100% Biga Neapolitan Pizza Dough

Day 1 — Make the biga

Dissolve the yeast in the water. Add the flour and mix just until the flour is hydrated and a rough, crumbly biga forms. Do not knead into a smooth dough.

Cover the biga and ferment at approximately 75°F for 6–8 hours. Look for scattered bubbles, a fermented aroma, and modest expansion; the biga does not need to double.

Keep covered and refrigerate for the remainder of approximately 24 hours total biga fermentation.

Day 2 — Final mix

Tear the cold biga into chunks and place it in a food processor with the 125 g ice-cold water. Process for approximately 30–60 seconds, just until the biga is thoroughly broken down and the water is incorporated.

Transfer to a bowl and rest 5 minutes.

Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low/medium-low for approximately 5 minutes, gradually adding the 15.7 g salt during this first mixing period.

Rest 5 minutes.

Mix again for approximately 5 minutes, until the dough is cohesive, elastic, and well developed. There is no need to chase a warm final dough temperature; ~60–65°F is fine if the gluten is well developed.

Strengthen and ball

Rest the dough for approximately 10 minutes, then perform a set of stretch-and-folds.

Perform 3 total sets of stretch-and-folds, 10 minutes apart.

After the final fold, divide immediately into 4 × ~270 g portions and ball tightly. A light dusting of flour during balling can make the high-hydration dough considerably easier to handle.

Place each ball seam-side-down in a lightly oiled individual container. Cover and refrigerate immediately.

Day 4 — Bake

Cold-ferment the dough balls for approximately 48 hours.

Stagger the balls out of the refrigerator before baking. As a starting point, experiment with 60–120 minutes at room temperature depending on how fermented and relaxed they already are.

Don’t wait for the dough to reach room temperature. A ball is ready when it is soft, aerated, extensible, and opens easily without excessive snap-back, even if the center is still cool.

For shaping, lightly flour the dough or place the ball briefly into a bowl of flour, coating both sides. Shake off excess flour before opening. Preserve the gas in the cornicione and avoid stretching the center excessively thin.

Bake

Preheat a high-temperature pizza oven to approximately 800–900°F at the stone.

Launch with a relatively low flame. Allow the base to set before beginning to turn, then increase the flame as needed for top color.

Aim for a sufficiently long bake to fully set and dry the high-hydration crumb rather than simply maximizing speed. An underbaked crust will be chewy and soft rather than airy with a lightly crisp exterior.

With a perforated launching peel, verify that the pizza moves freely before approaching the oven. Position the peel, set the leading edge, and pull the peel straight back decisively—no shimmy during the launch.