Recipes

Artisan Fire Pizza Dough

This Neapolitan-inspired pizza dough utilizes a blend of bread flour and Tipo '00 flour — the Italian flour used by Neapolitan pizza restaurants because of its high burning point. We have optimized this dough recipe for use in the Artisan Fire Pizza Oven when making Neapolitan-style pizzas. The flour blend yields good overall color and the desired leoparding.

This dough is a little more difficult to handle than our White Wine Pizza Dough and is intended for use only with sparse toppings in the Neapolitan style. (If you are making pizzas on the grill, we recommend using the White Wine Pizza Dough recipe.)

By Russ Faulk, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet
Serves 7 10-ounce Dough Balls
Image of Artisan Fire Pizza Dough
Ingredients
Directions

Ingredients
  • 50ml lukewarm tap water
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 5 grams active dry yeast
  • 700ml cold tap water
  • 450g Caputo Tipo ‘00 flour
  • 800g unbleached bread flour
  • 45g kosher salt

NOTES

  • For an interesting flavor and texture alternative, try substituting 300g of rye flour for 300g of bread flour.
  • All ingredients are measured by weight. Metric measurements are used for added precision (1 gram = 0.035 ounces) and to make it easier to calculate the hydration (ratio of wet to dry ingredients by weight).
Directions

Dissolve the honey in the warm water. Stir in the yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes to activate. It should become quite frothy.

Combine the yeast mixture with the cold water and ’00 flour in a large bowl. Stir well to create a batter. Add half of the bread flour (400g) and stir well to combine. Add the remaining half of the bread flour and the salt. Work these into the dough then transfer from the bowl onto a clean work surface. Knead until the dough is evenly combined and has a consistent texture, about 8 minutes.

Return the dough to the mixing bowl and cover tightly. Let rest for 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 7 equal, 10-ounce (284g) parts, working each part into a smooth ball and tucking in any corners or edges. Coat each ball in olive oil and place them into covered dough boxes or on baking sheets. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

Remove the dough boxes from the refrigerator and let the dough rest at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours before making pizzas.

To form the pizza crusts, work the dough gently with your hands. Never use a rolling pin or pinch the dough too firmly. This will cause “bruising”. Start with the dough ball on a floured work surface. Press gently outward toward the edges with your fingers, rotating the dough as you work your way around to create a disk. Lift the disk from the surface and begin to gently stretch it. Once it is about 7 inches in diameter, let gravity begin to help you shape the dough. Hold the disk from the top with both hands. Try to use the flats of your fingers rather than your fingertips. Sway the dough back and forth to stretch it, and shuffle your hands along the edge to rotate the dough as you sway back and forth. You can also stretch the dough across the backs of your fists. Combine these techniques in the manner that suits you best.

When the dough is ready for toppings, it should be about 1/8-inch thick and roughly 12 inches in diameter. Do not create a lip for the perimeter. The dough should be an even thickness from edge to edge. The lip should rise around the edge in the oven (keep the toppings 3/4 inch from the edge).