Pizza Slow Rise

By mariannefeldman

Artisan Breads Every Day, Peter Reinhart, p67
Neo Neopolitan Pizza Dough

makes 5 indiv pizza

see "pizza 50% whole wheat slow rise" for whole wheat variation (p72-also multi grain)
p 73 - 100% whole wheat

Ingredients

• 5 1/3 cups (24 oz/680g) unbleached bread flour
• 2 tsp (0.5oz/14g) table salt, or 1 tbs coarse kosher salt
• 1 tsp (0.11oz/3g) instant yeast
• 2 tbs (1 oz/28.5) sugar, or 1 1/2 tbs honey or agave nectar
• 2 cups plus 2 tbs (17 oz/482g) water, room temp
• 2 tbs (1 oz/28.5g) olive oil

Details

Servings 5

Preparation

Step 1

Combine all the ingred in mixing bowl
If using a mixer use paddle attachment & mix on lowest speed for 1 minute.
If mixing by hand use a large spoon & stir for abt 1 min, til well blended
The dough should be coarse & slightly sticky
let the dough rest for 5 mins to fully hydrate the flour
Switch to dough hook & mix on med-low speed or continue mixing by hand for 2 - 3 mins til the dough is smoother but still soft, supple & somewhere between tacky & sticky
Spread 1 tsp olive oil on work surface, transfer dough to oiled surface
Rub your hands with some of the oil, then stretch & fold the dough 1 time, reaching under the front end of the dough, stretching it out, then folding it back onto the top of the dough.
Do this from the back end & then from each side , then flip the dough over & tuck it into a ball
Divide the dough into 5 equal pieces, each weighing abt 8 oz (227g).
Form each into a ball, then place each into a separate sandwich sized freezer bag misted with spray oil. (or if u have room in fridge u can form into tight balls & refrigerate them on a pan) Seal the bags & refrigerate overnight or for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for several months
On Baking day:
Abt 90 mins before you plan to bake the pizzas, place the desired # of dough balls on a lightly oiled work surface
With oiled hands stretch & round each piece into a tight ball, the place on a pan that has bee lightly oiled (pref w/olive oil)
Loosely cover w/plastic wrap & let rest at room temp til ready to bake
Abt 1 hour before baking pizza preheat the oven & a baking stone as high as the oven will go
If you dont have a baking stone you can assemble the pizzas on baking sheets covered w/parchment paper & bake them on the pans
While the oven preheats prepare sauce & toppings
When ready to assemble& bake put abt 1 cup (4.5 oz/128g) of flour in a bowl.
Use some of it to dust the work surface, your hands, & peel if using
Put 1 of the dough balls in flour to coat the bottom
Transfer to work surface & gently tap it down with your fingers to form a disk
Slide the backs of your hands under the dough, then lift it & begin to rotate it using your thumbs to coax the edges of the dough into a larger circle
Dont stretch the dough with the backs of your hands or your knuckles, let your thumbs do all the work; your hands & knuckles merely provide a platform to support the dough
If the dough resists & shrinks back, set it on floured work surface & let it rest for a minute or 2
Continue working the dough & resting it as needed til it is abt 10 - 12" in diameter
It should be thicker at the edges than in the center & the center should be thin but not paper thin
if the dough rips you can try to patch it or form it back into a ball & try it again in 15 - 20 mins
When the crust is ready to be topped place it on floured peel
use flour rather than cornmeal or semolina as it doesnt burn as quickly in the oven
Top the pizza as desired, then slid it onto baking stone. If u are not using a baking stone put the panned pizza in the oven
Bake for abt 4 mins, then use peel or spatula to rotate the pizza
It will take 5 - 7 mins for the pizza to fully bake, depending on the oven
The edge should puff up & be a deep golden brown, maybe even charred
Remove the pizza, garnish as desired, let coo, 1 min before slicing or serving