Same day 70% Hydration Pizza Dough

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water. Add the flour to the water a little at a time and mix. Add the salt to the dough and mix thoroughly. Use your hands if needed, as the dough will be getting stiff.

Transfer the dough to a clean work surface. Knead the dough for 10 minutes.

Cover the dough with a bowl or damp towel and let it rest for 20 minutes. (Optional: stretch the dough out a bit to dry it.)

Close the dough by folding it and make a round of book folds. Fold until you can no longer fold the dough without the dough tearing. Cover the dough with a bowl or damp towel.

Close the dough by folding it and make a round of book folds. Fold until you can no longer fold the dough without the dough tearing. Cover the dough with a bowl or damp towel.

Make a final round of folds. Fold the dough like a letter, then a book. Pinch the dough to seal it and place it pinch side down on the work surface. Place the dough into a container that is the same shape as your final pizza pan (ideally a plastic container with a lid). Cover the dough and let it rise until it has doubled in size—about 3 hours.

After the rise, let the dough gently fall out of the container onto the work surface. Split the dough into two parts. Fold each piece of dough like a letter, then a book, until the dough is a compact ball and full of air.

Place each dough ball into a smaller container and cover. Let the dough rise until they are doubled in size again—another 2 hours.

Dump each piece of dough (one at a time) onto a lightly floured work surface (ideally use semolina flour). Press down the outer edges with your fingertips. Use your fingertips to press the dough down and out, starting from one end and finishing at the other. Flip the stretched dough, then pull the dough to gently stretch it width-wise. Shake off any loose flour and transfer the stretched dough to the baking sheet. Use your fingertips to press and stretch the dough to the edges of the baking sheet if needed.

Cover both pizzas and let them rest for 30–45 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 575°F (300°C). Add the toppings to each pizza (minus any cheese). Bake the pizzas one at a time for 9 minutes in a static oven.

Cover with cheese and return to the oven to melt the cheese (another ~3 minutes). Buon appetito!