This dough makes excellent pizzas (roll or stretch out, and cook as hot as possible). It also makes great flatbread — cut the balls into two or three portions, roll slightly and fry in a little olive oil until golden.
Makes enough for 4 pizzas:
- 500 grams (about 3 ¾ cups) white flour, plus more for shaping the dough. Sometimes I use 1 cup of pizza flour, but it doesn’t make much difference.
- 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ cups water
In a bowl, thoroughly blend the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the water and, with your hands, mix thoroughly.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rise at room temperature (about 22°C) for 18 hours or until it has more than doubled. It will take longer in a chilly room and less time in a very warm one.
Flour a work surface and scrape out the dough. Divide it into 4 equal parts and shape into balls by folding the dough from the top. Shape each portion into a round and turn seam side down. Mold the dough into a neat circular mound. The mounds should not be sticky; if they are, dust with more flour.
If you don’t intend to use the dough right away, wrap the balls individually in plastic and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze. If frozen, defrost overnight in the fridge*, then reshape and return to room temperature by leaving them out on the counter, covered in a damp cloth, for 2 to 3 hours once defrosted.
*Sometimes I cheat by very slowly defrosting in the microwave — 30 seconds at a time on ‘defrost’ setting — you have to be very careful as this can cook and ruin the dough, but it works in a pinch.