30 min
6 x 270g dough balls
Italy
Direct dough is the original method of making Neapolitan pizza. There are a lot of different recipes and ways to go about making pizza dough, but we recommend getting started with the original. This easy-to-make, no-fail recipe has just 4 simple ingredients. This will become your go-to recipe for making amazing quality Neapolitan pizza in the Revolve.
Direct dough takes roughly 24 hours in total but the results are well worth the wait. You will get light, soft and crunchy dough every single time!
Direct Dough gets its name from the preparation method which involves making the dough directly from the yeast, flour, salt and water without using a pre-ferment such as a Biga, Poolish or a Sourdough starter. With Direct Dough, you skip the pre-ferment stage making the process more straight-forward, but still yielding great results.
he ratio of water vsflour otherwise referred to as the hydration of the Direct Dough is roughly60% or 600ml per 1kg of flour. This is a highly debated topic among pizzaenthusiasts. The AVPN, Associazione Verace Pizza Napolena rules state that a true Neapolitan pizza dough is anywhere between 55 - 63% hydration for a 60 second bake at a high oven temperature of over 900 degrees. Higher percent hydration is suitable for lower temperature ovens and longer bake times, so you can experiment with the hydration and find what works for you. We always recommend starting your pizza making journey with a 600ml per kg recipe and then see how the results come out for you!
What we love about the Direct Dough recipe is how you can turn 4 humble ingredients into a one of the best foods in the world! You’ll be making great pizza dough that delivers soft and crunchy results every single time in no time.
Direct Dough Pizza Dough Ingredients
- 1kg High Gluten 00 Flour
- 600ml Water
- 4g Fresh Yeast (or 2g Instant yeast)
- 25g Salt
Direct Dough Directions
Step 1
In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, dissolve the salt in the water.
Step 2
Add roughly 100g of flour and mix together to make a smooth pancake batter texture.
Step 3
Now add the yeast and combine well.
Step 4
Add the remaining flour in two stages as you knead the dough.
Step 5
If you use a stand mixer start on a fast setting to combine the wet mixture with half the remaining flour. Once it is well combined, reduce the speed and add the rest of the flour until it forms a well-kneaded dough.
Step 6
Place the direct dough in a large air-tight container.
Step 7
Apply a very thin layer of olive oil on the surface.
Step 8
Allow the direct dough to bulk ferment for 12-24 hours at room temperature.
Step 9
Divide the dough into 6x265g balls. Line your individual dough containers with a small amount of olive oil. Place the balls in individual containers or in a large dough box.
Step 10
Allow the direct dough dough balls to rise again for 2-6 hours. Ideally, the dough balls should be well-risen, and from underneath, you will be able to see air bubbles in the dough. The surface should look slightly wet and shiny and not dried out.
Make it your own!
The hydration level of a Direct Dough has a big impact on how your pizza turns out and everything from temperature to humidity of your home environment can impact how the pizza turns out. We would suggest to start at 60% hydration and experiment with higher or lower levels.
Embracing the challenge in making pizza dough is part of the fun and excitement of making pizza at home.