That’s why I love this dough recipe.
A No-Knead Pizza Dough That Works With Your Timeline
You can make it and let it rise, then use it—or change your mind and leave it in the fridge for the next day. Or even the day after that. Or even freeze it for a few weeks. It’s a very forgiving dough! And if that weren’t enough to sell you on this pizza, you don’t have to do a bit of kneading. Furthermore, an overnight rise in the refrigerator helps develop fantastic flavor. The dough is soft and full of delicious air bubbles. This recipe makes about two pounds of dough, which is enough for four 10-inch personal pizzas or two larger pizzas. Use it to make any pizza recipe you like! By the way, if you like this no-knead approach, check out “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day” by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois and “My Bread” by Jim Lahey. This pizza recipe was based on their no-knead techniques.
All-purpose flour is just like the name suggests—it’s good for nearly anything, including pizza dough. It doesn’t have the best stretch but works for thin Neapolitan or even deep-dish pizzas.Whole-wheat flour can make pizza dough healthier but combine it with all-purpose flour for the best consistency.Bread flour is not only for bread, but it’s also great for a stretchy pizza dough that may have too much spring. It’s a little hard to shape since it wants to bounce back.Italian 00 flour (also called Caputo Tipo 00 flour) is found in Italian and specialty markets, and is designed for pizzas and focaccias. A little pricey but worth it if you cook your pizza at super high temps.
For this recipe, almond flour or other gluten-free flours won’t work, though (since it’s all about the yeast doing the rise with the gluten). If you’re looking for a gluten-free pizza dough, you are better off using one that’s specifically formulated to use gluten-free flour, like our cauliflower pizza crust.
Getting the Right Pizza Dough Consistency
To get the right consistency, measure your flour by weight. The dough should be slack or loose (see below). If the dough feels too dry, sprinkle some water on top before leaving to rise. The dough should be wet, but dust a little more flour when working with it if it’s too tacky to shape. With the right amount of water and flour, the dough should rise to be elastic and pliable.
Working With Loose Dough
This recipe makes a dough that’s soft and a bit wet. It’s what bakers call a slack dough. Most no-knead recipes work best if they are slack doughs, meaning they have high hydration (more water) and thus are looser and heavier to work with. They produce lots of bubbles in the crust, which is great for pizza! You can’t shape slack dough like other doughs. Instead of drooping it over your fist, try gently stretching it or pressing outward as you shape. Flour your work surface well and go with the flow. These doughs give you imperfect circles, but we’ve come to embrace the rustic shapes they make. We think it adds to that beautiful handmade feeling of our pizzas.
Storing Pizza Dough Overnight in the Fridge
This pizza dough will keep overnight (or up to three days) in your refrigerator. It’s best to place it in a nonreactive (glass or metal) bowl and cover with plastic wrap (since your dough will continue to rise in the fridge). When you’re ready to make the pizza, let it warm up at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Then, shape out the dough by stretching or using a flour-dusted rolling pin on a lightly dusted surface. While the dough warms, you can prep the toppings and preheat the oven and your pizza stone or cast-iron skillet (if you’re using one).
Freezing This Fast Pizza Dough
Leftover dough can be placed in a zip-top freezer bag and frozen for up to three months. Allow the dough to thaw in the fridge overnight before using.
Homemade Pizza Recipes for No-Knead Dough
Spicy Sausage Pizza Homemade Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Vegetable Pizza Shaved Asparagus and Potato Pizza Meat Lovers’ Sheet Pan Pizza
Instant or rapid-rise yeast is actually a different strain of yeast from the usual granulated yeast. It is designed to be mixed directly into the flour. If you can’t find it, use the equivalent amount of active dry yeast and proof it in warm water according to the package directions. Leftover dough can be placed in a zip-top freezer bag and frozen for up to three months. Allow the dough to thaw in the fridge overnight before using. If halving the recipe, mix the dough by hand since the volume may be too small for your mixer to properly mix. To mix by hand, follow the same procedure using a large bowl and a wooden spoon. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to rise for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature, until doubled in bulk. After rising, you can refrigerate the dough for up to 48 hours. Take the dough out of the refrigerator about 1 hour before shaping.
