Recipe Overview
62% Hydration at a Glance
Baker’s Percentages
Dough Formula
| Ingredient | Weight | Baker’s % |
|---|---|---|
| King Arthur Sir Lancelot Flour | 564 g | 100% |
| Cold Water | 350 g | 62% |
| Salt | 14.1 g | 2.5% |
| Olive Oil | 18.6 g | 3.3% |
| Diastatic Malt Powder | 10.7 g | 1.9% |
| Instant Dry Yeast | 2.3 g | 0.4% |
Total dough weight: Approximately 960g
Yield: Two approximately 480g dough balls
Why This Hydration?
What to Expect From 62% Hydration
At 62% hydration, this dough is slightly firmer and easier to control than a wetter 64% or 70% formula.
It should feel less sticky during mixing, dividing, balling, stretching, and launching.
The lower hydration supports a crisp, structured New York-style crust when baked on a thoroughly heated pizza steel.
This is a strong starting point for pizza makers who are still developing their stretching and launching skills.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Mixing and Fermentation Process
- Combine the initial ingredients. Add the flour, cold water, instant dry yeast, and diastatic malt powder to the mixer.
- Begin mixing. Mix on low speed until no dry flour remains and the dough begins to come together.
- Add the salt. Add the salt and continue mixing until it is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Add the olive oil. Add the oil gradually and continue mixing until it is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth.
- Check the dough temperature. Aim for a finished dough temperature of approximately 72–75°F.
- Rest the dough. Cover the dough and allow it to rest for approximately 20 minutes.
- Perform one stretch and fold. Stretch and fold the dough once to strengthen the gluten structure.
- Begin the bulk fermentation. Cover the dough and allow it to ferment at room temperature for approximately one hour.
- Divide the dough. Divide the dough into two approximately 480g portions.
- Form the dough balls. Shape each portion into a smooth, tight dough ball without tearing the surface.
- Refrigerate. Place the dough balls into lightly oiled, covered containers and refrigerate for approximately 72 hours.
- Temper before baking. Remove the dough from the refrigerator approximately two to four hours before baking.
- Stretch and bake. Stretch each dough ball into a 16-inch pizza and bake on a thoroughly preheated pizza steel at 550°F.
Home Oven Method
Baking Notes
Preheat the pizza steel thoroughly before baking.
Rotate the pizza during the bake as needed for even coloring.
If the bottom finishes before the top, transfer the pizza to one or two pizza screens.
After cutting, place the pizza on a screen so steam can escape and the bottom remains crisp.
Troubleshooting
Common Questions
Why does my dough resist stretching?
A 62% hydration dough may feel tighter than a wetter formula. Allow it more time to warm after refrigeration. If it continues snapping back, cover it and rest it for another 15–20 minutes.
Why is my dough underproofed after 72 hours?
Refrigerator temperature, finished dough temperature, yeast performance, and room-temperature fermentation can all affect the result. A particularly cold refrigerator may require additional room-temperature proofing before baking.
Can I use bread flour instead of high-gluten flour?
Yes, although the dough may absorb water differently and may not have the same strength or chew. Treat the formula as a starting point and adjust based on how your flour behaves.
Is 62% hydration good for beginners?
Yes. The firmer dough is generally less sticky, easier to ball, easier to stretch, and less likely to stick during launching than a higher-hydration formula.
Scale the Formula
Need a Different Amount of Dough?
Use the Pizza Dough Calculator to adjust the number of pizzas, diameter, dough-ball weight, hydration, flour, and fermentation schedule.
Open the Dough Calculator →What I Use