• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Easy Dinner Recipes
    • Delicious Dessert Recipes
    • Sweet Baked Goods
    • Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes
      • Instant Pot Recipes
      • Air Fryer Recipes
    • Homemade Syrups, Condiments, Sauces, etc.
  • Cocktails
    • Gin
    • Vodka
    • Tequila
    • Whiskey/Bourbon
    • Brandy/Pisco
  • Holiday Recipes
    • Christmas
    • Thanksgiving
    • Halloween Recipes
    • Patriotic Recipes
    • Valentine's Day Recipes
    • Easter Recipes
    • St. Patrick's Day Recipes
  • Easy recipes, cocktail inspiration, and a little bit of fun!
  • Subscribe
  • Recipe Index

EmilyFabulous

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes

    Poolish Pizza Dough

    Published: May 29, 2022 · Modified: Jan 21, 2023 by Emily · This post may contain affiliate links · 21 Comments

    If you want to make pizza dough that tastes like your favorite restaurant, check out this Poolish Pizza Dough Recipe! You will get a bubbly crust every time and it's perfect for pizza ovens or your home oven.

    poolish pizza dough ball
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    Why I Love This Poolish Pizza Dough Recipe

    This Poolish Pizza Dough Recipe is my go-to recipe when I want gourmet restaurant-style 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 the 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 in your stand mixer and have ready in as little as 60 minutes.

    pepperoni pizza cooked in an ooni oven with poolish pizza dough

    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

    You will need water, salt, honey, yeast, and flour to make this pre-ferment. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing your ingredients:

    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's behind it. I'll let you decide.

    poolish step 1
    poolish step 1
    poolish after 1 hour
    poolish after 1 hour

    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.

    Tips For Making This 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.
    Poolish Pizza Dough Recipe
    Click on the image above to PIN for later!

    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.

    Ooni Karu Pizza oven
    Ooni Karu Pizza Oven

    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.

    Tools For Making Pizza Dough At Home

    I have found that a plastic sealable container like the one below 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.

    Buy on Amazon!

    These 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!

    Buy on Amazon!

    If you need some inspiration on setting up the perfect baking station in your kitchen, check out this guide for some handy tips and ideas!

    poolish pizza dough round

    Poolish Pizza Dough

    Poolish Pizza Crust tastes like your favorite restaurant and you will get a bubbly, chewy crust. It's perfect for pizza ovens or home ovens.
    5 from 76 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Resting Time: 15 hours 30 minutes
    Total Time: 16 hours
    Servings: 4 10-12" pizza crusts
    Calories: 372kcal
    Author: EmilyFabulous

    Equipment

    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 large mixing bowl
    • silicone spatula
    • 1 sealable container (44 oz)
    • silicone pizza dough containers (optional)
    • 1 outdoor Pizza Oven (or regular oven)

    Ingredients

    First Day

    • 200 grams water, room temp
    • 5 grams honey
    • 5 grams yeast
    • 200 grams 00 flour

    Second Day

    • 300 grams bread flour or all-purpose flour
    • 300 grams warm water
    • 20 grams kosher salt
    • 200 grams 00 flour

    Instructions

    First Day

    • 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.
    • Place the lid on the container and continue to allow the mixture to rise for 1 hour at room temperature. After 1 hour, place the container in the fridge overnight (12-18 hours).

    Second Day

    • Remove the poolish from the fridge and allow it to warm up on the counter as you gather your ingredients and tools. Add the remaining ingredients and the poolish to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. 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 rub it all over the top with your hands to prevent a crust from forming. Allow the dough to rest uncovered for 15 minutes.
    • 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.
    • 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. Make sure the dough balls have plenty of room to rise and expand if they are on a baking sheet.
    • Once the dough is ready, place it 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. This will push the air to the edge and help create a bubbly crust.
    • Continue stretching and pressing while creating a circle. You can flip the dough over once or twice to get an even crust.
    • Once you have a 10-12" crust, you can add your favorite toppings and bake your pizza!

    Video

    Notes

    • 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 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.
    • 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.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 110-12" crust | Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 10.8g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 1944mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1.3g | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 5mg

    Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.

    Did you Make This Poolish Pizza Recipe?

    Don’t forget to leave a review if you make this Poolish Pizza Dough Recipe. And if you snap a photo, tag me on Instagram or Facebook!

    Do you love delicious recipes and baking at home? You can get all of my recipes in your inbox when you sign up for my email, it’s only twice a month. And you can follow me on Pinterest so you never miss a recipe!

    More Recipes

    • Hibiscus Cupcakes
    • Li Hing Mui Air Fryer Donuts
    • Cranberry Walnut Feta Salad
    • Spiced Maple Walnuts

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Craig says

      February 03, 2023 at 8:02 am

      Dear Emily - I'm just finding out about Poolish and found your recipe. I think it's the ingredient step I'm missing in my new-found pursuit of making my own dough. I appreciate your well-written, informative, and organized instructions. I made the pizza last night and it was definitely better than anything I've produced in my short 3-month tenure of outdoor pizza oven experimentations. I have one question. On day 2 part 1 when you say "use wet hands to knead and stretch the dough into a sticky dough", approximately how long is this step and what should I be looking for in the consistency of the dough before it rests? Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Emily says

        February 03, 2023 at 9:25 am

        Hi Craig, this step is to incorporate the Poolish into the rest of the day 2 ingredients. You are looking for a sticky and shaggy dough at this point. It should take about a minutes to get all the of the ingredients fully incorporated. The next step is when you will create a smoother round shape. Thanks for the question!

        Reply
        • Craig says

          February 06, 2023 at 7:22 am

          Morning - just made a gorgeous looking poolish. Rather than kneading it can I mix the Day 2 ingredients and give it another night for autolyse? in bulk or in balls?
          Thanks, Craig

          Reply
          • Emily says

            February 06, 2023 at 7:49 am

            Hi Craig, I have not tried that method yet. However, I have made the dough balls and kept them in the fridge for 2-3 days before using them and they were great! Enjoy.

            Reply
            • Craig says

              February 06, 2023 at 9:38 am

              5 stars
              Great answer! That will work exactly into my plan - pizza parties the next two nights!!!

            • Emily says

              February 06, 2023 at 9:13 pm

              Have fun!🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕

    2. chris says

      January 22, 2023 at 9:17 am

      5 stars
      excellent advice which follows a good dough recipe to the letter.
      This helped me fine tune my dough making and yielding an even better crust than I had before. The proper poolish is a must for good pizza dough.
      I also used OO flour and based on advice I tried Italian Manitoba pizza flour. It can be found on Amazon, but it is not cheap. Bread flour does comes close. The flour standards in Italy/EU are different than in North America.
      Thank you.

      Reply
      • Emily says

        January 22, 2023 at 11:57 am

        Thanks, Chris!

        Reply
    3. Lorenzo Giovacchini says

      September 23, 2022 at 4:39 pm

      5 stars
      I always use poolish, but first time using this recipe for the dough...

      Reply
      • Emily says

        September 23, 2022 at 11:55 pm

        Let me know how it turns out! What else do you use poolish for?

        Reply
    4. Christina says

      September 20, 2022 at 10:02 am

      5 stars
      How long can you store the finished dough in the refrigerator for - and/or can you freeze it?

      Reply
      • Emily says

        September 20, 2022 at 3:06 pm

        Hi Christina, you can refrigerate the finished dough for up to 5 days and freeze it for up to three months. Thanks for the question!

        Reply
    5. nancy says

      May 31, 2022 at 12:08 pm

      5 stars
      it was totally worth the time to wait two days for this pizza doough! soooo tasty and chewy

      Reply
      • Emily says

        June 01, 2022 at 7:31 pm

        Yay! I'm so glad you think so. Thanks for trying the recipe!

        Reply
    6. Katie says

      May 31, 2022 at 5:59 am

      5 stars
      I made pizzas using this dough and it was incredible! It was straightforward and simple to make. I'm recommending this to everyone!

      Reply
      • Emily says

        May 31, 2022 at 7:23 am

        Thanks, Katie. I'm so glad you found it easy to make.

        Reply
    7. Amy Liu Dong says

      May 31, 2022 at 5:50 am

      5 stars
      I have never tried this but I am sure this one is delicious.
      I'll be saving this and making this for the kids this weekend.

      Reply
    8. Jess says

      May 30, 2022 at 11:26 am

      5 stars
      Such a good pizza dough recipe

      Reply
      • Emily says

        May 30, 2022 at 7:32 pm

        Thanks, Jess!

        Reply
    9. Mallory says

      May 30, 2022 at 9:39 am

      5 stars
      Lovely this dough recipe! So easy and delicious!

      Reply
      • Emily says

        May 30, 2022 at 7:32 pm

        I'm so glad you liked it, Mallory.😊

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Emily! I'm excited to share my passions, experiments, and fun with you. I love to cook, bake, create recipes, mix cocktails and try new things!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Poolish Pizza Dough
    • Apple Cider Martini
    • Crumbl Cookie Copycat Recipe
    • Vanilla Vodka Recipe
    Get $150 Off Cookware and Bakeware Sets at Carawayhome.com!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • About

    COPYRIGHT © 2023 EMILY FABULOUS, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    Cookie SettingsAccept
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT