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 and put them in Pizza Dough Proofing Boxes (you can also use Silicone Dough Proofing Containers). 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 (my personal favorite).
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!
A few more notes from my cousin Michael who regularly makes pizza. When trying to determine how many pizzas to make, he figures 3 kids per pizza and 3/4 pizza for each adult (or 1 pizza per adult, but expect leftovers). He used to make enough for 1 pizza per person but they always had way too much dough left. It also depends on if you are serving anything else with the pizza (wings, salad, etc.).
Michael also said the pizza tastes best when you make the dough 2 nights ahead of time, refrigerate it for 24 hours in a big ball, then separate it into smaller dough balls, put them in the proofing boxes and refrigerate them overnight again. Take them out of the refrigerator about 5 hours before using and let the dough come to room temperature. If you take it out too early, the dough will overproof. This is also a great way to prep everything ahead of time if you're taking the dough somewhere else, like camping, or if you want minimal work the day of your pizza party. Remember to always keep your dough covered until you are ready to stretch the dough and make the pizzas or it will dry out.
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
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| Triple recipe of dough ready to be refrigerated for 3 days |
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| Triple recipe of dough ready to be refrigerated for 3 days |
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| Triple recipe of dough ready to be divided into 12 250-gram dough balls |
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| Triple recipe of dough ready to be divided into 12 250-gram dough balls |
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| 24 250-gram dough balls (6 recipes of dough) |
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| Sitting at room temp for 5 hours before using |
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| Ready to start stretching and topping |
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| First pizza in the oven |
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| Sausage pizza |
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| Cheese pizza |
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| Pepperoni pizza |
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| Fontina pizza (topped with prosciutto and arugula after baking) |
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| Sausage & olive pizza |
