The long cold ferment produces a crust that’s genuinely hard to replicate in the same timeframe, with a complex, slightly charred-tasting flavor that develops before the dough even sees oven heat. At home, the only added cost is time in the fridge.
Sourdough pizza dough with a 24-72 hour cold ferment, the technique artisan pizzerias charge extra for.
Ingredients
Method
- Mix into a smooth dough.
- Cold ferment in the refrigerator 24-72 hours.
- Remove 2 hours before baking.
- Stretch by hand, no rolling pin, and bake on a preheated stone or inverted sheet pan at the highest temperature your oven reaches, ideally 500F (260C).
Video
This is the one sourdough project where patience does nearly all the work for you. Once the dough is mixed, there is no kneading schedule to track and no rising to babysit, just two or three days of quiet fermentation in the fridge until you are ready to bake. The result is a crust with real depth of flavor, the kind you would otherwise pay a premium for at a wood-fired pizzeria.