Ooni Cold-Proof Pizza Dough

This year we had our fourth annual 4th of July pizza party. Last year I made 4 recipes (16 12" pizzas) and made all of the pizza dough the morning of the party. It worked out fine, but this year I wanted to invite more people which meant more pizzas, so I wanted to try the Ooni cold-proof pizza dough. This is basically the same Ooni pizza dough recipe I have always made but with less yeast, and it proofs in the refrigerator for 24-72 hours (rather than on the counter for 2 hours), then you divide it into individual dough balls before the final 5-hour rise (rather than 1 hour) where it comes to room temperature before stretching the dough and topping and baking the pizzas. This is the perfect recipe to use if you can plan ahead and don't want to do all of the work in one day, which is ideal when making so many pizzas.

I highly suggest weighing the ingredients for accuracy - I weighed everything but the yeast, only because my scale doesn't have decimal weights for grams.

Since my party was on a Friday, I made 6 recipes of dough (two triple recipes in my Ankarsrum mixer, which is enough for 24 12" pizzas) on Tuesday, and then took them out of the fridge around 12:30pm on Friday and divided the dough into 24 250-gram dough balls. It would help next time to separate the second batch into dough balls 30-60 minutes after the first batch, so that dough doesn't over proof by the time I use it. My last dough ball was only about 165 grams, but my husband used it to make a dessert pizza so it worked out well. I started making the pizzas around 5:30pm and it took about 2 hours of pizza making before they were all finished baking. We had 5 pizzas left over, which was great because it meant I didn't have to cook the following night! I gave one to my brother-in-law who was working and sent some leftovers to my brother, so we fed 25 people in total.

This was my first time making this much dough in my Ankarsrum mixer, which I bought last year right after we had our 4th of July party (last year I made 4 recipes the morning of our party, one at a time, in my KitchenAid mixer, which took over an hour and strained the motor). This new mixer didn't struggle at all with 3 recipes in each batch! I mixed each batch of dough for about 15 minutes, so it took me almost half the time as last year to make a lot more dough. I realized that I need some bigger bowls to proof the dough in the refrigerator, but other than that this worked out much better than last year, and the dough was much easier to stretch and work with too.

This year I kept it simple with the toppings, because last year when I had onions and peppers and fresh tomatoes I hardly used them - everyone just kept asking for cheese, pepperoni and sausage pizzas. So I mostly made those three again this year, but I also made some with pepperoni and sausage, sausage and olives, and two with fontina cheese, prosciutto and arugula.

Once the first pizza was in the oven and I took a picture of it, I didn't take any more pictures since I was busy making pizzas. My husband took a few photos of the baked pizzas which I included below.

From now on, as long as I can plan at least 24 hours in advance, I'll be making this recipe instead of the regular recipe, because this dough was so much easier to work with, and the pizza was the best I've made yet!

Ooni Cold-Proof Pizza Dough

Recipe Courtesy Ooni

 

Good things come to those who wait, and pizza dough is certainly no exception. Cold-proofing, also known as cold rising or cold fermentation, is a great technique for anyone who wants to up their pizza-making game. The dough goes through a simple process (just leave it in the fridge!) of slow fermentation – usually 24 to 96 hours – and that extra time brings several tasty benefits:

enhanced flavor development, improved texture and structure, and dough that is easier to handle.

 

Although cold-proofing requires a bit more time and planning, the technique is super accessible, and the results are well worth the wait. Note: don’t wait too long, as there is such a thing as over-proofing! (Three to five days is generally the longest you’ll want to go.) Just mix the ingredients together, cover, then pop the pizza dough in the fridge, and let the yeast work its magic. Soon enough, you’ll have a more flavorful (and enviable) pizza to dig into.

 

This recipe is similar to our Classic Pizza Dough but with the quantity of yeast adjusted for cold-proofing.

 

1½ cups plus 1 tablespoon (368 grams) lukewarm water

⅓ teaspoon (1.6 grams) active dried yeast, or (scant ½ teaspoon) 1.4 grams instant dried yeast or ½ teaspoon (4.1 grams) fresh yeast

5¼ cups (613 grams) “00” flour, plus extra for dusting

3 teaspoons (18 grams) sea salt

 

Tip: We recommend using your Ooni Dual Platform Digital Scales for maximum accuracy.

 

Note: This recipe takes time. For the best-tasting pizza dough, be sure to set aside 24 to 72 hours for the cold proof before you begin cooking. We always suggest checking the activation instructions on your yeast packets and testing accordingly. 

 

Add the water and yeast to a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and whisk until thoroughly blended. Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl, then add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.

 

If using a mixer: Fit the mixer with the dough hook and place the flour in the bowl. Turn the machine on at a low speed and gradually add the yeast mixture to the flour. Once combined, leave the dough mixing at the same speed for 5 to 10 minutes or until the dough is firm and stretchy. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap (cling film).

 

If mixing by hand: Place the flour in a large bowl and pour the yeast mixture into it. Stir with a wooden spoon until a dough starts to form. Continue mixing by hand until the dough comes together in a ball. Turn it onto a lightly floured surface and knead with both hands for about 10 minutes, until it is firm and stretchy. Return the dough to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap (cling film).

 

Place the covered pizza dough in the fridge to cold-proof for 24 to 72 hours. When the dough has roughly doubled in size, remove the dough from the fridge.

 

Divide the cold-proofed dough into 3 or 4 equal pieces, depending on what size you want your pizzas to be, either 12 inches (30 centimeters) or 16 inches (40 centimeters) wide. Shape each piece into a ball, and place each pizza dough ball in a separate bowl or tray. Cover with cling film and leave to rise for 5 hours on your kitchen counter so they can come up to room temperature and double in size.

 

Once the second proof is complete, preheat your oven to between 850°F and 950°F. Use the infrared thermometer to quickly and accurately check the temperature of the middle of the stone.

 

Place your first dough ball on a lightly floured surface, flour your hands and use your fingertips to press the dough into a small, flat disc. Working from the center, push the dough outwards while spreading your fingers, making the disc slightly bigger. Pick up the dough and gently pinch it all around the edge, allowing gravity to pull it downwards into a 12-inch (30-centimeter) circle. Neapolitan-style pizza bases are very thin, so you should be able to see through the base when you hold it up to the light. Take care when doing this – you don’t want it to tear.

 

Once the dough is fully stretched, lightly flour your pizza peel and lay the base on it. If you see any small holes in the dough, gently pinch them back together.

 

Once you’re happy with the base, add your toppings and bake in the oven according to the recommended temperature given in your recipe of choice.

 

Yield: Four 12-inch (30-centimeter) pizzas (for 250-gram dough balls) or three 16-inch (40-centimeter) pizzas (for 330-gram dough balls)

Triple Recipe (12 12-inch pizzas):

1104 grams lukewarm water

1 teaspoon (4.8 grams) active dried yeast

1839 grams “00” flour, plus extra for dusting

54 grams sea salt

Triple recipe of dough ready to be refrigerated for 3 days

Triple recipe of dough ready to be refrigerated for 3 days

Triple recipe of dough ready to be divided into 12 250-gram dough balls

Triple recipe of dough ready to be divided into 12 250-gram dough balls

24 250-gram dough balls (6 recipes of dough)

Sitting at room temp for 5 hours before using

Ready to start stretching and topping

First pizza in the oven

Sausage pizza

Cheese pizza

Pepperoni pizza

Fontina pizza (topped with prosciutto and arugula after baking)

Sausage & olive pizza

Baked Chicken and Potatoes

Last week I came across an Instagram reel for baked chicken and potatoes and it looked really good. I made the recipe today and it was incredible! I made a few changes to the original recipe - my changes are reflected below. In the recipe print preview, I changed the ingredient amounts to be enough for 4 chicken thighs. I also used dried herbs because I unfortunately rarely have fresh herbs on hand. I used baby gold potatoes and cut them in half, the juice from half of a lemon and some white wine (I didn't measure either of them).

I prepped everything in the early afternoon and then refrigerated it in a bowl until after I picked my boys up from school - it makes for a very easy weeknight meal! I used my Le Creuset 7-qt. Signature Roasting Pan which fit everything well. The chicken thighs and potatoes took 45 minutes to bake and then I put them under the broiler on low for an additional 3 minutes - everything was perfectly cooked. The only thing I'll do differently next time is make more of them!

I served this with homemade drop biscuits because I know my boys love those. If I ever make the chicken by itself and leave out the potatoes, I would make jasmine rice as a side and serve the extra delicious juice on top of the rice. This chicken was incredible and I will definitely be making it over and over again!

Baked Chicken and Potatoes

Recipe adapted from Cucina by Elena

 

This one-pan recipe combines tender chicken, crispy potatoes, and fresh herbs in a savory olive oil sauce. Easy, flavorful, and perfect for any occasion!

 

4 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on

16-ounce or 24-ounce bag petite gold potatoes, cut in half

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon paprika

¼ cup olive oil

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon white wine

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

½ teaspoon coarse black pepper

 

 

Preheat your oven to 425°. Lightly oil a large baking pan or baking sheet to prevent sticking. You can also use a large oven safe baking dish.

 

In a large bowl, combine the garlic, onion, parsley, thyme, oregano, paprika, olive oil, lemon juice, white wine, salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and mix well. Add the chicken thighs and toss everything together until the chicken and potatoes are evenly coated with the seasoning and olive oil. If you’re making this ahead of time, at this point you can refrigerate it for a few hours.

 

Spread the chicken thighs and potatoes evenly across the prepared baking pan. Ensure the chicken is skin-side up for crispiness.

 

Place the pan in the oven and roast for 45-60 minutes. Check that the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°, and the potatoes are golden and fork-tender. For extra crispy skin, broil for the last 2-3 minutes.

 

Remove the pan from the oven and let the dish rest for a few minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh thyme if desired.

 

Enjoy this flavorful, easy-to-make dish for any occasion!

 

NoteS:

Use a paper towel to pat the chicken dry before seasoning for crispier skin.

Cut the potatoes into uniform pieces to cook evenly.

Spread everything out in a single layer to allow proper roasting and crisping.

For golden, crispy skin, broil the dish for 2-3 minutes at the end of roasting.

Ensure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° for perfect doneness.

Let the dish rest for 5 minutes after baking to lock in juices and enhance flavor.

Baby Shower Planning

I recently hosted a baby shower for my youngest sister, Regina, who is due with a baby girl in about 6 weeks. This was the first big party I've had at my house, aside from my sons' baptism party 7 years ago, which I hardly remember since my twins were only 3 months old at the time and life was pretty hectic and I was very sleep deprived. I had dreams of planning a nice party for them and then the boys were born and life became crazy pretty quickly. The grandparents wanted to contribute food for the party and all I remember doing myself is cleaning the house before and after. Aside from having small birthday celebrations, a cousins pizza party and our annual 4th of July pizza party, we haven't hosted much else because life is still hectic with twins. I always hoped that when my sister became pregnant I could host her baby shower. Thankfully, everything worked out in order for me to do so.

This was the last baby shower out of the seven girls in my family, so we invited a lot of people (70!). I was happy to have the chance to host a large group of women (43 women/children attended + 3 babies) over the long President's Day weekend. I cleaned my house like crazy over the span of a few days and my husband took our sons to visit his dad in Delaware, which made cleaning and setting up the tables and decor a day before the party much easier! The party was a joint effort in terms of the food, drinks, flowers, decor, games/prizes and favors. I couldn't have pulled it off without help from my mom, sisters, aunt, cousin, and my brother-in-law's mom and sister. I had fun planning the party so I'm sharing the recipes we used and some of the items I purchased and ideas I had that made it all come together nicely in the end.

For the invitation, I used a free template from Canva. I was trying to find something pink and decided on this one with balloons, but later wished I had chosen one with flowers. I had not seen my sister's baby registry yet and wasn't sure what her taste was but she registered for several baby outfits with flowers. The invitation I chose was simple and cute and still worked well. My cousin Gabrielle and my Uncle John printed and cut the invitations, and I mailed them in some extra plain white 5x7 envelopes I had left over from past Christmas cards. I purchased a self-inking return address stamp which is something I had been meaning to buy for a while. I also ordered some pretty floral stamps to use, but they were delayed in getting to me so my husband picked up some regular stamps one day.

There wasn't a theme for the party but we went with an aqua and pink color scheme. Regina loves aqua and so do I, which made it an easy choice! There is nothing pink in my house but I have several aqua colored items that I was able to incorporate. My Aunt Maria put together beautiful flower arrangements with flowers she bought at Trader Joe's (she went two days before the shower - on Valentine's Day, and as she says, she hit the jackpot). She used my 4 16-ounce and 5 32-ounce aqua Mason jars for some of the flowers and her clear Mason jars and cylinder vases for the rest. The flowers looked so nice and added a much needed pop of pink and purple all over the house!

My sister's mother-in-law likes to buy themed paper goods for parties and she purchased this set for the baby shower, which was cute and added more pink!

Before the flowers were put together, I purchased 3 round acacia trays, 3 sets of different size aqua pillar candles, and pink and white rose petals. These were centerpieces on the kitchen and dining room tables and dining room buffet, along with the aqua flower vases. The centerpieces were simple and the only decor I put together - the rest was done by my aunt and cousin.

My sister Paula lent me 24 glass votives and I ordered tea lights to use in them - we used these on the basement tables and in various other places around the house. I also borrowed 3 of her scented candles to use in the bathrooms. My cousin Gabrielle coordinated with the two mothers and gathered a bunch of old baby photos of my sister and her husband. She matched them up according to ages, holidays, etc., framed them and arranged them on tabletops, counters, end tables throughout the house. She also hung some photos up in the dining room and family room. The photos were a really special surprise for my sister. We borrowed an "Oh Baby" sign from my aunt and hung that by the fireplace with some photos hung underneath it. That was all the decor we had and I thought it was the perfect amount.

Gabrielle also came up with a few games, prizes and prediction/advice cards. None of these were even on my radar so I'm glad she took care of them, and she did an amazing job with all the printed materials for the shower, with my uncle's help cutting them.

In terms of set up, in addition to the 12 chairs at the kitchen and dining room tables, we have a table in our basement that seats 7 and my nephews also set up four 6' fold-in-half tables in the basement and as many folding chairs as my parents have (24 + 2 of ours). This is the max amount of tables we could fit in the basement, but we had enough seats at the various tables for 45 people which was more than we needed! My aunt lent us her white tablecloths and taupe table runners which were a huge help in making everything look nice. At some point I would like to get some 6' tables that do not fold in half (they never lay completely flat when they're set up) and some of our own folding chairs, as well as some neutral colored table clothes. I usually buy table cloths at Home Goods so I'll have to keep an eye out for ones that will fit the folding tables.

For drinks, we served punch, lemonade, Italian sparkling water, water and white and rose wine. I set out our wine glasses and borrowed some stemless ones from my aunt, but hardly anyone drank wine, and no one drank the sparkling water. The punch was a hit though! I'm not sure what recipe my sister Caterina used, but it is similar to this recipe, minus the Club Soda and pineapple slices. She used 1 can each of frozen pink lemonade and frozen pineapple juice (thaw in fridge for about 30 minutes before using - do not mix with water, just pour the contents of the can into the punch bowl), a 2 liter bottle of Sprite, scoops of raspberry sorbet (we opted for one without artificial colors) and some frozen raspberries. It was so good!

I also set up a coffee and tea area, using my mom's large 60-cup commercial coffee percolator, an electric tea kettle, a display case with a variety of tea flavors, 3 different creamers in glass bottles, sugar and sugar-free sweeteners, honey, teaspoons and a bunch of mugs.

For the lunch menu, I wanted to go with something light that did not need to be cooked or heated up since I only have one oven and we had a lot of people to feed. My mom and sister Maria made Italian Chicken Salad (3 recipes, with a lot left over - they had one bowl with no cheese and no nuts). My sister Caterina made Orzo Salad with Cranberries and Mozzarella (5 pounds of orzo with a lot left over, plus 1 pound made with gluten-free orzo - she left out the fennel and onion in both and they were not missed!) and a spring mix/romaine salad with pistachios and apples. My sister Diana put together a veggie tray with hummus. My mom bought 5 packages of mini croissants from Sam's Club and green grapes. Lunch was delicious!

For dessert, I made Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes (I don't buy Oreo brand anymore, I buy the Newman-O's which are made with better ingredients but still taste like Oreos) and Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Cupcakes. My niece Emma made Vanilla Cupcakes and Chocolate Cupcakes both with Whipped Frosting. Emma and I used pink and aqua colored grease-resistant cupcake wrappers, which are our favorite to use. My sister Maria made her delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies. We also served a bowl of Strawberry and Yogurt Pretzels and Lindt Lindor Strawberries and Cream White Chocolate Truffles - both from Costco/Sam's Club, compliments of my sister Paula (it was perfect timing to have a baby shower around Valentine's Day when they had their seasonal pink items for sale!). Like the lunch food, we had a decent amount of dessert leftover.

I used to want to be a party planner, a few years before I was married and had kids. Somewhere along the way while working for a photography company that photographed a lot of events I lost my desire to work in that industry, but coordinating everything for the party reminded me why I used to want to do it. I love having a vision and coordinating everything in order to see it come to life. I put a lot of thought into the little details and I had a lot of fun planning a special day to celebrate this important milestone for my sister and surprise her with a few things, like the old photos. I'm also happy I finally got to use some of my entertaining items that I've never used before, like my punch bowl (we always had punch at family bridal and baby showers so it was a bit nostalgic to have it at this one), and incorporate some of my mom's serving pieces too. I also managed to take a lot of pictures with my camera even though the lighting wasn't ideal as it was dark and rainy for portions of the party. The party was a lot of fun and my sister looked radiant!

Not pictured here are the more personal and most important aspects of the party - my sister and her husband and their family and friends who came and surrounded them with love and support. Hopefully it won't be such a long time before I host another big party, but this one was a beautiful celebration and worth all of the time and effort to honor my sister as she becomes a mother and to see how happy it made her.