No-Knead Pizza Dough

This is the pizza dough to end all pizza doughs. It involves no kneading, no rising (only resting), no special equipment. While baking, it blisters and bubbles, and comes out crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. It is nothing short of perfect.



This dough is like an automatic party. Instructions: Prepare dough one day ahead. Add a few friends, a bottle of wine, and small bowls of toppings. Let each person create their own pizza, and let the fun begin!



No-Knead Pizza Dough 
adapted from Bon Appetit

7 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

Whisk flour, sea salt and yeast together in a medium bowl. With a wooden spoon, gradually stir in 3 cups of water until well incorporated. Use your hands to form dough into a rough ball, and transfer to a large clean bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest for at least 18 hours in a warm, draft-free area, until it is more than doubled and the surface is covered in tiny bubbles. Turn dough onto a floured work surface and shape it into a rectangle, then cut into six pieces. Working with one piece at a time, fold the corners in toward the center, flip it seam side down, and gently shape into a ball. Transfer to a floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, and then cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for an hour. (You can also put it in the refrigerator at this point, and it will keep for 3 days. Remove from the refrigerator and allow to rest at room temperature for 2-3 hours before continuing.)

While the dough is resting, place a pizza stone on a rack in the top third of the oven, and preheat it as hot as it will go (about 550 degrees) for about an hour.

Working with one dough ball at a time, dust with flour and transfer to a floured surface. Gently shape into a 10- to 12-inch disk. Transfer disk to a pizza peel or rimless baking sheet that has been lightly dusted with flour. Increase the oven heat to broil. Top the pizza with your desired toppings and use quick back-and-forth motions to slide it onto the pizza stone. Don't overload with toppings; it becomes hard to move. Broil for 5-7 minutes, rotating halfway through to prevent burning. Remove when the bottom is crisp and golden and the top is blistered. Slice and serve!

Favorite topping combinations:

-Barbecue sauce, diced chicken breast, cheddar or co-jack cheese, and bacon
-Fresh tomato, onion, and bacon, with shredded mozzarella
-Olive oil, lemon zest, and Parmesan, topped with arugula after baking
-Caramelized onion, balsamic-glazed mushroom, and Gorgonzola