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One Neapolitan base
260g
per dough ball
Pizza · The base
Pizza dough, done properly.
A great pizza is decided before the toppings ever go on. Here is how to make dough with a light, blistered rim, the styles worth knowing, and how to stretch and bake it without tearing.
What makes it good
Flour, time and heat
Good pizza dough comes down to three things: the right flour for your oven, enough time for flavour to develop, and as much heat as you can throw at it. Get those right and a simple margherita beats any amount of expensive toppings on a rushed, flavourless base.
The method below makes about four 260g balls, a comfortable Neapolitan size. If you bake a different style or size, the dough portioning calculator works out ball weights for Neapolitan, New York, Roman and pan pizzas so every base comes out even.
Know your style
Three styles worth knowing
Neapolitan
00 flour, around 60 to 62% hydration, small soft balls. Bakes in 60 to 90 seconds at 400C and above. Puffy, charred rim, tender centre.
New York
Strong bread flour, 62 to 65% hydration, a little oil and sugar. Bakes at 250 to 290C. Foldable, chewy, sturdy enough for a big slice.
Pan
Strong flour, 70% or higher, generous oil in the tin. Bakes at 220 to 240C. Thick, crisp-bottomed and airy, closer to focaccia.
The method
Six steps to a base
This is a cold-fermented Neapolitan-style dough at 65% hydration. The long fridge rest is where the flavour comes from, so start it a day or two ahead. Temperature changes everything, so the fermentation calculator is worth a look before you begin.
- 1
Mix
Combine 600g flour with 390g water into a shaggy dough. Rest 20 minutes so the flour hydrates and the gluten begins to form on its own.
- 2
Add salt and knead
Work in 15g salt and 2g fresh yeast, or a spoon of active starter, then knead for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- 3
Bulk ferment
Cover and rest at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours until the dough is slightly puffy.
- 4
Ball and cold ferment
Divide into roughly 260g pieces, tuck each into a tight round, box them and cold ferment in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours.
- 5
Stretch
Bring the balls to room temperature 1 to 2 hours before baking. Stretch each one by hand from the centre out, leaving a puffy rim. Never use a rolling pin.
- 6
Top and bake hot
Top sparingly and bake as hot as your oven allows, ideally 250C or more on a preheated steel or stone, or in a pizza oven at 400C and above.
Into the heatAs hot as it goes
When it goes wrong
Pizza dough troubleshooting
Dough tears when stretching
Too cold or under-developed. Let it warm up fully, knead a little more next time, and stretch gently from the middle rather than pulling the edges.
Tough and chewy base
Over-worked or too little rest. Give the dough its full cold ferment so the gluten relaxes, and handle it lightly when you shape.
No rise, flat balls
Weak or too little leavening, or the fridge was very cold. Warm the balls before baking and check your yeast or starter is lively.
Soggy centre
Too many wet toppings or not enough heat. Go lighter on the sauce, preheat your stone or steel properly, and bake hotter.
Common questions
Pizza dough FAQ
What flour is best for pizza dough?
For Neapolitan pizza, use Italian 00 flour, which is finely milled and gives a soft, extensible dough that puffs in a hot oven. For New York or pan styles baked at lower temperatures, a strong white bread flour with higher protein gives more chew and structure. Match the flour to the heat you can actually reach.
How long should pizza dough cold ferment?
24 to 48 hours in the fridge is the sweet spot. A cold ferment develops far more flavour than a same-day dough and makes the dough easier to stretch. Beyond about 72 hours the gluten starts to break down and the dough gets slack and hard to handle.
Why does my pizza dough keep tearing?
Either the dough is too cold, or the gluten is under-developed, or you are stretching too fast. Let the balls come fully to room temperature first, knead well enough to build strength, and stretch gently from the centre, letting gravity do some of the work rather than pulling hard at the edges.
Can I make pizza dough the same day?
Yes. Use a little more yeast, keep the dough at room temperature, and give it around 4 to 6 hours from mixing to baking. It will be perfectly good, just milder in flavour than a dough that has had a day or two of cold fermentation to build character.
What hydration should pizza dough be?
Around 60 to 65% suits most home pizza. Neapolitan sits near 60 to 62% for a soft, pillowy rim, while a wetter 68 to 70% dough gives a more open, blistered crust but is trickier to handle. Start at 62% and adjust once you know how your flour behaves.
Keep reading
Where to go next
Every base, the right weight.
Free calculators for portioning, hydration and fermentation. Build and save your pizza formulas in DoughRise Pro.
Photography by Nik Owens and Nadya Spetnitskaya on Unsplash.
