The Perfect 72% Hydration Pizza Dough: A Professional Step-by-Step Guide
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Time to read 6 min
Freshly baked seafood pizza made from a 72% hydration dough
There is something deeply satisfying about sliding a homemade pizza onto a blazing hot stone, but I’ll be honest with you: the first time I tried working with a high hydration pizza dough, I was entirely intimidated. It was sticky, unpredictable, and felt impossible to stretch without tearing. But over time, I learned that the secret to those beautiful, artisan pizzas—the ones with the gorgeous leopard-spotted, incredibly airy cornicione (the puffy edge of the crust)—lies entirely in mastering the hydration and the mixing process.
Today, I’m sharing a professional-level 72% hydration pizza dough recipe that completely transformed our pizza nights.
Whether you are running a boutique pizzeria or you're a passionate home pizzaiolo looking to elevate your wood-fired (or home oven!) game, this specific formula and mixing technique will yield incredible results. We are using a double-hydration method (also known as bassinage) to build strong gluten while keeping the dough perfectly workable for stretching.
Grab your apron, and let’s dive into the science and soul of the perfect pizza dough!
Why 72% Hydration for Pizza?
In the baking world, "hydration" refers to the amount of water relative to the amount of flour. For pizza, a 72% hydration dough strikes a glorious balance: it contains enough moisture to turn into steam in the oven—giving you those huge, beautiful bubbles in the crust—yet it develops enough structure that you can still stretch it thin in the center without it falling apart. It's the absolute sweet spot for light, digestible, and crispy-yet-chewy artisan pizza.
🛒 The Ingredients List
Precision is everything when it comes to high-hydration baking. Here is exactly what you need for this professional 2kg batch:
- Flour (Type 00): 2 kg
- Sea Salt: 44 g
- Fresh Yeast: 4 g
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Total Water: 1440 g
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Crucial Water Prep:You must divide this total water into three specific parts for the mixing process:
- Yeast Water: Measure out 100g and warm it to 35°C (95°F).
- Salt Reserve Water: Measure out another 100g and set it aside.
- Main Ice Water: The remaining 1240g needs to be cold! Add ice cubes to bring this main water down to exactly 10°C (50°F).
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Crucial Water Prep:You must divide this total water into three specific parts for the mixing process:
Step-by-Step Mixing Instructions
This professional dough mixing technique is all about staging. By holding back some of the water and adding it gradually, we allow the gluten network to develop incredible strength, which is vital for stretching pizza later.
Total Mixing Time: 15 minutes
- Target Dough Temperature: 25°C (77°F)
Step 1: The Dry Mix (3 minutes)
Add exactly half of your flour (1 kg) to your mixer bowl. Run the mixer dry for 3 minutes. (Note: This helps aerate the flour and doesn't count toward your total 15-minute hydration mixing time).
Step 2: First Hydration (2 minutes)
Turn the mixer on a low speed. Slowly pour in 3/4 of your chilled (10°C) main water. Let the mixer work the flour and water together for 2 minutes.
Step 3: Second Hydration (3 minutes)
Add the remaining half of your flour (1 kg). Slowly stream in the last 1/4 of your chilled main water. Mix for another 3 minutes. You will see the dough start to form a shaggy, cohesive mass.
Step 4: Activating the Yeast (1 minute)
Take a small portion of your reserved 100g of water and warm it slightly to 35°C (95°F). Dissolve your 4g of fresh yeast into it. Slowly add this yeast mixture into the spinning bowl, taking about 1 minute to incorporate it fully.
Step 5: Building Strength (3 minutes)
Let the mixer run continuously for 3 minutes as the dough begins to smooth out and build structure.
Step 6: Adding the Salt (1 minute)
Add your 44g of salt directly to the dough without any water. Mix for 1 minute to distribute the grains.
Step 7: The Final Water / Bassinage (3 minutes)
Use the very last bit of your reserved water to help dissolve and incorporate the salt fully into the dough. Mix for 3 minutes. This late addition of water ensures maximum gluten strength, giving your pizza dough that incredible stretchability.
Step 8: The Fast Mix (2 minutes)
Kick your mixer up to a fast speed for the final 2 minutes. This is where the magic happens! The dough will slap against the sides of the bowl, becoming incredibly strong, glossy, and smooth.
Step 9: Bulk Rest, Shaping & The 48-Hour Chill
Once the 15-minute mix is complete, transfer the dough to your work surface. Perform several folds by hand to build final tension. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for about 4 hours.
After this rest, divide the dough into individual portions of 200-250 grams (perfect for a 10-12 inch pizza). Knead each portion until the surface is smooth and pinch the bottom tight to seal. Place the dough balls into a sealed proofing box and store them in the fridge (at 4-6°C / 40-43°F) for 48 hours.
When you're ready to bake, take the dough out and let it temper at room temperature for about 45 minutes. Now you are ready to stretch and create an authentic Neapolitan pizza!
🌟 Tips for High Hydration Pizza Success
To ensure your pizza nights are legendary, keep these professional tips in mind:
Mind the Temperature: The friction from your stand mixer generates a lot of heat. Starting with 10°C water is critical so that your final dough comes out at the perfect 25°C (77°F). If your pizza dough gets too hot in the mixer, it will over-ferment and lose its structural integrity.
Trust the Process: High hydration pizza dough goes through an "ugly" phase where it looks far too wet. Do not panic and do not add more flour! Trust the mixing times; the gluten will develop and pull the dough together into a beautiful, silky ball.
Wet Hands Are Happy Hands: When it's time to take the dough out of the mixer to bulk ferment or portion into dough balls, wet your hands with cold water. High hydration dough sticks to dry skin, but slips right off wet hands!
Fresh vs. Instant Yeast: This recipe uses fresh yeast for a beautifully traditional, slow fermentation profile (which tastes amazing after a 24-48 hour cold ferment in the fridge!). If you must use instant dry yeast, divide the yeast amount by 3 (you would only need about 1.3g for this large batch).
Making pizza from scratch is a journey of patience, practice, and passion. Once you stretch your first dough using this 72% hydration method and watch that crust puff up in the oven, you will never look back.
Happy baking, friends! Let me know in the comments how your pizza turns out, or if you have any questions about the mixing process. We're in this together!
🍕 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I knead this dough by hand without a stand mixer?
You absolutely can, but be prepared for a messy workout! Because this is a high hydration recipe, the dough will be extremely sticky. Instead of traditional kneading, I recommend using the "slap and fold" technique (Bertinet method), or extending the bulk fermentation and performing a series of gentle "stretch and folds" every 30 minutes until the gluten is strong..
Can I use standard All-Purpose (AP) flour instead of Type 00 or Bread flour?
I strongly advise against it for this specific recipe. AP flour has a lower protein content, meaning it cannot develop a strong enough gluten network to trap and hold 72% water. If you use AP flour, your dough will likely turn into a puddle and lack that chewy, airy structure. Stick to high-protein Bread flour or a quality Italian Type 00 flour for the best results.
How long should I ferment this dough before making pizza?
While some recipes rush the process, for this specific 72% hydration recipe, a 48-hour cold fermentation in the fridge is the absolute sweet spot. Once you've finished mixing, portion the dough into balls, place them in lightly airtight containers, and tuck them into your fridge for exactly two days. This extended 48-hour slow ferment is the ultimate secret: it breaks down the starches for better digestibility, develops incredibly complex, restaurant-quality flavors, and guarantees those beautiful, dark blisters on your crust when it hits the heat!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kevin Lo
Passionate pizza maker and the heart behind KEVJES. Since I first designed our original silicone dough containers in 2021, my mission has been to simplify the art of proofing for everyone. Today, I’m incredibly proud to see KEVJES highly rated by the pizza community on Amazon. This space is where I share the techniques and tools that have transformed my baking—dive into the science of fermentation with me, one perfect crust at a time.
