Lunch

Pizza dough

Luca Villari teaches the basics from his Al Volo pizzeria. Photography by Todd Eyre.
Pizza doughTodd Eyre
2
1H
48H

Ingredients

Method

1.Place yeast in small bowl with warm water and leave for 1 minute to dissolve.
2.Combine flour and sugar in a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add yeast mix and iced water then mix on low speed for about 1 minute. Add salt and mix for 2-3 minutes. The dough should form a ball.
3.Poke your finger into the dough. If it is too sticky, add a little extra flour; if it is too hard, add a little extra iced water, then mix for another minute or until you have a springy, non-sticky dough.
4.Transfer to a lightly floured work bench and knead by hand for 2 minutes until smooth.
5.Cover dough with a slightly damp tea towel and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
6.Cut dough into 250g pieces, roll into balls and place on a lightly floured tray, spaced at least 5cm apart. Cover tray in plastic wrap, making sure it’s airtight. Refrigerate for 1-2 days (the longer the better). Remove dough from fridge and leave in a warm place for 1 hour before using.

A long resting time creates a more complex flavour and lighter dough. It also allows the gluten to break down more, which makes it more digestible for everyone (especially those sensitive to gluten), leaving you free of that heavy feeling you can get after eating a mass-produced pizza. The longer you leave the dough, the better the result. Al Volo prove the dough for 48 hours.

Note

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