Baking Great Bread at Home72-Hour Naturally Leavened Crust
IntermediateSourdough Neapolitan PizzaDough
by Henry Hunter Jr.
Your starter does the heavy lifting. You get the glory.
Rise Time
75-78 hours
Bake Time
6-8 minutes
Yield
4 dough balls for 10-12" pizzas (~270g each)
Perfection is not required
"Great bread isn't about perfect technique—it's about understanding the dough."— Henry Hunter Jr.
By Henry Hunter Jr., founder of Crust & Crumb Academy and Baking Great Bread at Home.
Authentic Bread Flavor
Everything you love about Neapolitan pizza, powered by your sourdough starter. The 72-hour cold ferment develops incredible flavor and makes the dough easier to digest.
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
Levain (Optional - Build Night Before)
Dough
Pro Tip
Use your starter when it's active and bubbly, at peak or just past peak. If you're not sure, do the : drop a spoonful in water. If it floats, it's ready.
Night Before (Optional)
Build the Levain
5 min active, 8-12 hours wait
Building a dedicated gives you more control over timing and flavor. Skip this if your starter is already active and ready to use.
Click each step to mark complete
Combine ingredients
In a small jar, mix 20g starter, 40g flour, and 40g water.
Mix well
Stir until no dry flour remains.
Cover loosely
Let sit at room temperature overnight (8-12 hours).
Check readiness
Levain is ready when doubled, domed, and bubbly. Should pass the .
PT12H
Wait 8-12 hours for levain to ripen
Pro Tip
If using your regular starter directly, skip this phase. Just make sure it's been fed within the last 4-8 hours and is active.
Precise Timers
Use these interactive timers to track your stages.
Levain Build
Day 1
Mix the Dough
15 minutes
Combine ingredients and develop initial gluten structure.
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Combine water and starter
In a large bowl, add water and active starter (or ripe levain). Mix until starter is mostly dissolved. It won't be perfectly smooth.
Add salt
Add salt to the water-starter mixture. Stir to dissolve.
Add flour
Pour in all the flour. Mix with a stiff spatula or your hand until no dry flour remains and a shaggy dough forms.
Rest ()
Cover and let sit for 30 minutes.
Knead or develop
After rest, knead for 5-7 minutes until smooth, OR perform during bulk fermentation.
Pro Tip
Sourdough pizza dough benefits from gentler gluten development. You can skip intensive kneading and rely on stretch and folds instead.
Day 1
Bulk Fermentation with Stretch and Folds
3-4 hours
Build dough strength through while fermentation begins.
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First stretch and fold
After mixing, let dough rest 30 minutes. Then perform a set of : wet your hand, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up and fold it over the center. Rotate bowl 90° and repeat. Do this 4 times (full rotation).
Repeat
Perform 3-4 more sets of stretch and folds, spaced 30 minutes apart.
Monitor the dough
After 2-3 hours of folds, let dough rest undisturbed.
Check for activity
Dough should show some bubbles and feel lighter. It won't double, but should increase 25-50% and feel airier.
PT4H
Total bulk fermentation 3-4 hours
Pro Tip
Warmer kitchen = faster fermentation. Cooler = slower. Read the dough, not the clock.
Precise Timers
Use these interactive timers to track your stages.
Stretch & Fold 1
Stretch & Fold 2
Stretch & Fold 3
Stretch & Fold 4
Final Rest
Day 1
Divide and Ball
10 minutes
Portion and shape into tight balls for cold ferment.
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Turn out dough
Gently turn dough onto a lightly floured surface.
Divide
Using a , divide into 4 equal pieces (~270g each).
Pre-shape
Gently pull each piece into a rough round. Let rest 10 minutes.
Final shape
Pull edges underneath to create surface tension. Rotate on counter with cupped hands to form tight, smooth balls.
Place in containers
Put each ball in a lightly oiled container or zip-lock bag. Leave room for expansion.
Pro Tip
The dough will be more extensible than yeasted dough. Handle gently. Surface tension is still important for oven spring.
Days 1-4
Cold Ferment
48-72 hours (72 recommended)
The long, develops complex flavor, improves digestibility, and creates better texture.
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Refrigerate
Place sealed containers in refrigerator at 38-40°F (3-4°C).
Wait
Let ferment for minimum 48 hours, ideally 72 hours.
Check daily
Dough balls will slowly expand. Some bubbles visible on surface is normal.
Maximum time
Can go up to 96 hours (4 days), but beyond 72 hours the dough may become more sour and slightly weaker.
PT72H
Cold ferment 48-72 hours for best flavor
Pro Tip
Sourdough fermentation is slower than yeasted. The 72-hour mark is where the magic really happens. Don't rush it.
Bake Day
Warm Up and Final Proof
4-5 hours
Sourdough needs more time to warm up than yeasted dough. Be patient.
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Remove from fridge
Take dough balls out 4-5 hours before baking (longer in cold weather, shorter if your kitchen is warm).
Keep covered
Leave in containers or under damp towel.
Check readiness
Dough should be relaxed, puffy, jiggly, and at room temperature throughout. should spring back slowly.
PT5H
Wait 4-5 hours to reach room temperature
Pro Tip
If dough still feels cold or dense in the center, it's not ready. Cold dough won't stretch properly and will spring back aggressively.
Precise Timers
Use these interactive timers to track your stages.
Final Proof
Bake Day
Stretch and Shape
2-3 minutes per pizza
Same technique as yeasted dough. Gentle hands, no rolling pin.
Click each step to mark complete
Flour surface
Generously flour with AP flour or semolina.
Transfer dough
Gently flip dough ball onto floured surface.
Press center
Using fingertips, press from center outward, leaving outer 1" untouched for the .
Stretch
Pick up dough and let gravity help. Rotate and stretch gently, working from center.
Target size
10-12" diameter. Center thin (almost translucent), edges puffy.
Transfer to peel
Place on floured peel. Shake to confirm it slides freely.
Pro Tip
Sourdough dough can be slightly more delicate. If it tears, it may have over-proofed or the gluten weakened from too-long fermentation. Let small tears be, they'll seal in the oven.
Shaping
Shaping Options
Choose your pizza size based on preference
Classic Round (10-12")
RecommendedClick each step to mark complete
Step 1
Press center with fingertips, leaving 1" rim
Step 2
Pick up, rotate and stretch using gravity
Step 3
Pass hand to hand, pulling gently from center
Step 4
Place on floured peel
Smaller Personal Size (8-9")
Click each step to mark complete
Step 1
Divide into 5-6 balls (~180-215g each)
Step 2
Same stretching technique
Step 3
Great for individual pizzas or appetizers
Proof Test: Press a floured finger into the dough. If it springs back slowly and leaves a slight indent, it's ready. Quick snapback = needs more time. No snapback = over-proofed (still usable, but expect flatter results).
The Final Step
Baking Methods
Choose based on your equipment
Baking Methods
Equipment: Baking steel or pizza stone, Pizza peel
Position rack
Position rack in upper third of oven
Preheat
Preheat steel/stone at maximum (500-550°F / 260-288°C) for 45-60 minutes
Broiler boost
Turn broiler to high for last 5 minutes
Top and launch
Stretch, top, and launch
Bake
Bake 6-8 minutes, rotating once, switching between broiler and bake as needed
Remove
Remove when crust is golden with char spots and cheese is bubbling
Nutrition Facts
Per 1 dough ball (270g) • 4 servings per recipe
* Values are estimates based on standard ingredients
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Troubleshooting
Baker's Notes
Common questions and solutions for perfect results
Temperature is the invisible ingredient. I use the Goldie and DoughBed from SourHouse to keep my starter and dough at the perfect temperature, every time.
SourHouse Temperature Control Products
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