Restaurant-Quality Pizza From Scratch
Italian · Organized from the video by Charlie Anderson
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Ingredients
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Steps
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- 1
In a large bowl, combine 380 g bread flour, 8 g salt, 1 g instant yeast, and 270 g room temperature water. Stir with a dough whisk and then by hand until fully incorporated.
💡 The bread flour helps develop a stronger gluten for a chewier dough.
- 2
Cover the dough and let it rise at room temperature for 5 to 10 hours until it has doubled or tripled in size.
💡 A slow rise creates more acidity and flavor complexity.
⏱ 10 hours
- 3
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled container and let it undergo cold fermentation in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
💡 Cold fermentation provides optimal gluten development and flavor.
- 4
Remove the dough from the fridge at least one hour before cooking to reach room temperature. Divide the dough into two equal pieces (or three smaller pieces) and place each into a lightly oiled container for a second rise.
💡 If in a hurry, you can skip cold fermentation and just let it rise at room temperature until doubled.
- 5
Preheat your oven to its highest temperature (e.g., 550°F / 290°C) with a pizza stone or steel inside on the second highest rack for at least one hour.
💡 A hot stone ensures a crispy, crackly crust.
🔥 550°F
- 6
In a food processor, combine 28 oz canned tomatoes (avoiding excess liquid), salt, pepper, and optional garlic, basil, and oregano. Pulse until the desired consistency is reached, then strain the sauce to remove excess moisture.
💡 Straining the sauce prevents a soggy pizza.
- 7
Dust a pizza peel with cornmeal or semolina flour. Stretch the dough from the center outward, leaving a thicker rim for the crust, then spin or stretch to your desired thickness.
💡 The larger grains of cornmeal/semolina help the pizza slide off the peel easily.
- 8
Place the stretched dough on the peel. Add 1/3 cup of sauce, 2 oz of mozzarella, and fresh basil. Transfer the pizza to the preheated stone/steel and turn on the broiler.
💡 The broiler helps the pizza cook extra quickly.
- 9
Bake for 5 to 6 minutes total, rotating the pizza at the 4-minute mark to ensure even browning. Once done, transfer to a wire rack to cool for a couple of minutes.
💡 Rotate the pizza to ensure all sides brown evenly.
⏱ 5 to 6 minutes
Tips
- If you don't have a kitchen scale, you can use volume, but weight is more accurate for baking.
- For a more rustic sauce, crush the tomatoes by hand instead of using a food processor.
- If the dough sticks to the peel, add a bit more cornmeal or semolina flour underneath.
- The dough can be divided into three pieces for smaller, personal-sized pizzas.
This recipe was organized from the source video's transcript. Amounts follow what the video presents. Source: Charlie Anderson on YouTube