Same Day New York Pizza

I apologize for uploading this a little late. I was traveling and did not realize Patreon doesn't let you upload video from the mobile app!

This dough recipe is designed to be easy to handle and deliver tasty results all within a day. If you let the dough rest in the fridge overnight or up to three days, it'll taste and bake even better. (Do not let it go much longer than that or it will be too loose to stretch easily).

This recipe makes two 16-inch pizzas that are relatively thin. Here is a dough calculator if you'd like to make pizzas of a different sizes. You’ll have to save a copy or copy/paste the fields to a new doc to make changes. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bM6aBckf18k9XTc2exhPVVust_r78VJX_NjoD3c5Odc/edit?usp=sharing

For the Dough:

500g All-purpose flour (or bread flour for a chewier crust)

15g salt

2.5g instant yeast

5g sugar

20g vegetable shortening, olive oil, or vegetable or corn oil

300g water

• Combine the flour, salt, yeast, sugar shortening, and water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on medium speed just until the dough comes together into a shaggy ball and no dry flour remains in the bowl, about 2 minutes. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
• After the dough has rested, continue kneading at medium speed until the dough is smooth and silky, about 3 minutes longer. The dough should come off the bowl and dough hook smoothly. Transfer to a lightly oiled countertop and form into a ball, using your hands to stretch the dough over itself and tucking the bottom into a "belly button" (see video at 9:00).
• Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl or proofing container. Cover and let rest at room temperature for two to eight hours. (You can also store the dough in the fridge for up to three days for improved flavor and browning).
• Two to three hours before ready to bake, divide the dough into two even balls and shape each into a tight, smooth ball, stretching the dough over itself and tucking the bottom into a “belly button” (see video at 11:13). Transfer to oiled proofing containers or covered bowls and let rest until ready to bake.

For the Pizza:

2 balls of pizza dough, proofed and ready to stretch

1 (15.5 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes crushed in a food mill, seasoned with salt

A few pinches dried oregano

About 16 ounces full fat low-moisture mozzarella (check the deli counter - you can also use string cheese)

Finely grated Parmesan or Romano

Torn fresh basil leaves

Extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

Toppings as desired

• At least an hour before baking, adjust the oven rack to the upper middle position and preheat a baking steel or stone at the highest temperature your oven can get to.
• Stretch a ball of dough out on a surface lightly dusted with semolina or flour. Start by pushing the dough out with your fingertips to form a lip all around the edge, then use your knuckles to gently stretch the dough out into a thin circle roughly 15-16 inches in diameter (see video at 15:53). Transfer to a peel lightly dusted with semolina.
• Working fast, use a large spoon to spread a thin layer of sauce across the surface of the pizza, leaving the lip un-sauced. Sprinkle with dried oregano.
• Spread a thin layer of shredded mozzarella across the surface of the pizza. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan or Romano. Add a few torn basil leaves. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with a little salt. Add more toppings as desired.
• Give the pizza a few more stretches to get it into its final size and shape, then carefully slide it off onto the baking steel or stone.
• Bake until the pizza is crisp underneath and lightly browned on top, 4 to 5 minutes total. If your oven doesn’t heat evenly, you can rotate the pizza occasionally (don’t try and move it for the first two minutes of baking).