Pizza Dough - Sponge Method

Yield makes eight 9-inch pizzas servings

Sponge Ingredients

• 1 cup lukewarm water (110°F to 115°F)
• 1 tsp active dry yeast, divided
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour, divided

Dough Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water (110°F to 115°F)
• 2 teaspoons table salt
• 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 to 2 cups bread flour
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• Yellow cornmeal for dusting pizza peel

Sponge Preparation

Step 1 - Place 1 cup lukewarm water in large bowl of heavy-duty mixer. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon yeast, 1 tbsp flour, and 1 tbsp sugar over water. Gently whisk to combine. Let stand until yeast dissolves and mixture looks spongy, about 4 minutes. Add remaining flour and whisk until smooth; scrape down sides of bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let sponge rest at room temperature in draft-free area overnight (about 12 hours; sponge will look bubbly).

Dough Preparation

Step 2 - Add 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 tbsp yeast to sponge and turn dough mixer. Add 4 cups AP flour, 1 cup at a time, beating with dough hook to blend after each addition. Add one cup of bread flour, then 1/4 cups of remaining one cup one at a time. Dough should be moist and slightly sticky. Continue to knead with dough hook until dough is smooth, comes cleanly away from sides of bowl, and is only slightly sticky to touch, scraping down bowl occasionally. Total time should be about 5 to 10 minutes. If dough is very sticky, beat in more flour, 1/4 cupful at a time. Scrape dough onto floured surface; knead into smooth ball. Continue to knead by hand if needed. Dough should be stretchy without tearing easily and pass the window pane test.

Step 3 - Brush inside of large bowl with oil. Add dough; turn to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; chill 6 hours, kneading dough down when doubled (after 2 hours). Only punch down once.

Step 4 - About 1 1/2 hours before baking, dust 2 baking sheets with flour. Turn dough out onto floured surface. Knead gently; shape into 16-inch log. Cut into 8 equal pieces. Weigh dough if possible and divide total grams by 8. Knead each piece into smooth ball. Arrange 4 balls of dough on each sheet. Cover loosely with kitchen towels and let rise until almost doubled, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Step 5 - If using pizza stone, place in oven.

Step 6 - Preheat oven to 500°F for 45 minutes. Working with 1 dough ball at a time, dust dough with flour. Press into 5-inch round, then gently stretch and roll out to 9-inch round. For tips on kneading and rolling out pizza dough, see our video Kneading and Forming Pizza Dough or our tip How to Roll Out Pizza Dough.

Step 7 - If using pizza stone, sprinkle pizza peel or rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. If not using pizza stone, sprinkle large baking sheet with cornmeal. Place dough round on cornmeal; brush lightly with oil. Top as desired. Slide pizza onto stone or place pizza on baking sheet into oven.

Step 8 - Bake pizza until sauce is bubbling and crust is crisp and brown, lifting edge of pizza to check underside, about 14 minutes.

Step 9 - To speed things up, you can bake two pizzas at the same time. To ensure even cooking, be sure to reverse the position of the baking sheets after 8 minutes. Baking two pizzas at once may take longer than 14 minutes.

Slightly modified from this recipe. 

www.bonappetit.com/recipe/overnight-pizza-dough