Pizza

My go-to recipe for the perfect pizza base.

Ferdinand Theil

This is a slow fermentation recipe that takes 2–3 days.
The goal is to develop deep flavor in the dough and gradually work it into ideal baking condition.
It’s essential that your oven is super hot when baking this pizza.

Makes 3 pizza bases.

Ingredients #

  • 540g quality strong flour1
  • 80% cold water
  • 2% salt
  • 5g fresh yeast (conversion table here)2
  • Olive oil

Autolyse / Proof #

Temperature awareness is crucial throughout this process.
The dough should always remain in the fridge when not being handled.

  1. In a small bowl, add the cold water and yeast.
    Whisk gently until the yeast is fully dissolved.

  2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and yeast-water mixture.
    Cover the bowl with clingfilm and let it rest in the fridge.

  3. After 30 minutes to an hour, perform a stretch and fold.
    With wet hands3, pull and fold the dough, then return it to the fridge.
    Repeat this process every hour or so for the next 48 hours.

The dough is ready to bake once it has doubled in size.

Bake #

When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven as hot as it can go.

Less is more when it comes to toppings.
Too much sauce or cheese can prevent the base from baking properly and lead to a soggy crust.


Hopefully, this helps someone!


  1. Better flour has more protein, which results in a stronger, more glutinous dough.
    For best results, use 00 pizza flour. ↩︎

  2. The amount of yeast you use determines the proofing time.
    5g will be ready in exactly 2 days. Less yeast will take longer. ↩︎

  3. Wet hands help prevent the dough from sticking. ↩︎