Step 1

Mix together 30 grams starter, 30 grams flour and 30 grams water. Cover and let rest in a warm 78ºF place for 3-4 hours until bubbly and active. If it is colder than the 75-80 degree range, use warm water to mix the levain. If the ingredients are warmer than 75-80 degrees, use cooler water. You can substitute 100% hydration active, ripe sourdough starter for the levain in this recipe.

Step 2

In a bowl, mix together the ripe levain, water, salt and flour with a dough whisk, your hands or a stand mixer. Once a shaggy dough forms, use damp hands to pick up one side of the dough and fold it over on itself. Repeat until the dough is cohesive and mixed together (about 30 seconds to a minute).

Step 3

Bulk Fermentation/First Rise: Cover the dough with plastic wrap, a shower cap or even a kitchen towel and let rise for 3-4 hours at 78-80º Fahrenheit. The dough will puff up and rise a little bit but won't double in size.

Step 4

Pre-Shape Dough into Balls: Prepare a 9 by 13-inch pan with a light drizzle of olive oil. Use a bench knife to separate the dough into 6 pieces, around 150 grams each. Pick up a piece of dough and pull/pinch up the sides until it forms a ball. Roll the ball on the counter using your hand in a cupping shape to seal the ball and create tension. Place the dough ball in the pan and repeat with the other balls of dough. Cold Refrigerated Option: Once the balls are shaped, the dough can be refrigerated for 48-72 hours for a long cold ferementation.This will give great flavor to your pizza dough if you planned ahead for pizza night. Skip this step for same-day pizza.

Step 5

Proof the Dough (Second Rise): Cover the dough balls and let rise for about 3 hours at warm room temperature (78ºF). After the dough has risen and puffed up, it can be used immediately for pizza or placed in the refrigerator for a couple hours if needed.

Step 6

Prepare the Oven: Move the rack to the highest setting in your oven near the broiling element. Put a pizza stone/steel or an upside-down rimmed baking sheet on the rack. Preheat the oven to 500-550ºF for 30 minutes.

Step 7

Prepare a cutting board or pizza peel. Sprinkle semolina flour or cornmeal on the board. This creates some friction for the pizza to slide around and not stick when you launch the pizza into the oven.

Step 8

Make Pizza Sauce: In a blender, blend together the whole or crushed tomatoes, olive oil and salt. Add crushed red pepper if desired.

Step 9

Shape Dough: Take a piece of dough and cover both sides of the dough and your hands with some flour. Use your fingertips to gently press down the dough from the middle of the dough out toward the edges. Do your best not to press any gas out at the rim/edge of the dough. You want the crust/edge to rise as high as possible. At this point you can lift the dough up and rotate it around your fingers in a circular motion, stretching the dough as you go. Set the dough on the prepared board. Make sure the pizza dough can move around a bit. If it sticks, add a little more semolina/cornmeal or flour to the bottom of the pizza dough. Each piece of dough makes about an 8 inch pizza.

Step 10

Top the Pizzas: Top your pizza with sauce, good quality mozzarella (not pre-shredded if you can help it) and any toppings you’d like. Reserve toppings that don’t hold up as well in the oven (e.g.: prosciutto/fresh herbs/arugula) to put on after the pizza is baked.

Step 11

Bake the Pizzas: Turn the oven on to high broil. Launch the pizza on top of the baking stone/steel/upside-down sheet pan by thrusting the board with the topped pizza on it quickly into the oven and pulling the board back out, leaving the pizza to bake on top of the stone. Broil for 1-2 minutes (watch closely). Depending on your oven you may need to change the setting back to bake 500-550ºF instead of broil - every oven will be a little bit different. After 1-2 minutes, rotate the pizza using a pizza peel or a combination of oven mitts and a fork. Bake for another minute or two until the crust is evenly golden with a few scattered black/charred spots. Remove the pizza from the oven and let cool for a minute before slicing and enjoying. Repeat with the remaining pizzas.