Italian bakers test dough readiness by poking it—perfect dough springs back in exactly 2-3 seconds, never faster.
Perfect Dough
Discover the magic of our Perfect Dough, a go-to recipe that guarantees deliciousness for both pizza nights and homemade flatbreads! With just a handful of pantry staples like high-quality flour and a sprinkle of yeast, you’ll whip up a wonderfully elastic dough that rises beautifully. Get ready to impress your friends and family with your baking skills—this dough is the foundation of your culinary adventures!
Prep
120
min
Cook
15
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
The Story
This ancient Roman technique conquered America in 1905 when Gennaro Lombardi opened New York's first pizzeria—Roman soldiers carried flatbread rations made with identical flour-water-salt-yeast ratios across their empire, never imagining their portable army food would become Brooklyn's greatest cultural export and spawn a trillion-dollar global obsession that makes McDonald's look like amateur hour.
Regional Twist
In Naples' Spaccanapoli district, they use Caputo 00 flour instead of regular flour and extend the yeast fermentation to 24 hours, creating a more elastic dough that puffs into those signature leopard-spotted edges.
📝 Ingredients
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- 1000 g flour
- salt (to taste)
- 700 g water
- yeast (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Combine flour, water, salt, and yeast in a mixing bowl.
- 2
Knead the mixture until it forms a slightly sticky dough.
- 3
Place the dough in a large bowl greased with olive oil, cover it, and let it rise for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.
- 4
After the first rise, punch down the dough and divide it into pieces of 200 to 250 grams.
- 5
Shape each piece into a round ball by tucking the dough into itself and pinching the seams.
- 6
Dust a surface with flour and semolina, then spread the dough into a thin circle using your hands.
- 7
Dust a wooden peel with semolina to prevent sticking, add toppings, and slide the dough into a preheated pizza oven or a home oven set to 550 degrees.
- 8
Bake until the crust is golden and crispy.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Use water at exactly 70-75°F when mixing with yeast because temperatures above 80°F kill yeast cells while below 60°F slows fermentation to nearly zero.ingredient70-75°F
- ✓Add salt after initial flour-water mixing or keep it separate from yeast initially, as salt concentrations above 2% can dehydrate yeast cells and reduce rise by 30%.technique2% salt concentration
- ✓Knead for exactly 8-10 minutes by hand to develop gluten strands that create the proper windowpane test result - dough stretched thin enough to see light through without tearing.timing8-10 minutes
- ✓Maintain dough temperature at 75-78°F during the 2-hour rise because every 18°F temperature drop doubles fermentation time while higher temps create overly acidic flavors.timing75-78°F
- ✓Use a 50/50 semolina-flour blend for dusting because semolina's larger granules act like ball bearings, reducing surface friction by 40% compared to flour alone.ingredient50/50 ratio
Share this recipe
Prep
120
min
Cook
15
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Italian bakers test dough readiness by poking it—perfect dough springs back in exactly 2-3 seconds, never faster.
Perfect Dough
Discover the magic of our Perfect Dough, a go-to recipe that guarantees deliciousness for both pizza nights and homemade flatbreads! With just a handful of pantry staples like high-quality flour and a sprinkle of yeast, you’ll whip up a wonderfully elastic dough that rises beautifully. Get ready to impress your friends and family with your baking skills—this dough is the foundation of your culinary adventures!
The Story
This ancient Roman technique conquered America in 1905 when Gennaro Lombardi opened New York's first pizzeria—Roman soldiers carried flatbread rations made with identical flour-water-salt-yeast ratios across their empire, never imagining their portable army food would become Brooklyn's greatest cultural export and spawn a trillion-dollar global obsession that makes McDonald's look like amateur hour.
Regional Twist
In Naples' Spaccanapoli district, they use Caputo 00 flour instead of regular flour and extend the yeast fermentation to 24 hours, creating a more elastic dough that puffs into those signature leopard-spotted edges.
📝 Ingredients
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- 1000 g flour
- salt (to taste)
- 700 g water
- yeast (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Combine flour, water, salt, and yeast in a mixing bowl.
- 2
Knead the mixture until it forms a slightly sticky dough.
- 3
Place the dough in a large bowl greased with olive oil, cover it, and let it rise for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.
- 4
After the first rise, punch down the dough and divide it into pieces of 200 to 250 grams.
- 5
Shape each piece into a round ball by tucking the dough into itself and pinching the seams.
- 6
Dust a surface with flour and semolina, then spread the dough into a thin circle using your hands.
- 7
Dust a wooden peel with semolina to prevent sticking, add toppings, and slide the dough into a preheated pizza oven or a home oven set to 550 degrees.
- 8
Bake until the crust is golden and crispy.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Use water at exactly 70-75°F when mixing with yeast because temperatures above 80°F kill yeast cells while below 60°F slows fermentation to nearly zero.ingredient70-75°F
- ✓Add salt after initial flour-water mixing or keep it separate from yeast initially, as salt concentrations above 2% can dehydrate yeast cells and reduce rise by 30%.technique2% salt concentration
- ✓Knead for exactly 8-10 minutes by hand to develop gluten strands that create the proper windowpane test result - dough stretched thin enough to see light through without tearing.timing8-10 minutes
- ✓Maintain dough temperature at 75-78°F during the 2-hour rise because every 18°F temperature drop doubles fermentation time while higher temps create overly acidic flavors.timing75-78°F
- ✓Use a 50/50 semolina-flour blend for dusting because semolina's larger granules act like ball bearings, reducing surface friction by 40% compared to flour alone.ingredient50/50 ratio