Poolish Pizza Dough

Why I Love This Poolish Pizza Dough Recipe

This Poolish Pizza Dough Recipe is my go-to recipe for gourmet Neapolitan-style pizzeria pizza at home. Although it takes 2 days to complete this recipe, it's worth it in the end to see the bubbly crust and perfect flavor.

Anyone can make a delicious pizza crust at home, it just takes a little time and patience. I love to use this recipe for my outdoor pizza oven, but it can also be cooked in a conventional oven as well. This recipe was inspired by Vito Iacopelli, who has an awesome YouTube channel full of pizza recipes.

Short on time? Check out my Super Easy Pizza Dough recipe you can knead it in your stand mixer and have it ready in as little as 60 minutes, and you can make pizza like this Veggie Garden Pesto Pizza or Fig and Prosciutto Pizza.

What is a Poolish?

A poolish is a preferment leavening agent. Using a preferment makes baked goods higher in gluten strength, more flavorful, and soft. A poolish is also easier to create than a traditional sourdough starter or levain.

Poolish is similar to a sourdough starter in some ways but different in others. A poolish has a more sponge-like texture and uses store-bought yeast for fermentation. A sourdough starter is made from natural yeast. A poolish has a 100% hydration level, while a sourdough starter is more flexible with its water content.

Ingredients Needed to Make Pizza Dough from a Poolish

Water- this one is easy because in most cases tap water works just fine for a poolish and pizza dough. If you know you have very hard or very soft water, you may decide to use bottled water, but it's probably not necessary.

Salt- look for a non-iodized salt with no additives or anti-caking agents, like kosher salt. If you choose to use table salt, note that it has a saltier taste and you will need about half the amount.

Honey- some recipes use honey or sugar to make a poolish, and some don't. I don't think you will see much of a difference if you add it or not, but I like to. There are also debates about making a true poolish if you add sugar and the why behind it. I'll let you decide.

Yeast- I use instant yeast for this recipe, however, you can also use active dry yeast. Just remember active dry yeast needs to be dissolved in water and instant yeast can be mixed right in.

00 flour- 00 flour, sometimes referred to as pizza flour, is finer and has a lower gluten content than all-purpose flour. 00 flour helps create a fluffy dough and the final crispy crust on a pizza.

All-purpose flour or bread flour- For the remaining flour in the pizza dough, all-purpose flour will work just fine. You can also use bread flour, which has more protein than AP flour, and this will give you a heavier dough and a chewier crust.

*See the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.

How To Make This Recipe

Step 1: Measure out and add the water, honey, yeast, and flour to a sealable container and mix to combine. Allow the mixture to rest uncovered for 15 minutes.

Step 2: Place the lid on the container and allow the mixture to rise for 1 hour at room temperature. After 1 hour, place the container in the fridge overnight.

Step 3: Remove the poolish from the fridge and add the remaining ingredients and the poolish to a large mixing bowl. Once the dough is as combined as possible using a spatula or spoon, use wet hands to knead and stretch the dough into a sticky dough. Pour a small amount of olive oil on top of the dough and allow the dough to rest uncovered for 15 minutes.

Step 4: Place a small amount of olive oil on your hands and lift and tuck the dough under the bottom until you get a smooth ball. Place more olive oil on top, cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and allow it to rest again for 1 hour.

Step 5: After 1 hour, place olive oil on your hands again and remove the dough ball from the bowl. Cut the dough into 4 pieces and create smooth balls with each piece by tucking the dough under the edges. Place the four dough balls into silicone containers or onto a greased baking sheet and lightly cover the top of the dough with olive oil. Place the cover on the container or cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and rest again for 2 hours.

Step 6: Place the dough ball on a lightly floured surface. Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and begin to press the dough from the middle to the edge. Continue stretching and pressing while creating a 10-12" circle

Expert Tips For Making Neapolitan Pizza Dough

• If your poolish is a little cold from the fridge and you are going to use it right away, ensure the water you add is warm to compensate for the cold addition.
• Mixing the salt and water together before adding them to the flour helps disperse the salt evenly throughout the dough.
• The olive oil is important to keep the dough from drying out or developing a crust while resting.
• When pressing the dough into a circle, start from the inside of the ball and work your way out to the crust to push the air out. This will ensure you have a bubbly crust.

What Pizza Oven I Use and Love

I have the Ooni Karu Pizza Oven and I love it! I am lucky enough to have partnered with Ooni and use their product but all opinions are my own.

The rumors are true, you can make wood-fired or propane-powered pizza in 90 seconds at home! If you are on the fence, I encourage you to check out the full array of ovens Ooni offers.

How to Cook This Pizza Dough in a Home Oven

If you are cooking your pizza in a home oven, begin by preheating your oven and pizza stone at 450°F for 20-30 minutes. After you have added your topping to the pizza crust, place the pizza on the pizza stone and bake for 14-18 minutes or until the crust is nice and brown.

Recipe FAQs

Tools For Making Pizza Dough At Home

I have found that a plastic sealable container works perfectly when making a poolish. It's a perfect size (44 oz.), it has its own lid, and the poolish slides out easily when ready to use it.

And silicone pizza dough containers are the perfect size for personal-size pizza crusts. They also come with their own lid, are easy to clean, and are stackable!