of balling/proofing; thaw overnight in the fridge, then proof at room temp until relaxed.