New York Style Pizza

From our Pizza and Bread Making Masterclass with David Wright also known as The Breaducator. Using a poolish creates a dough that is soft and very pliable, with next level flavour in the crust. In Charlie the finish is blistered and beautifully chewy.

Ingredients

Makes 6 pizza bases

Poolish

• 75 g water
• 75 g pizza flour
• 0.2 g dry yeast or 0.4 g fresh yeast

Final dough

• 1000 g pizza flour
• 590 g water
• 30 g salt
• 4 g dry yeast or 8 g fresh yeast
• 40 g olive oil
• 150 g poolish

Method

Step 1 Day 1 Make the poolish

1. Mix water yeast and flour to a smooth paste.
2. Place in a sealed container with room to triple in size.
3. Leave on the countertop overnight.

Step 2 Day 2 Make the dough

1. Mix pizza flour and water then rest for 30 minutes.
2. Add the poolish and mix to combine.
3. Add yeast then salt then drizzle in olive oil.
4. Mix until the dough is smooth and silky about 4 to 8 minutes depending on the mixer.

Step 3 Rest and portion

1. Cover and rest for 45 minutes.
2. Divide into 250 g to 300 g pieces shape into rounds and place in lightly oiled pots.
3. Refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours.

Step 4 Day 3 Get Charlie ready

1. Bring the dough out of the fridge 2 to 3 hours before cooking.
2. Set up Charlie with good quality lump charcoal.
3. Heat to 375 to 400 °C which is 710 to 750 °F.
4. Ensure pizza stones are in before heating so they come to temperature.
5. Use a heat gun to check the stones aim for at least 350 °C which is 660 °F.

Step 5 Bake

1. Dust the peel with semolina or rice flour. Shape the dough add toppings and check the pizza slides freely.
2. Load pizzas starting on the highest stone then the next. The lowest stone cooks fastest as it is closest to the fire.
3. Close the door and cook for 3 minutes. Do not open until the time is up. No need to turn.
4. Remove the lowest pizza first then the next stones in order.

Tips for success

• If the pizza sticks on the peel add a little more semolina or rice flour under the base.
• Keep toppings balanced so the dough can rise and crisp well.
• Cook as soon as Charlie is hot. There is no need to wait for embers.

Why cook this in Charlie

Charlie delivers fierce even heat for proper New York style pizza at home. The crust bubbles and blisters while staying soft inside. The charcoal fired flavour adds depth you will not get from a regular oven and the stones recover heat quickly for back to back bakes.