24-30 Hour Sourdough Pizza Dough

This is my sourdough pizza dough recipe with a 24-30 hour fermentation, designed for a light, airy cornicione and a thin base.

Makes: 6 × 270g dough balls and 1x smaller one perfect for Romana. Hydration: 67% Fermentation: 24-30 hours Starter: 75% hydration

Ingredients

• 1,000g flour

• 662g ICE cold water

• 200g active sourdough starter

• 26g sea salt

• 15–20g olive oil

• 
  

Sourdough Starter - 75% Hydration

Feed your starter 6–8 hours before mixing using a 1:4:3 ratio - starter : flour : water.

For 200g of starter:

• 25g starter

• 100g flour

• 75g water

Mix and leave at room temperature until active, risen and ready to use.

Method

1. Autolyse

Add the flour and most of the cold water to the mixer. Mix just enough to bring everything together.

Cover and rest for 30-45 minutes.

After the rest, the dough should already feel more elastic and stretchy.

2. Add the Starter

Add the active sourdough starter and begin mixing slowly.

Once incorporated, add the salt and gradually add the remaining cold water.

Continue mixing until the dough starts coming together and developing strength.

3. Add the Olive Oil

Once the dough has developed some strength and forms a smooth, elastic structure, add 15-20g olive oil.

Continue mixing until the dough is well developed and stretchy.

Keep an eye on the dough temperature and try to keep it below 25°C.

4. Bulk Fermentation

Transfer the dough to a bowl and shape it into a tight ball.

Cover and leave at room temperature for 1 hour at around 24°C.

After the first hour, perform 4 stretch and folds.

Shape the dough back into a ball and rest for another hour.

Repeat with another 4 stretch and folds, then shape the dough and let it rest for another hour.

5. Divide & Shape

Turn the dough onto the counter and divide it into 270g pieces.

Shape each piece into a tight dough ball and place them into a covered pizza dough tray.

6. Cold Fermentation

Place the dough balls in the fridge at around 5°C and leave them overnight.

The total fermentation time is approximately 24-30 hours, depending on your room and fridge temperatures.

7. Bring to Room Temperature

Remove the dough from the fridge 3-6 hours before baking.

Allow it to come fully back to room temperature and relax.

If the dough is still cold, it will be harder to stretch and can result in larger burnt spots on the crust during baking.

8. Stretch

Dust the dough and work surface with finely milled semolina.

Carefully remove the dough from the tray and gently open it, keeping as much air as possible in the cornicione.

Stretch to approximately 12 inches.

Don’t be afraid to stretch the dough - this is what gives you a large pizza with a thin base.

9. Bake

Add your toppings and bake in a very hot pizza oven.

For the hybrid Neapolitan-style pizza shown in the video, bake for around 2 minutes, depending on your oven and temperature.

Let the pizza rest for at least 30-60 seconds on a baking rack before slicing.