Two cold ferments, impossibly airy crumb, leopard-spotted char. This is the dough that changes everything.
All weights in grams. Use a scale — Vito insists and he’s right. Cups are too inaccurate for dough. Caputo Pizzeria 00 flour is the gold standard, but any quality 00 or strong bread flour will work.
Start this the evening of Day 1 — it needs 16–24 hours in the fridge.
In a bowl, combine room temperature water, 00 flour, fresh yeast, and honey. Mix until fully combined into a smooth batter — no dry spots, no lumps.
Cover and let sit at room temperature for about 1 hour to activate the yeast. It should bubble slightly and start to rise.
Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate for 16–24 hours. This slow, cold fermentation develops the deep, complex flavors that make this dough special.
Don’t exceed 24 hours — the poolish will become acidicThe poolish is a 1:1 ratio of flour and water with a tiny amount of yeast and honey. By pre-fermenting 30% of your total flour overnight, you develop complex flavor compounds that a same-day dough simply cannot achieve. The long, cold fermentation also begins breaking down gluten structures, making the final pizza far more digestible and giving you a more extensible, easier-to-stretch dough.
In a large bowl, combine the entire poolish with room temperature water. Stir to loosen the poolish into the water until it’s broken up.
Add 00 flour, salt, and olive oil. Mix by hand or with a dough hook until a shaggy dough forms. No need for heavy kneading — it will be sticky due to the high hydration. That’s exactly right.
Don’t overwork it — the fridge does the real workThis is where the Next Level method diverges from the standard approach. Instead of kneading the dough smooth and doing a room temp bulk rise, you’re sending it straight to the fridge. The cold, slow fermentation over 16–24 hours develops gluten naturally, creates airy bubbles, and improves digestibility — all without heavy kneading.
Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for 16–24 hours. This is the second cold ferment and it’s the heart of this recipe. The dough will rise slowly in the fridge, developing flavor and structure that you simply cannot rush.
Two separate cold ferments — one for the poolish, one for the assembled dough — give you layers of flavor development that a single ferment can’t match. The first builds complexity in the pre-ferment. The second integrates that into the full dough while continuing to develop gluten and create the open, airy crumb structure that defines great Neapolitan pizza. Total time from start to pizza is about 3 days, but your actual hands-on work is under 20 minutes.
Remove the dough from the fridge and let it rest at room temperature for 1–2 hours to make it easier to handle. It should feel less stiff and more pliable.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 5 portions at 280g each, using a scale. Gently shape each into a tight ball without deflating too much. If it’s sticky, wet your hands instead of adding flour. Keep the smooth side on top, fold the edges underneath, and rotate to seal. Place on a floured tray, 3–4 fingers apart.
Cover loosely and let proof at room temperature for 2–4 hours. At around 25°C / 77°F, 2 hours is usually ideal. The dough is ready when it has relaxed and slightly puffed — soft and pillowy to the touch.
For freezing: ball the dough immediately after shaping in step 8, freeze on a tray, then store in bags for up to 3 months. Do not let it rise before freezing. To use, thaw in the fridge overnight, then bring to room temperature and proof before stretching.
Preheat your oven as hot as it goes — ideally 450–500°C / 850–950°F for true Neapolitan. A pizza stone or steel should be inside for at least 1 full hour. For a home oven at 500°F / 260°C, you’ll get great results with a longer bake.
Dust a proofed ball generously with flour. Gently stretch by hand into a 12–13-inch round, pressing from the center outward and leaving a 1-inch border untouched for the cornicione. Drape over your knuckles and let gravity do the work. Never use a rolling pin.
Top sparingly — less is more. Crushed San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, a thread of olive oil. Bake for 60–90 seconds in a pizza oven, or 7–10 minutes in a home oven until charred, blistered, and beautiful. Fresh basil goes on after baking.
Lower hydration (55–62%) produces a stiffer, easier-to-handle dough — ideal for beginners and home ovens. Higher hydration (68–75%) gives you bigger, more open crumb and those gorgeous leopard spots, but requires more confidence stretching. At 70% (this recipe’s default), you’re in the sweet spot — enough water for incredible texture without being unmanageable. If your dough is too sticky to stretch, wet your hands rather than adding flour.