Welcome to Pizza. Here we make pizza.

Instructions & Notes

1. Mix Poolish (16-24 hours in advance)Mix together equal parts water and flour together with a tiny bit

   Usually the amount of yeast in a poolish is a lot less than what described in this recipe (0.4 - 0.8 grams!). However, since we're storing the poolish in the fridge for more consistent temperature control, 5 grams of yeast isn't too much.

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   of yeast and honey. Let the mix rest on the counter for 60 minutes, before placing it in the fridge for 16-24 hours.

   If you're unsure if the poolish might be under or over developed, see if it floats in a bowl of water[3].

2. Optional: Autolyse the flour and water For improved gluten development

   Resulting in better gas retention and better volume in the finished loafs.

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   and extensibility

   The dough's ability to be stretched and hold its shape without being so elastic that it snaps back.

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   , autolyse the dough[1.2]. Do this by mixing flour and water and let them rest for 15-30 minutes before adding salt, yeast and the poolish.
3. Mix Mix poolish with ingredients[2.1] Get to a place where all ingredients are mixed; the dough should have smooth-ish surface and a sticky consistency before you dump it onto the counter. Use the slap and fold technique[2.2] to build strenght. When things get messy, "take the dog for a walk"[2.3]. Try to do this until the dough let's go from your hands. Always keep the top on top. For optimal flavour, the final mix temperature should be between 24°C and 27°C [1.1].
4. Make it smooth (rest 15min) Let it rest for 15 minutes on the counter before doing a few more folds. Drag it towards you [4] on the counter to apply tension. After this, the dough shouldn't be too sticky anymore, and the surface will be super smooth. Higher hydration doughts can benefit from three or four folds during bulk fermenting to give them the appropriate strength[1.3], consider this the first bulk ferment fold.
5. Bulk ferment until double in size (1-3hr) Lightly coat the the (big) smooth ball with olive oil and let it rest in a container on the counter until it's doubled in size. Apply additional folds as you see the dough flatten out, to firm it up a bit. Just don't fold it during the last hour of bulk fermenting. The time needed for this is hard to judge as it depends on your ambient temperature. If it's below 24°C, you might have to wait several hours before seeing any development.

   Tip: Take a small portion of the dough aside in a glass jar. Add a rubber band to mark the current dough level, this let you measure proofing more easily.

6. Divide into balls After it's doubled in size, divide into 260g balls. Again, always "keep top on top"[2.4]: The smooth surface should face up, the sticky bottom should face down. If you didn't fold in the previous step, the dough might be very soft and hard to handle. This is ok. Just fold each ball a few times to firm it up. Coat each ball in olive oil.
7. Rest (30min) Let the balls rest for at least 30 minutes. If you don't plan on baking them within the next hour, consider retarding

   Place them in a cool chamber that literally retards the development of the dough.

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   them.
8. Re-shape balls, apply tension Re-shape the rested balls again. Now, apply more tension by pulling them towards you on the counter. The ball should be firm and smooth. Use the "finger dent test" [1.4].
9. Rest (15-20min) The balls will be too tight to stretch out at this point, so let them rest up a bit.
10. Bake! You're finally ready to form the balls into pies. Use semolina flour and stretch them into roughly 30cm pies.

    Tip: If you're using a home oven, pre-bake the pie with sauce before adding topping and baking it a second time.