72 Hour Pizza Dough

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5 from 1 vote

A very forgiving and versatile way to keep fresh pizza dough handy

Prep Time40

Rise time3

Total Time3 40

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 10" pies

Calories: 100kcal

Author: Carolyn Hetke

Ingredients

3 ½ cups bread flour 500 grams See Note 1
1.5 cups water 350 grams
1 teaspoon salt 16 grams
½ teaspoon yeast 1 gram

Instructions

Warm ½ cup of the water (not hot). Dissolve the salt and then mix the warm water back in to the remaining water.
Mix the yeast and flour. Slowly add the water, stirring with a wooden spoon. Mix really well.
Turn the dough out to your counter or a cutting board and knead with the palm of your hand forcefully for about 3 minutes. You are trying to ensure there are no pockets of dry flour. When the dough starts to feel sticky it means the flour is hydrated.
Put the dough in a clean bowl large enough to allow the dough to double in size. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to sit at room temperature at least 12 hours and preferably 24 hours.
Transfer dough to the fridge and allow to cold ferment at least 24 hours and up to 9 days. Dough is at its best on days 3, 4 or 5.
When ready to make pizza remove the dough from the fridge. Give it 30 - 60 minutes for it it warm up a bit. It will be easier to work with. Then turn the dough out on to a well floured surface. It is still very sticky at this point. Use a bench cutter to divide it into portions for number of pies you want. 8.5 oz (240 grams) for a 10-12" base. See Note 2 below.
To convert each dough portion in to a useable dough ball, turn it to coat with flour on all surfaces. Hold the dough with both hands in front of you with your hands perpendicular to the work surface. Close your fingers into the middle of the dough which will fold the dough in to itself. Press the dough sides together firmly. You will have a smooth, stretched edge and a rough seamed edge. Turn your hands to flatten them so they are parallel to the work surface. Take the edges of the dough with your hands vertically, and the rough, seamed side facing away from you. Repeat closing your fingers so the dough fold in to itself and pressing the sides together tightly about 15-20 times. Flour your hands and the dough generously as needed to keep it from sticking. You will feel the dough start to get smooth and elastic. After the last fold, turn the outer edges of the dough down and tuck them in to the middle of the underside of the dough, stretching the top surface in to a smooth rounded surface. Pinch the seam edges together, twist slightly and tuck up inside the ball. You should have a nice round, smooth dough ball at this point.
Cover the dough balls air tight and allow them to sit at room temperature 5-6 hours. Stretch or roll the dough out to the thickness you want.
Use in your favourite pizza recipe.

Notes

Note 1: Bread dough makes a sturdier crust but you can combine up to 50/50 bread dough and all purpose dough.

Note 2: 8 ½ oz or about 240 grams makes a nice 10-12" pizza base. Number and size of bases will depend on how thin or thick you roll out your dough. My baking steel is the griddle that came with my oven so this recipe makes six 4.5 oz dough balls for me that I roll out to about 8" X 6".

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