Baking / Pizza dough & flatbreads
Overnight Pizza Dough
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Pizza night starts a day or two ahead, with fifteen minutes of mixing and a long, cold rest in the fridge. The dough comes out with real chew, and everyone gets to top their own.
The short version
Mix, knead for 5 minutes, divide into two balls, and refrigerate 12 hours to 3 days. Let the dough warm up for 30 to 60 minutes, stretch it, top it, and bake at 500°F on a hot stone, steel or pan for about 10 minutes.
What makes ours better
what we fixed so you don’t have to
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Rise in the fridge. A very small amount of yeast and 12 hours or more in the cold builds flavor and a chewier crumb, and you can bake whenever you like over the next 3 days.
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Use bread flour. Its extra protein gives a crust that stretches without tearing and chews rather than crumbles.
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Preheat a stone, steel or sheet pan for the full 45 minutes. A surface that is already blazing hot browns the bottom of the crust before the toppings overcook.
What you need
the usual suspects
- Active dry yeast¼ teaspoon
- Bread flour3½ cups
- Olive oil2 tablespoons
yes, all of the butter
Steps
nobody opens the oven door. looking at you, Dad.
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Dissolve the yeast
Stir the water and yeast together in a large bowl and let stand for 5 minutes, until the yeast is dissolved and the water looks slightly cloudy.
About 5 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Mix the dough
Add the flour, olive oil and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains and you have a shaggy dough.
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Knead until smooth
Knead on a lightly floured counter for about 5 minutes, or 4 minutes in a stand mixer with the dough hook on low. The dough should feel smooth, springy and slightly tacky. If it sticks to your hands, add flour a tablespoon at a time.
Resist adding a lot of flour. A slightly sticky dough makes the crispiest, airiest crust.
About 5 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Divide and chill
Cut the dough in half and shape each piece into a tight ball. Rub each with a little olive oil and put each in its own lidded container or zip-top bag with room to expand. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days.
Leave room in the container. The dough will roughly double in the fridge.
About 720 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Warm the dough
Take the dough out of the fridge 30 to 60 minutes before baking and leave it covered on the counter. It should feel soft and relaxed, not cold and stiff.
About 45 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Heat the oven
At least 45 minutes before baking, set a rack in the lower third of the oven, put a baking stone or steel on it, and heat the oven to 500°F. If you don't have a stone or steel, turn a heavy sheet pan upside down on the rack and preheat that.
About 45 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Stretch the dough
On a floured counter, press one ball into a flat disk from the center out, leaving the outer edge a bit thicker. Lift it and stretch it over the backs of your fists, turning as you go, until it is about 12 inches across. Set it on a floured peel or a sheet of parchment.
Don't use a rolling pin. It squeezes out the air bubbles that make the crust light.
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Top and bake
Top lightly, since heavy toppings make a soggy center. Slide the pizza and its parchment onto the hot surface and bake until the crust is deeply browned and the cheese is bubbling and spotty, 8 to 12 minutes. Repeat with the second dough ball, letting the oven come back to temperature.
Good to know
things I learned the hard way, so you can skip that part
- For same-day pizza, use 2¼ teaspoons (one packet) of yeast instead of ¼ teaspoon. Skip the fridge, cover the dough, and let it rise at warm room temperature for 1 to 1½ hours until doubled.
- Make half the dough into pizza and use the other half for olive oil focaccia with rosemary the next day, since both start from the same kind of dough.
- You can freeze dough balls. Oil them, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then warm up on the counter for an hour.
- Storage. Refrigerate unbaked dough for up to 3 days. Baked pizza keeps 4 days in the fridge, and reheats best in a hot skillet or oven rather than the microwave.
Questions, answered
the questions my cousins text me
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?
Yes. Use the same weight, about 440 to 470 grams. The crust will be a little softer and less chewy, but still good.
Why is my pizza dough too sticky or too hard to stretch?
If it's sticky, flour your hands and the counter lightly instead of kneading in more flour. If it springs back as you stretch, it's cold or tight. Let it rest 10 more minutes and try again.
How long can pizza dough stay in the fridge?
Up to 3 days. It tastes best at 1 to 2 days, and it gets a deeper, tangier flavor after that.
Do I need a pizza stone?
No. An upside-down heavy sheet pan, preheated for the full 45 minutes, works well. A baking steel gives the crispest bottom crust.
Can I make pizza dough without yeast proofing first?
Yes, with instant yeast you can stir it right into the flour. With this small amount of active dry yeast, a 5-minute soak in the water makes sure it's alive.
From the table
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Published October 29, 2026.