Take your starter from the fridge. Discard all but 30g, then feed with 50g flour and 50g water. Stir well.

Cover and leave at room temperature (70-75°F ideal) until doubled in size and bubbly, about 4-8 hours depending on your starter's strength and ambient temperature.

Drop a small spoonful of starter into water. If it floats, it's ready. If it sinks, give it more time.

In a large bowl, add the active starter to the room temperature water. Use a fork or your hands to break up and dissolve the starter into the water until it looks milky.

Stir in the olive oil and honey (if using).

Add the bread flour and salt. Mix with a stiff spatula or your hands until a shaggy-mass forms and no dry flour remains.

Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. This allows the flour to fully hydrate and makes the dough easier to work with.

After the 30-minute rest, wet your hands. Grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Do this 4 times (all around the bowl). The dough should feel tighter.

Cover and let rest.

Repeat the folding process. The dough should be noticeably smoother and less sticky.

Cover and let rest.

Repeat one more time. By now, the dough should be smooth, slightly puffy, and hold its shape better.

After the final fold, transfer the dough to a lightly oiled container or leave in the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a lid.

Leave on the counter overnight, 8-12 hours, at room temperature (65-72°F ideal).

The dough should have roughly doubled in size, look puffy and bubbly, and smell pleasantly tangy.

Lightly flour your work surface. Gently turn the dough out onto the surface, being careful not to deflate it too much.

Using a bench-scraper, divide the dough into 4 equal pieces (about 235-240g each for personal pizzas) or 2 pieces (about 470g each for large pizzas).

Working with one piece at a time, pull the edges of the dough toward the center to create tension on the surface. Flip seam-side down and use your hands to rotate the ball on the counter, tucking the edges underneath to create a taut, smooth ball.

Place the balls on an oiled sheet pan or in individual oiled containers. Brush or drizzle the tops lightly with olive oil to prevent drying. Cover with plastic wrap.

Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days. Longer cold proofing = more flavor.

Take the dough balls out of the refrigerator 1-2 hours before you plan to bake. They need to come to room temperature for easy stretching.

Set your oven as hot as it will go (500-550°F) with your pizza-stone or baking-steel inside for at least 45-60 minutes. The stone needs to be screaming hot.

Generously flour your work surface and the top of one dough ball. Use a mix of flour and semolina for best results.

Using your fingertips, press the dough from the center outward, leaving a ½-inch border around the edge for the crust. Don't press the border.

Drape the dough over your knuckles (not fingertips) and let gravity stretch it while you slowly rotate. Work around the edges, letting the weight of the dough do the work. Aim for 10-12 inches for personal pizzas, 14-16 inches for large.

Dust your pizza-peel generously with semolina or flour. Lay the stretched dough on the peel and give it a shake to make sure it slides freely. If it sticks, lift the edge and add more flour underneath.

Spoon 3-4 tablespoons of sauce onto the center of the dough. Use the back of the spoon to spread in a spiral, leaving the border clean.

Scatter cheese evenly over the sauce. Don't overload it.

Add any other toppings sparingly. Remember, the dough has to support everything.

Give the peel one more shake to confirm the pizza slides freely. Open the oven and use a quick forward motion to slide the pizza onto the hot stone.

Bake for 8-12 minutes (depending on your oven temp) until the crust is golden brown with some charred spots, the cheese is bubbling and slightly browned, and the bottom is crisp.

If your oven has hot spots, rotate the pizza 180 degrees halfway through baking.

Use the peel to remove the pizza from the oven. Let it rest on a wire rack or cutting board for 1-2 minutes before slicing.

Press dough from center outward, leaving border.

Drape over knuckles and rotate, letting gravity stretch.

Aim for 10-12 inch personal size or 14-16 inch large.

Transfer to floured peel.

Press and stretch into oval shape.

Great for fitting two pizzas on one stone.

Works well for calzones and stromboli.

Oil a sheet pan generously.

Press dough into pan, stretching to edges.

Let rest 30 minutes if dough springs back.

Top and bake on bottom rack at 475°F for 15-20 minutes.

Place stone on middle or upper rack.

Preheat at max temp for 45-60 minutes.

Launch pizza onto stone.

Bake 8-12 minutes.

Use broiler last 1-2 minutes for char.

Heat skillet over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes.

Stretch dough to fit skillet.

Place dough in hot dry skillet.

Add toppings while bottom cooks (about 3 minutes).

Transfer to oven under broiler for 2-3 minutes until top is done.

Check bottom for golden-brown color.

Oil sheet pan generously.

Press dough into pan.

Let rest 20-30 minutes.

Add toppings.

Bake at 475°F on bottom rack for 15-20 minutes.

Heat oven to 800-900°F.

Launch pizza carefully.

Rotate every 15-20 seconds.

Total bake time: 60-90 seconds.

Watch for burning, it happens fast!