INGREDIENTS
DOUGH
BAKER’S PERCENTAGES
90% High-Gluten Flour
10% Sifted Spelt or Rye Flour
65% Water
3% Salt
0.5% Instant Dry Yeast
1.5% Sugar
I have provided recipes for a few common pizza sizes below, but you can use my free Pizza Calculator Spreadsheet to customize the recipe to your exact specifications. Click here to get access to it!
AMOUNTS FOR TWO 12" PIZZAS
271g High-Gluten Flour (2 1/8 Cups)
27g Sifted Whole Wheat Flour (3 1/2 Tbsp)
194g Water (6.5 fl oz)
9.0g Salt (volume can vary - check your salt container for conversions)
1.5g Instant Dry Yeast (1/2 tsp)
4.5g Granulated Sugar (1 1/8 tsp)
TOTAL DOUGH WEIGHT: 507g (253g Per Pizza)
I recommend 102g of Sauce (3.5 fl oz), 102g of Mozzarella (about 7/8 Cup, grated), and 6g of Pecorino (1 Tbsp, ungrated) Per Pizza, but you can adjust this to suit your tastes.
AMOUNTS FOR TWO 14" PIZZAS
376g High-Gluten Flour (3 Cups)
38g Sifted Whole Wheat Flour (4 3/4 Tbsp)
269g Water (9.0 fl oz)
12.4g Salt (volume can vary - check your salt container for conversions)
2.1g Instant Dry Yeast (2/3 tsp)
6.2g Granulated Sugar (1 1/2 tsp)
TOTAL DOUGH WEIGHT: 704g (352g Per Pizza)
I recommend 142g of Sauce (4.8 fl oz), 142g of Mozzarella (about 1 1/4 Cup, grated), and 8g of Pecorino (1.5 Tbsp, ungrated) Per Pizza, but you can adjust this to suit your tastes.
AMOUNTS FOR TWO 16" PIZZAS
498g High-Gluten Flour (4 Cups)
50g Sifted Whole Wheat Flour (6 1/3 Tbsp)
356g Water (11.9 fl oz)
16.4g Salt (volume can vary - check your salt container for conversions)
2.7g Instant Dry Yeast (7/8 tsp)
8.2g Granulated Sugar (2 tsp)
TOTAL DOUGH WEIGHT: 932g (466g Per Pizza)
I recommend 188g of Sauce (6.4 fl oz), 188g of Mozzarella (about 1 2/3 Cup, grated), and 11g of Pecorino (2 Tbsp, ungrated) Per Pizza, but you can adjust this to suit your tastes.
SAUCE
IF USING A 28OZ CAN OF TOMATOES
1 28oz Can of Tomatoes
2g Salt, plus more to taste (volume can vary - check your salt container for conversions)
12g Sugar (1 Tbsp)
2 tsp Dried Oregano (~2g)
NOTE: The consistencies of different tomato brands can vary, so feel free to add more water (or strain liquid off) until you achieve the approximate sauce consistency shown in the video.
IF USING COMMERCIAL REDPACK TOMATOES
1 105oz Can of Tomatoes
26oz Water
11.3g Salt, plus more to taste (volume can vary - check your salt container for conversions)
45g Sugar (3 3/4 Tbsp)
7.5 tsp Dried Oregano (~7.5g)
CHEESE
Low-Moisture, Full-Fat (Whole Milk) Mozarella
Pecorino Romano
NOTE: Exact amounts will depend on the size and number of pizzas you are making.
STEPS
MAKING THE DOUGH
In a large bowl, mix all flour and water. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 20 minutes to autolyse.
Add the salt, sugar, and yeast, and knead the dough until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Cover the dough again, and let it rest for another 20 minutes (optional, but highly recommended. If you don’t have 20 minutes, even 5 minutes will help).
Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes, then form it into a ball and place it back into the bowl.
Cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise until at least doubled (and up to tripled) in size. This should take about 1-3 hours at room temperature.
Divide the dough into the desired number of portions, and form each into a very taught ball. Place each ball into a wide container lined with olive oil, then cover and transfer the containers the refrigerator. Allow the dough to ferment in refrigerator for 2-3 days before using.
(NOTE: If you would like to use the dough the same day, simply leave it at room temperature, and it will be ready to bake in 2-3 more hours).
MAKING THE SAUCE
Combine all ingredients and blend thoroughly. The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before using.
ASSEMBLING AND BAKING THE PIZZA
When ready to bake, remove dough from refrigerator and preheat your oven to 550F (287C) (with your baking steel inside, set to the oven’s second-highest rack) for about 90 minutes before baking.
(NOTE: If you are using a stone rather than a steel, you should place it on your oven’s lowest rack to allow it to get as hot as possible).
When the oven and steel are preheated, shape your dough and place it onto a wooden pizza peel, dusted with semola flour.
Top the pizza first with sauce, then (optionally) a bit more oregano, then pecorino, then mozzarella.
NOTE: Avoid adding too much sauce or cheese in the center of the pizza, as that can create a soggy crust).
Bake the pizza for 4-5 minutes until the cheese is fully melted, and has just barely started to separate, optionally rotating the pizza halfway through to ensure even browning. If you plan to reheat the slices, sure to leave your oven running after removing the pizza.
(TIP: If you find that the bottom of the pizza tends to burn, you can insert a pizza screen underneath the pizza during the final 1-2 minutes of baking.)
Allow the pizza to cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes, then slice it and reheat each slice on your steel (with the oven still set to 550F) for 60-90 seconds, until the bottom is charred to your liking.