Confession time (and those who knows me in real life will confirm this): I’m stubborn. In my kitchen, that means I don’t give up until a dish turns out the way I know it should. Lately, it’s been all about the pizza dough. Something had been off lately, so I decided to experiment: a 50/50 blend of 00 flour and bread flour, followed by an overnight cold ferment. That turned out to be the magic formula. Pizza night was saved and then some.

Makes enough dough for two medium pizzas

• 2 cups 00 flour
• 1 ¾ cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
• 1 ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp instant yeast (or 1 ¼ tsp active dry yeast)
• 1 ⅓ cups lukewarm water
• 1 tbsp olive oil (optional, for a slightly softer dough)

Let’s Cook!

1. Mix the Dough
   In a large bowl, whisk together 00 flour, bread flour, salt, sugar, and yeast.
   Add lukewarm water and olive oil (if using). Stir until a shaggy dough forms.
2. Knead Until Smooth
   Knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5–8 minutes, or use a stand mixer with a dough hook for about 4–5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
3. Initial Rise
   Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and let rise at room temp for 1 hour.
4. Cold Ferment
   Divide the dough if making more than one pizza. Shape into tight balls, place each in a lightly oiled container or wrapped bowl, and refrigerate overnight (18–24 hours)
5. Ready to Bake
   Take the dough out of the fridge about 60–90 minutes before baking. Let it come to room temperature, uncovered or loosely covered, to relax and make stretching easier.
   
   Preheat your oven to the highest temp (475–500°F) with a pizza stone or an upside-down baking sheet for at least 30 minutes. Gently stretch out the dough to your favorite shape and thickness on a pizza peel that’s coated with cornmeal (don’t skip this step or your dough won’t slide on to you pizza stone.
6. Toppings
   My favorite order of toppings is to spread the crust with sauce, spread with a generous layer of mozzarella and shaved Parmesan cheeses, and top with your favorite toppings (our go to is usually sausage and/or pepperoni, plus roasted red peppers and caramelized onions, but the sky is the limit).
7. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until the crust is golden brown (keep an eye on it though because it can burn quickly). Another dash of Parmesan, some fresh basil or arugula, and you are ready to enjoy!

I make pizza all year, but my favorite way? My outdoor pizza oven, hands down. What about you? Do you have a go-to pizza night tradition?

Eat well friends!

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