the world’s best pizza crust

I’ve found a new pizza crust that in my humble opinion is better than the Chez Panisse recipe that i’ve used for the last thirty years. I feel like a traitor!

Lighter, crisper and just all round more delicious…

but here’s the thing and I hate this – you need equipment. I wish that I could tell you that your pizza dough will be fine even if you don’t have a scale or a stand mixer or a pizza stone but it won’t. You need the gear. If you already own these kitchen tools you’re good to go. However, if you don’t, borrow them – you need to make this pizza!

Pizza Dough

Adapted from Nancy Silverton’s The Mozza Cookbook

Makes 6 nine-inch pizzas

22 ounces warm water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
26 ounces unbleached bread flour, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons buckwheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons wildflower honey
2 teaspoons sea salt
Olive oil, for greasing the bowl

The Sponge:

To make the sponge, put 15 ounces of the water and the yeast in the bowl of a standing mixer and let it sit for a few minutes to dissolve the yeast.
Add 13 ounces of the bread flour and the buckwheat flour.
Mix with a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients.
Wrap the bowl tightly in plastic wrap and tightly wrap.
Place the bowl in your oven with oven light on for 1 1/2 hours.

The Dough:

Uncover the bowl and add the remaining 7 ounces of water, the remaining 13 ounces of bread flour, and the honey.
Using a dough hook, place the bowl on the mixer stand, and mix the dough on low-speed for 2 minutes.
Add the salt and mix on medium speed for 8 minutes, until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky and is not pulling away from the sides, add another half cup of flour to make it less sticky.
Using olive oil, grease a bowl large enough to hold the dough when it doubles in size.
Put the dough into the oiled bowl and wrap with cling film. Set the dough aside for 45 minutes.
Punch the dough down and turn over.
Cover the bowl again with plastic wrap and set it aside for another 45 minutes.
Sprinkle your work surface lightly with flour and turn the dough out onto the floured surface.
Divide the dough into six equal pieces.
Cover the dough balls with a clean dish towel and let them rest for 5 minutes.

Following the manufacturer’s instructions, heat your pizza stone to 500*F

Shaping the Dough:

Flour a piece of 10” x 10” parchment paper and place one round of dough in the centre.
Dust the dough lightly with flour.
Using your fingertips shape dough into a 9” circle leaving a ½ -inch rim
Top the pizza with your favorite toppings leaving a 1-inch rim with no sauce or topping around the edge.
Open the oven door and place the parchment paper with your pizza onto the preheated pizza stone.
Bake the pizza until it is golden brown and the bottom is crispy 8 to 12 minutes.

THE LOVE: Give your pizza dough the time it needs to raise properly. Times will vary according to the temperature of your kitchen which is why I use my oven with the oven light on.

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Thanks for reading.