Poolish Pizza Dough Recipe
Poolish-method dough scaled for 4x 420g dough balls. Basically the same recipe I use for pizza napoletana. I bake these on a Made In (brand) carbon steel pizza pan.
- Total flour: 960g
- Total water: 660ml
- Hydration: ~69%
Ingredients
Poolish
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| 00 flour | 600g |
| Warm water | 600ml |
| Dry yeast | 9g |
| Honey | 10g |
Dough
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| 00 flour | 360g |
| Cold water | 60ml |
| Salt | 30g |
| Olive oil | as needed |
Note: Yeast is scaled back slightly from a straight multiply. At this batch size the yeast is more efficient — you don't need a full linear scale.
Making the Poolish
- Combine 600ml warm water with 9g dry yeast and 10g honey. Stir until yeast is dissolved and starting to bloom.
- Add 600g 00 flour and mix well — no kneading needed, just a shaggy wet mix. Use a vessel with plenty of headroom, the poolish will roughly double.
- Cover and rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Transfer to fridge for 16–24 hours. Plan ahead — this is where the flavor develops.
Making the Dough
- Fully dissolve 30g salt into 60ml cold water. Stir until no grains remain.
- Add salt water to the poolish and mix thoroughly until evenly incorporated.
- Add 360g 00 flour and mix until it comes together.
- Transfer to KitchenAid with dough hook, knead on speed 2 for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Dough will be sticky — resist adding more flour.
- Weigh total dough mass and divide by 4 to get your target per-ball weight (~420g each). Cut portions with a bench scraper, weigh each one, and form into tight balls using lightly oiled hands.
- Place each ball in its own lightly oiled container or on an oiled sheet tray with space between them. Cover.
- Rest all 4 balls at room temperature for 1.5–2 hours.
Freeze or Use
- Use what you need fresh for pizza.
- Wrap any remaining balls tightly in plastic wrap, then into freezer bags, pressing out air. Freeze flat if possible.
Thawing Frozen Dough
Move from freezer to fridge the night before (8–12 hrs), then pull out to room temp for 1–2 hours before stretching. Don't microwave or rush it — the gluten needs time to relax or it'll fight you.