There are many thousands of ways of making bread an pizza dough. From a simple mixture of flour and water, to countless other combinations using an increasingly wide range of ingredients that can go from commonplace to downright different.

Regardless of the ingredients and methods, what’s important is that you enjoy making every recipe, specially the amazing pizzas that can only be made in an original Fogazzo wood fired oven.

We hope you enjoy the following recipes!

Fogazzo's Complexity Pizza Dough
True bread like taste and complexity

As far as the ingredients go, this recipe is similar to the one for making Kaiser Rolls, a soft bread. A notable ingredient exception is that, there are no eggs in this recipe. Also of note are, the kneading and proofing methods in this case are like those for a hard-crust bread, something a Kaiser roll is not.

The complexity pizza dough recipe is in the tradition of bread baking and, as such, it is more complicated than most pizza dough recipes out there.  Keep in mind that patience is necessary, as this is the only way to develop the complexity associated with this dough. Many French, and Italian bread recipes like baguettes, focaccias, etc, are made using very similar methods, including starting with a starter, also know as a poolish, or pre-ferment.

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First option for ingredients, is always the best, the second is used only if the first is unavailable. Quantities are given in various measures, to make it easier to prepare with or without a kitchen scale.

Makes 4, 14” thin crust pizzas (10.5 oz each)

625 grs. = 22 ounces / unbleached bread flour or all purpose flour

510 ml = 18 fluid ounces / warm water, tap or filtered

6.25 grs. = .22 oz. = 2¼ tsp / wheat germ

9.35 grs. = .33 oz. = 4 tsp / dark or medium rye flour

15.5 grs. = .55 oz. = 2¼ tsp / barley malt syrup or wild honey

18.75 grs. = .66 oz. = 4 tsp / kosher salt

7.5 grs. = .3 oz = 2½ tsp. / fresh yeast aka cake yeast or, active dry yeast

Vegetable oil for greasing the bowl

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There are three distinct phases for making and proofing this dough. First comes the sponge, then the final dough, and finally proofing and further gluten development. Patience is necessary as this is the only way to develop the complexity associated with this dough.

To make the sponge, put half of the water and all the yeast in a large bowl, dissolve the yeast with your fingers, a fork, or a whisk. Add half of the bread flour, the rye flour, and wheat germ, combining the ingredients with a dough whisk or by hand. Cover this mixture with a lid, wet kitchen towel, or plastic wrap, for 1 to 2 hours or leave it in the refrigerator to develop overnight.

You can mix the final dough by hand or in a kitchen mixer fitted with a dough hook. Uncover the bowl with the sponge and add the remaining water, bread flour, salt, and the barley malt syrup. Leave the mixture in the large bowl or move it to the mixer's bowl. Either way, first mix the dough on low speed for 2 minutes. Next mix on the mixer's medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, until the formed dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl or come off your fingers, slightly. This dough is rather wet, so it will never pull away from the bowl or fingers completely. If after 7 minutes it still too wet, add flour as needed to make it come of some.

This is a very wet dough, at over 80% hydration by flour weight. It is difficult to handle until the gluten really starts to develop. As it develops, it will become more and more manageable.

Once the dough reaches the desired consistency, move it to a lightly oiled bowl large enough to hold it as it doubles in size during the first proofing. Cover the bowl and allow the dough ball to proof to double it's mixed size at warm room temperature. This will take 45 minutes to 2 plus hours, depending on actual room temperature, air moisture, etc.

Dust your work surface and thinking of the dough balls as having four sides, fold each of the four edges of the dough toward it’s center. Turn the dough over and return it, folded side down, back into the bowl. Cover the bowl again with plastic wrap, or towel, etc. and set it aside for another 1 to 2 hours. Repeat the folding and returning to the bowl, at least two times, three is ideal.

Dust your work surface again lightly with flour and turn the dough out onto the floured surface. Divide the dough into four equal parts, each weighing approximately 10.5 ounces. If you have a kitchen scale, weight each ball to be the same weight. Form dough balls by stretching the outer skin over it until a smooth ball is formed. Cover the dough balls with a clean damp dish towel, and let them rise for at least 1 hour. If you want to store the dough for later use, you can place them in a cookie sheet, a dough box or individual dough tins, Tupperware, etc. Always cover your dough to avoid forming a hard crust over it.

This dough can be kept in the fridge for up to four days.

This is not a Neopolitan style dough, therefore it is not meant to be baked at higher temperatures for a short time. Ideally, pizza made with this dough is baked in a wood fired oven, with an oven floor temperature of 500 to 600 degrees, and a dome temperature of 750 degrees. The bake time for a 14”? pizza is 5 to 9 minutes, depending on actual oven temperature, dough thickness, pizza topping ingredients, etc.

Fogazzo’s Favorite Pizza Dough Recipe

Flaky, thin or thick crusts are easy with this basic dough recipe. It is easy to make, even by hand (no mixer), can be made several days ahead of time, and lasts for a whole week in the refrigerator .

Ingredients:
1 packet active dry yeast
3 ½ cups all purpose unbleached flour
1 cup semolina flour (#1 durum wheat)
1 ¾ cups warm water (80˚ F)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sea salt

Preparation:
Heat water to 80˚ F, add yeast and wait 5 minutes to be sure it is activated (foamed). Add the oil into the yeast water, and mix with a spoon or whisk. In a kitchen mixer with a dough hook, (or by hand), mix the flours and salt for one minute, then slowly add liquid ingredients over dry ingredients and mix on lowest speed for 10 minutes, until a single dough ball forms. Allow dough ball to rest for 20 to 30 minutes in the bowl covered by a damp kitchen towel. Divide dough into four equal parts, and form into tight dough balls. Place the dough balls in individual containers each with a lid. Immediately place dough in the refrigerator and allow to slow proof for at least 12 hours. Dough can then be used for the next several days.

Each dough ball yields a 14 inch pizza.

Pizza made with wood fired chicken breast, catupiry and grilled onions

Fogazzo Beer Batter Oven Pizza Dough Recipe

This is a tried and true, wood fired oven pizza dough recipe for all occasions. It is easy to make, has a short proof time (4 hours) lasts for several days and freezes well.

Ingredients:
4 cups unbleached wheat flour
1 ¼ cups beer (or water)
1 packet active dry yeast
8 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg
¼ teaspoon salt

Preparation:
Beer makes the dough flakier and lighter, but if you prefer, water can be used in its place. Heat beer to 110 degrees, add yeast and wait 5 minutes to be sure it is activated (foamed). Add olive oil, egg and salt. Mix with a spoon or whisk.

In a kitchen mixer, add liquid ingredients over flour and mix on lowest speed using a dough hook for 6 minutes. Increase speed one notch and mix for another 2 minutes. Place mixed dough on lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 2 hours or until double in size. Remove from bowl, cut into 4 equal pieces, form into balls and place on lightly oiled tray. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Each dough ball yields a 14 inch pizza.

Dough not used after 2 days can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Fogazzo Traditional Semolina Pizza Dough Recipe

Semolina adds complexity to this recipe, and makes it pliable enough for hand-tossing.

Ingredients:
2 cups warm water
1 packet active dry yeast
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2½ cups unbleached wheat flour
2½ cups semolina flour

Preparation:
Heat water to 110 degrees, add yeast and wait 5 minutes to be sure it is activated (foamed). Add olive oil, sugar and salt. Mix with a spoon or whisk.

In a kitchen mixer, add liquid ingredients over flours and mix on lowest speed using a dough hook for 8 minutes. Increase speed one notch and mix for another 3 minutes. Place mixed dough on lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 2 hours or until double in size. Remove from bowl, cut into 6 equal pieces, form into balls and place on lightly oiled tray. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Each dough ball yields a 14 inch pizza.

Option: This dough recipe can be slow proofed overnight in the refrigerator (retarded), and then used over several days.

Fogazzo’s Neapolitan Pizza Dough

We like this dough recipe for thicker crusts. The double proofing adds bread like complexity and texture when proofed for at least 8 hours.

Ingredients:
1 - cup milk
3/4 cup – water
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons yeast
1 tablespoons olive oil
4 1/4 cups bread flour

Preparation:
Combine milk, water, salt, and sugar in a saucepan and heat to 110 to 116 degrees. Add yeast, stir well and let the mixture stand 10 minutes until foamy. Add oil and flour and mix for 8 minutes on low speed in a mixer with a dough hook. After mixing, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and proof for two hours or until doubled. Remove from bowl and punch down. Return to bowl and proof again until double in size. Remove from bowl, cut into 3 equal pieces, form into balls and place on lightly oiled tray. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Fogazzo’s Basic Italian Pizza Dough Recipe

Most dough recipes in today’s “health conscious world” call for vegetable oil or olive oil. Up until the 1970’s, lard was often used instead. This recipe is unchanged and lard should be used. It makes a noticeable difference in how this dough rises and bakes to a beautiful golden brown in a wood fired oven.

Ingredients
3 ½ cups unbleached wheat flour
2 tablespoons bakers yeast (in crumbs)
1 ¼ cups warm water
1 tablespoon lard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon honey

Preparation:
Break up the yeast in a large cup with a half cup of warm water. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and the honey. Leave the mixture in the cup to rise for half an hour in a warm place covered with a kitchen towel. Next, form a mound with the flour and place the yeast "mixl" in the middle. Add the lard and warm water, a little at a time, and work with your fingers. Knead all the ingredients for about ten minutes into a soft dough ball. Place the dough in a bowl and let it rise for an hour and a half or until double in size, in a warm place while covered with a kitchen towel or plastic film.

Divide the “risen” dough into 3 equal parts and place in a covered “Tupperware” or similar covered container until ready to use. With well floured hands, hand-toss or, roll out with a rolling pin.

Notes:
This recipe yields three 12 to 14 inch thin crust pizzas.
This recipe can be done in a kitchen mixer with a dough hook. After the yeast has activated (risen), add all the ingredients in the mixer and mix on the lowest speed for 10 to 12 min.

New York Style Pizza Dough Recipe

Ingredients
3½ cups (16 ounces) high-gluten flour
9 ounces warm water 110 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon instant yeast
¾ teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Preparation
Mix the water, salt, and yeast in a bowl. Wait five minutes to activate the yeast. Using a kitchen mixer with a dough hook, mix the flour and the water mixture on low speed until ingredients come together and form lumpy dough (about 1 minute). Add the olive oil, switch the mixer to medium speed and allow the mixer to knead the dough for a full 15 minutes. Remove dough from mixer, cut into two equal parts and form into dough balls. Place the dough balls in individual containers each with a lid, then place containers in a refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

More recipes coming soon.

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