28-Hour Caputo 00 Pizza Dough (Crispy, Wood-Fired Style)
Long cold ferment · four 14–16" pizzas · leopard-spotted crust
This is the dough we reach for when we want a thin, crispy crust with real depth of flavor — the kind of blistered, leopard-spotted bottom you get from a screaming-hot dome oven. The secret isn't a fancy oven; it's time. A 28-hour cold ferment lets the dough develop a sourdough-adjacent tang without a starter, while a small amount of rye adds earthy complexity.
We build it with Caputo 00 Pizzeria flour, the fine-milled Italian flour prized for pizza. It runs a touch lower in hydration than you might expect (65%), and that's intentional: a drier dough crisps on a hot floor instead of steaming. The result is four 14–16" pizzas with a crackly, structured crust and a light chew. Plan your timeline backward from when you want to eat — start the dough about 28 hours ahead.
Why this recipe works
- Long cold ferment (about 24 hours): builds flavor and a faint, pleasant tang — no sourdough starter required.
- Caputo 00 flour: fine milling gives a tender, extensible dough that crisps and blisters fast under high heat.
- 65% hydration: lower than a focaccia on purpose, so the bottom crisps rather than steams.
- A little oil and sugar: speeds browning and crunch on a very hot floor.
28-Hour Caputo 00 Pizza Dough
About 2.5 hours mixing and bulk fermentation, then 22–24 hours cold in the fridge, then 2–3 hours to temper before baking — roughly 28 hours start to finish.
Ingredients
Pizza Night (Three ~595g balls)
- 1,000 g Caputo 00 Pizzeria flour
- 53 g rye flour
- 684 g cool water
- 26 g fine sea salt
- 6 g sugar
- 14 g olive oil
- 1.3 g instant dry yeast
Instructions
- 1
Autolyse
Combine the 00 and rye flours. Add the water and mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest 30–45 minutes. This is critical with 00 — the fine mill hydrates slowly, and the rest prevents a slack, sticky mess later. The dough will feel stiff and shaggy at first; don't add water.
- 2
Mix
Dissolve the yeast in a splash of water, then add it along with the salt, sugar, and oil. Mix until smooth and cohesive, about 5–8 minutes. Aim for a dough temperature around 75°F.
- 3
Bulk and fold
Do 3 sets of stretch-and-folds about 30 minutes apart over the first 1.5 hours. Then leave at room temperature until risen about 30–50%, roughly 1.5–3 hours depending on your kitchen.
- 4
Ball and cold ferment
Divide into three ~595 g balls and shape each tight. Place in oiled containers, cover, and refrigerate about 22–24 hours. This is where the flavor develops, so don't cut it short.
- 5
Temper
Pull the balls 2–3 hours before baking and let them come fully to room temperature. Cold dough fights the stretch and won't spring properly — this step is non-negotiable.
- 6
Stretch and bake
Stretch to 14–16". Bake in a hot dome oven (about 450–475°C floor), rotating every 20–30 seconds, for 60–90 seconds total. Pull when the crust is leopard-spotted and the bottom is crisp.
Tips
- Stretch slightly thinner and don't over-flour your peel — excess flour burns and dulls the crisp.
- If the top chars before the bottom crisps, your dome is too hot relative to the floor; crack the door for about 2 minutes before launching.
- If the bottom lags, give the stone more time to soak up heat before the next pie.
- Want more tang? Bump the rye to about 10% (swap ~75 g of the 00), accepting a slight trade in crispness and extensibility.
FAQ
- Can I use a home oven instead of a pizza oven?
- Yes. Preheat a baking steel or stone at your oven's max (usually 500–550°F) for at least 45 minutes, ideally under the broiler. You won't get the same 60-second bake, but the long ferment and lower hydration still deliver a crisp crust.
- What can I substitute for Caputo 00?
- A good bread flour works; the crust will be a touch chewier and less tender. Keep hydration at 65% to start.
- Can I freeze the dough balls?
- Yes — freeze after balling, then thaw in the fridge overnight and temper as usual before baking.
