The perfect pizza dough

In true pizzaiolo style, this recipe takes a little longer than others to make, but it's well worth the wait. You'll never taste a more perfect and authentic pizza base than this!

This recipe comes from our friend and Outi Ambassador Fabio, aka Fabioulous Pizza, via Naples.

Ingredients

• 840g ‘00’ flour
• 530ml lukewarm water
• 3g (1 tsp) dry yeast
• 20g salt

Method

1. In a large bowl, add 3g (1tsp) dried yeast to 540ml room temperature water; this creates the correct temperature for activating the yeast. Stir until the yeast has dissolved. It's a good idea to wait 5 minutes to see if the yeast is active. You'll know if it is working when little bits start to rise to the top.
2. Add approximately 2/3rd of the 840g flour to the bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until it reaches a creamy consistency. Slowly add the 20g salt and almost all the flour (remember to leave a small amount to dust the work surfaces - this will be absorbed in the dough and we want to respect the accurate quantities) until the dough ball starts to form.
3. Add a light dusting of flour to your work surface, remove the dough from the bowl and knead the dough with your hands. Try not to add too much flour if you can. Fold the edges of the dough into the centre for 10 minutes until a firm but elastic ball is formed.
4. Place the dough ball in an oiled tin or bowl, cover it tightly with cling film and then a tea towel. For the best results, we suggest letting it proof for 24 hours at room temperature (18-20°C).
5. We believe in letting pizza dough rise twice for a lighter and chewy crust. So at 20 hours (4 hours before you want to bake your pizza), divide the dough into four or five equal-sized pieces and roll them into balls. Lightly cover a flat tray with olive oil and space them out with enough room to expand and not touch. Now cover with a tea towel, cling film, or put in a sealed box to stop them from drying out.
6. When you're ready to start baking pizzas place the dough ball on a lightly floured surface and use your fingers to make a small flat disc. Working from the centre, push the dough out by stretching your fingers while turning the dough to slowly make the disc bigger. We recommend not using a rolling pin as this pops the air bubbles, and you won't get a light and crisp crust. Continue by picking up the pizza dough and gently pinching it all around the edges, allowing gravity to pull it downwards into a circle. This is where the professionals make it look easy; we know it takes practice, but as long as you have a round-ish pizza, now it’s up to you to add your favourite toppings. We recommend trying our traditional Neapolitan pizza recipe
7. Enjoy!

Top Outi Tip
You can also freeze the dough balls in sealed bags. Just take them out 12 hours before you need them, thaw the dough slowly in the fridge, and then bring them up to room temperature before baking.

Don't forget to share and tag photos of making your pizza with us on social channels (@outipizza). We love to see what went well and not so well.

Watch the video