Brutal.

Sourdough pizza

Courtesy of Neven Mrgan (thank you)

Makes 2 pizza dough balls

‍Time: 3.5 hours (mix and proof) + 1 to 14 days (fridge-ferment) + 6 hours (final proof) + 10 to 20 minutes (shape, top, and bake)

Ingredients

  • 260 g high-gluten or bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
  • 40 g (15%) whole wheat or rye flour (or any flour, really)
  • 9 g (3%) salt
  • 15 g (5%) ripe sourdough starter
  • 200 g (66%) water

Method

Mix

  1. Put all the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer outfitted with the dough hook and stir to combine
  2. Add the starter and about 2/3 of the water
  3. Start the mixer on low speed and mix for 1 minute‍
  4. Add the rest of the water, and mix for 4 more minutes‍
  5. Switch to medium speed and mix for another 5 minutes.
  6. Once mixed, cover the bowl and let the dough rest in a warm spot (70–74°F?) for 3 hours. Every 30 minutes or so, perform a stretch-and-fold

Divide and cold ferment

  1. Scoop the dough with a flexible dough scraper onto a lightly oiled work surface and cut into two 262 g portions
  2. Shape each portion into a ball, tucking the ends in toward the middle to form a taut, balloon-like surface on one side.
  3. Pop into a lightly oiled 16 oz deli container, messy side down
  4. Cover and pop in the back of the fridge for 1-14 days. (I find the flavor is best around 7 days.)

Proof

  1. ‍6 hours (or more if it's cold) before baking, remove the containers from the fridge and leave them on the counter.
  2. ‍2 hours before baking, uncover them. This will dry out the top somewhat, which is great; that will become the not-so-sticky bottom of your crust.If using a home oven
  3. ‍1 hour before baking, preheat baking steel on a rack 6-8" from the top broiler to 550

Stretch and cook

  1. Lightly dust your surface
  2. Hold the container upside down and wiggle the dough out of it gently
  3. Lightly dust the other side of the ball
  4. Press gently around the inside of the rim to make a little ringed pizza-prototype
  5. Pick it up and stretch with your knuckles (don’t use your fingers). It should be very friendly, stretchy without any pullback or tearing. Stretch to 10" in size.
  6. Lay the pizza on a semolina dusted peel
  7. Shimmy it while topping to make sure it does not stick
  8. Once topped, stretch it the final two inches, using the toppings to hold its shape better
  9. Slide on to the steel and cook for 4 minutes, rotate and cook another 3 minutes, until the bottom is done.
  10. If the bottom is cooking too fast, move it to a metal pan to finish
  11. Rest on a cooling rack for a few minutes to dry the bottom out before cutting

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Brutal.