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Ball of dough in a hand.
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5 from 10 votes

72-Hour Pizza Dough

Why make a pizza dough that takes 3 days? Because with just 10 minutes of prep, and a few days of patience, you can have the most flavorful pizza dough imaginable.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Resting Time3 days
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: American, Italian
Diet: Kosher, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 4
Calories: 456kcal
Author: Candice Walker

Ingredients

  • 500 grams all purpose flour 3 3/4 cups
  • 16 grams sea salt 2 tsp
  • 1 gram active dry yeast 1/4 tsp
  • 350 grams water 1 1/2 cups , lukewarm

Instructions

Day 1

  • Add the flour, yeast and salt to a large bowl or food-grade plastic container with lid.
    Plastic container with flour, salt, and yeast separate.
  • Slowly add water, using a wooden spoon mix thoroughly.
    Pouring water into a container with flour, yeast, salt, and a wooden spoon.
  • Knead in the bowl for 2 minutes until the dough is fully incorporated.
    Mixing dough with wooden spoon then woman kneading dough in plastic container.
  • Cover with a damp cloth, the lid, or plastic wrap. Let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
    Cambro container filled with bread dough.

Day 2

  • Lightly oil 4, 1/2-L jars or bowls
    Two hands oiling a glass jar.
  • Flour the surface of the dough. Then, divide the dough into 4 equal portions.
    Hand cutting container of dough into four parts.
  • Place one portion between your hands and fold two sides into center. Rotate 90 degrees and fold into center and continue this process until a ball is formed.
    Hand holding a ball of pizza dough.
  • Place smooth side into palm and swiftly pinch the seam closed.
    Hand holding dough that has been pinched.
  • Place each dough ball into the oiled jars or bowls, and place in the fridge for 48 hours.
    Four glass jars on a wood table with dough in them.

Day 3

  • Remove the dough from the refrigerator 1 hour before use.

Notes

The salt will deactivate the yeast, so place them on separate sides of the container.
This recipe makes 4 individual pizzas. I prefer making individual-sized pizzas, even if we are sharing them because they are easier to transfer in and out of the oven when we use our pizza peel.
You can use this recipe after 25 hours instead of waiting for the 72-hours. However, the dough flavor will be much blander. Simply split the dough into the 4 dishes after 24 hours and let it rise at room temperature for 1 hour before using.
Use a baking steel to prevent a soggy pizza bottom. Preheat your oven with the baking steel inside. Here is a link to purchase one (affiliate link opens in new tab).
If you are baking directly on the baking steel, use a pizza peel to transfer the pizza in and out of the oven. Here is a link to purchase the pizza peel (and cutter) that I love (affiliate link opens in new tab). It has a thin lip, making it much easier to use than the ones that have a thick lip.
Weigh the flour for perfect results. I use a kitchen scale in most of my baking because flour can measure differently based on how packed it is. [Click to shop kitchen scale, affiliate link opens in new tab.]
This recipe slightly adapted from the Baking Steel website is the perfect pizza crust you've been looking for. Makes that perfect, thin, charred crust you're craving right now.

Nutrition

Calories: 456kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1557mg | Potassium: 134mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 6mg
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