FOR THE EXPERT PIZZA MAKER
Napoletana Dough using Pizzaria Caputo*YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE YOUR POOLISH 18 HOURS PRIOR TO MAKING YOUR DOUGH!
*THE DOUGH WILL NEED TO BE REFIGERATED FOR 48 HOURS PRIOR TO MAKING YOUR PIZZA!
(Makes 28 oz. (795 grams) dough, enough for three 9 to 10 oz. balls)
An authentic Napoletana pizza has to be made with Italian Doppio zero (double zero) flour.
Double zero is a designation that indicates the fineness of the grind, with the scale going from 2, the coarsest, to 00, the finest.
Double-zero flour is milled from soft wheat, which has less elastic gluten than hard wheat.
The result is a tender dough that requires a light touch and a gentile hand when you’re working with it.
First make your Poolish: Makes 90 grams
*You will need to prepare at least 18 hours prior to making your dough!
Ingredients for making Poolish:
0.12 gram (one-third of 1/8 teaspoon) Active Dry Yeast or 0.36 gram Fresh Yeast, broken into small pieces.
47 grams (3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon) cold tap water
47 grams (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) Pizzaria Caputo Flour
Instructions for making Poolish:
1.) Put the yeast in a small bowl, add the water, and whisk vigorously for 30 seconds. (The mixture should bubble on top. If it doesn’t and the yeast granuales float, the yeast is “dead” and should be discarded. Begin again with a fresh amount of yeast & water.)
2.) Add the Caputo and stir well with a rubber spatula to combine. (The consistency will be thick and like pancake batter)
3.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature for 18 hours. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to cool slightly before using.
Ingredients for your Dough:
7 grams Fresh Yeast, broken into small pieces or 2-3 grams or 3/4 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
70 grams ( ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon) Warm Water (80F to 85F)
453 grams (3 ¾ cups) “OO” Caputo Pizzaria Flour, plus more for kneading if needed.
10 grams (1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon) Diastatic Malt (If baking in a home oven)
210 grams (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) Ice Water
90 grams Poolish
10 grams (2 teaspoons) Fine Sea Salt
Instructions for making Dough:
*You will need to refrigerate your dough mixture for 48 hours before baking your pizza!
1.) Put the yeast in a small bowl, add the warm water, and whish vigorously for 30 seconds. (The yeast should dissolve in the water and the mixture should foam. If it doesn’t and the yeast granuales float, the yeast is “dead” and should be discarded. Begin again with a fresh amount of yeast & water.)
2.) Add your Caputo and Diastatic Malt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. With the mixer on the lowest speed, pour in most of the ice water, reserving about 2 tablespoons.
3.) Add your yeast-water mixture.
4.) Pour the reserved water into your yeast bowl, swirl it around to dislodge any bits of yeast stuck to the bowl, then add it to the mixture.
5.) Mix for 15 seconds, stop the mixer, and add the poolish. (It’s best to use your hands, dampening them under very cold water, so the poolish does not stick to your hands)
6.) Add salt and mix on lowest speed for 1 minute to combine. Stop the mixer and pull the dough off the hook and mix for another minute.
7.) Scrap the bowl and transfer the dough to an UNfloured surface, then knead it for 3 to 4 minutes, until smooth. (If dough is too sticky to knead, sprinkle it with a little Caputo. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
8.) Using a dough cutter, divide your dough into thirds. Place your balls on a sheet pan, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Wrap the pan with a double layer of plastic wrap, sealing the balls very well and put the pan in a level spot in the fridge for 48 hours.