In my opinion, this is a hall of fame Master Pizza Dough Recipe. Peter Reinhart is the pizza king with a long trail of accolades and this recipe comes from his most recent book Perfect Pan Pizza. It’s a white dough that lends itself to hand pies or pan pies: Roman, Sicilian, Detroit, Grandma, and Focaccia. It’s light and fluffy, crispy on the edges and the bottom but like a cloud in the middle. I’ve used this dough in many of his applications – the focaccia is heaven and Detroit Style is a favorite.
This is a ‘wet dough’ which has a higher hydration level – around 85% – so it needs a different technique with handling. I made a quick video to help you if you haven’t handled wet dough before. I find them easier than the traditional heavy flour & knead type doughs.
Check out Peter Reinhart. Buy his books, visit his site. Do what he tells you to do and he’ll help you up your pizza game with not only this dough but all his recipes and techniques.
This dough needs a 12-hour rest overnight and feel free to leave it in the frig for up to 3 days if you want to.
This recipe makes around 900 – 1000g of dough, enough for 3 10″ pizzas or a few 9 x 13 pan pies. In his book, Peter lists 10 different pan sizes and dough weights for easy reference, along with all the pan and prep instructions to make authentic pies.
The recipe is for the dough only. You’ll want to prep and pan according to whatever style you’re planning to make.
Master Recipe White Flour Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 4½ cups flour (567 g) recommended bread flour, or can use all-purpose, or 00 chef's flour
- 1¾ tsp kosher salt (11 g)
- 1¼ tsp instant yeast (4 g)
- 2 cups cool water (454 g)
- 3 Tbsp olive oil (42 g) divided
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, combine the first 3 ingredients. Add water; mix on slow speed for 30 seconds or until a coarse, shaggy dough forms. Add 2 Tbsp oil. Increase speed to medium; mix 30–60 seconds to make a wet, coarse, sticky dough (it may seem too wet at this stage). Let rest 5 minutes to fully hydrate.
- Increase mixer speed to medium-high; mix 30–60 seconds or until smooth and sticky (dough should be soft, supple, and sticky to the touch, and offer little resistance when pressed with a wet finger).
- On a clean work surface, use 1 tsp oil to create a 15-inch diameter slick. Rub some oil on a plastic bowl scraper and your hands; use a scraper to transfer the dough to a work surface. Flatten dough. Lift one end, folding it toward the center; left opposite end to flip it over the folded end. Fold in the 2 wide ends in the same manner to make the dough a loose ball. Flip dough so it is smooth side up. Cover with an inverted bowl and let rest 5 minutes. Repeat the process three more times. By the fourth time, the dough will become much smoother and gluten will be fully developed. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 12–72 hours
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