Classic New York Pizza Dough
The ultimate foldable slice — thin, chewy, and built for your home pizza oven.
Prep time: 30 minutes | Cold ferment: 24–72 hours | Yield: 4 × 268g dough balls (four 12-inch pizzas) | Hydration: 62% | Difficulty: Beginner
New York pizza makes a set of promises. Big, foldable slices. A base that's crisp on the bottom, chewy in the middle, and just charred enough at the crust. It's the kind of pizza that holds its own shape when you fold it lengthwise — tip to crust — without cracking. That quality doesn't come from a special sauce or a secret topping combination. It comes entirely from the dough, and specifically from giving that dough time.
This recipe uses a 24–72 hour cold ferment in the fridge. It sounds like a long wait, but the active work is about 30 minutes. The fridge does the rest, slowly developing flavour and gluten structure that no same-day dough can match. If you've ever wondered why your homemade pizza doesn't quite taste like the real thing, the cold ferment is almost always the answer.
Ingredients
Makes 4 dough balls. Scale freely.
- 640g bread flour (12–13% protein — Manildra Bakers flour or any high-gluten bread flour works well. All-purpose is a fine substitute but gives a slightly softer, less chewy result.)
- 397g cold water (around 18–20°C)
- 16g fine sea salt
- 3g instant dry yeast
- 16g extra virgin olive oil
- 6g sugar (optional, but promotes browning under high heat)
Method
Step 1 — Dissolve the salt and sugar
Pour the cold water into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and sugar and stir until fully dissolved. Dissolving salt in the water before adding flour prevents it from coming into direct contact with the yeast and inhibiting its activity.
Step 2 — Add the yeast and flour
Sprinkle the instant yeast over the water and stir briefly. Add roughly half the flour and mix with a fork until a rough paste forms. Add the remaining flour and the olive oil, then mix until no dry flour remains and a shaggy dough comes together. It will look rough at this stage — that's normal.
Step 3 — Knead to a smooth, elastic dough
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured bench and knead for 8–10 minutes by hand, or 6 minutes on medium speed in a stand mixer with a dough hook. You're looking for a smooth, supple ball that springs back when you poke it. It should be slightly tacky but not sticky. Resist the urge to add extra flour — a slightly wetter dough opens more easily and gives a more tender crumb.
Windowpane test: stretch a small piece of dough between your fingers. If it stretches thin enough to see light through without tearing, your gluten development is good. If it tears immediately, knead for another 2 minutes and test again.
Step 4 — Bulk rest
Return the dough to the bowl, cover with cling film or a damp tea towel, and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. This allows the gluten to relax after kneading and makes the dough much easier to divide and ball.
Step 5 — Divide and ball
Turn the dough onto an unfloured surface and divide into 4 equal pieces — a kitchen scale makes this precise. Shape each piece into a tight, smooth ball: gather the edges toward the centre, flip seam-side down, then use your cupped hands to drag it in small circular motions across the bench until the surface is tight and smooth.
Tight balling matters. A well-tensioned ball holds its shape in the fridge and stretches open evenly. A loose ball is harder to work with and tends to tear.
Step 6 — Cold ferment
Place each ball into a lightly oiled airtight dough tray or a lightly oiled zip-lock bag with the air pressed out. Refrigerate for a minimum of 24 hours and up to 72 hours. This is where authentic New York flavour develops — subtle tang, real complexity, and a dough that opens beautifully without fighting you.
48 hours is the sweet spot for most home bakers. Beyond 72 hours the dough can become over-extensible and fragile.
Step 7 — Come to room temperature
Remove the dough balls from the fridge at least 60–90 minutes before baking. Cold dough is stiff and will tear when stretched. A properly warmed dough is relaxed and pliable. Don't skip this step.
Step 8 — Preheat your pizza oven
Fire up your pizza oven and give it plenty of time to reach full temperature. For New York style, you're targeting a floor stone temperature of 340–400°C — use an infrared thermometer to check the stone directly, not the air above it. On most home pizza ovens this means at least 45–60 minutes of preheating. A hot stone is the single biggest factor in getting a crisp, non-soggy base.
Note: NY dough bakes at a lower temperature than Neapolitan and for longer — around 4–6 minutes rather than 60–90 seconds. This controlled bake gives you chew over char.
Step 9 — Stretch the dough
Flour your bench lightly and press a dough ball flat with your fingertips, working from the centre outward and leaving about 2cm of untouched dough around the rim for the crust. Once flattened to roughly 25cm, lift and use the backs of your knuckles to stretch it to 30–32cm, rotating gradually and letting gravity assist. Never use a rolling pin — it collapses the gas bubbles in the dough and produces a flat, dense crust instead of an open, airy one.
Step 10 — Top and bake
Transfer the stretched base to a well-floured peel. Top quickly with a thin layer of hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes, a scatter of low-moisture mozzarella, and your toppings of choice. Keep it restrained — NY pizza is about the dough. Slide it into the oven and bake for 4–6 minutes, rotating once halfway through, until the crust is deep golden and the cheese is bubbling with a few browned spots.
Work fast once the pizza is on the peel. A topped base that sits will stick. Build it, check it slides freely, and launch it promptly.
The fold test
A true New York slice should fold cleanly in half lengthwise — tip to crust — without cracking. If it holds its shape rather than drooping, you've nailed it. That balance of structural chew and pliable flex comes entirely from the gluten development and ferment time you've put in.
Storage and make-ahead
Dough balls keep in the fridge for up to 4 days from the day they were made. For longer storage, freeze individual balls in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temperature before stretching.
This recipe doubles or triples easily. A well-stocked freezer means a great pizza night is never more than a day away.
Troubleshooting
Dough springs back when stretching — it's too cold or under-rested. Cover and wait another 20–30 minutes.
Soggy base — the stone wasn't hot enough. Preheat for longer next time.
Crust is tough, not chewy — try a higher-protein flour, or knead for slightly less time.
Dough tears easily — likely over-fermented. Use sooner in the next batch.
Pizza sticks to the peel — use more semolina or flour on the peel, and launch promptly after topping.