Easy Homemade Overnight Pizza Crust
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A prosciutto, arugula and fig pizza made at home
This easy overnight pizza dough requieres no mixer, 5 basic ingredients and a minimum of hand kneading. This simple dough renders a crispy, golden and chewy crust. And you won’t need a pizza stone, a pizza peel or a pizza oven. You just need the basic tools you already have at home! If I did it that way, you can make it too!! For this pizza I added chopped rosemary and lemon zest to the dough and topped it with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, fig spread and arugula. But the magic of this recipe is that you can make it with whatever you want. It’s your creation! Now, hang up the phone because you won’t be needing delivery pizza anymore!
That was exactly what I thought after making my first pizza dough at home from scratch. It’s way too easy!! Okay, you will probably have pizza for delivery every now and then, but boy, you’ll think it twice! And since the dough can be in the fridge for many days, you know you can count on making your own pizza for your next pizza night.
This version is inspired by a trip we had to a vineyard in Massachusetts while visiting my sister in law. The toppings were very intrinsic and I spotted this one with prosciutto and fig spread. It didn’t have any tomato sauce though and used gorgonzola instead of mozzarella. Risking myself to be “that annoying customer”, I asked if they could do a few tweaks, and they happily did. The addition of tomato sauce was so nice when mixed with the fig spread and the prosciutto. I knew immediately I had to try that pizza at home.
A cool thing of making your own pizza dough is that you can add flavor to it, making you pizza even more delicious. You can use garlic powder, pepper, chili flakes, herbs de Provence and you name it! For this I used finely chopped fresh rosemary and lemon zest, a secret ingredient I’ve being using lately in most of my doughs.
Making overnight homemade pizza dough
For this recipe I used bread flour because the crust will be chewier. Simply whisk it with the instant yeast and salt. In this case I also added the chopped rosemary and the lemon zest at this point. Then you add the water and olive oil and gently mix until you have a rough dough. You’ll transfer it to a clean surface. Don’t worry, the olive oil should not let it stick to the surface. Knead a bit with he the bottom of your hand for 3 minutes. Let it sit on the counter and knead again by hand for another 3 minutes.
Cut the dough in half and without using too much pressure shape it like a ball, tighten it to make the shape round and smooth as much as possible. Place it in a large plastic bag or container and voilà!!
Let it rest in the fridge at least 24 hours. Tomorrows’ dinner is set! The texture will get more complex and flavors will deepen during the next few days so you can also make this dough ahead. Friday night pizza can be started on Monday!
Making a pizza without a pizza oven, pizza store or pizza peel
I’m here to tell you that you don’t necessarily need all of the above to make a restaurant style pizza. If you have one or all, then use them! But if you don’t, you don’t need to run out of your house to buy things to use for just one dish. You probably have what you need at home, and if you still need to buy something, it will be a basic kitchen utensil that you will be using in many other dishes as well.
You know how much I love simplifying any cooking process, that’s why, after so much reading and trial and error, I figured for you the most basic tools you would need for making pizza dough. You know how I have a whole module in The Cooking Course talking about how you need way less tools than you think? It has been always fascinating for me to see so many crazy gadgets for very specific tasks, and most of the time you get a better job done with a simple basic tool. And for this you will only need two baking trays, parchment paper and a large spatula, that’s it! Don't worry, I’ll list everything nice and tiddy in the “What you’ll need” section below.
How to get a crispy pizza crust when using a homemade overnight pizza dough
There are many details behind a crispy pizza dough. BUT!!!! A detail that’s truly for me what makes it or breaks is the oven temperature.
A traditional pizza oven can reach between 800° and 900°. This is crazy and of course your oven (thankfully) will no get that high. The key is then to bring your oven to the highest possible temperature. Yes, I’m talking about the 500°s here! I bring my oven to 550° and preheat it for a full hour. When I transfer the pizza to it I drop the temperature to 450° and bake for about 8 minutes. You can go to full 9 or even 10 minutes if you prefer a toastier crust! It’s that easy!
Putting everything together
Now that I told you about important details for making overnight homemade pizza dough, let me tell you step by step how I made this Prosciutto, Fig and Arugula Pizza:
First, you will need a 1” deep baking sheet (this will be your “pizza stone”), ideally a cookie sheet (a baking sheet that’s completely flat) or a second baking sheet to transfer the pizza, parchment paper (NOT wax paper) and an extra large silicon spatula if you have one (this will be your “pizza peel”. Don’t forget sturdy and reliable oven mitts.
Start by taking out the dough (one or the two dough balls) so it fully comes down to room temperature. This can take about two hours.
Right after this, place the deep baking sheet upside down the middle rack of the oven. Preheat between 500° and 550° F, depending on how high your oven reaches.
When ready to make the pizza, drizzle a bit of olive oil tothe cookie sheet (the flat baking sheet) or on another baking sheet turned upside down. Place a piece of parchment and drizzle extra oil.
Now place one ball of dough and stretch it with your hands. Stretch it as thin as you can WITHOUT OVERWORKING IT. Just use your fingertips. SUPER IMPORTANT! You want to stretch the dough to a point where it’s thin and almost transparent, without tearing it apart.
Toppings time!! Use about 2 tablespoons of a high quality pizza sauce and spread across, leaving about ½” of the edge clear. Remember that this will affect the final flavor. Do not use marinara or a sauce that’s too watery because the dough will absorb it and nobody wants soggy pizza!!
Arrange the fresh mozzarella, prosciutto slices, drops of the fig spread and a thin drizzle of olive oil. Brush the border with olive oil. I know that in the video I added the arugula at this point, but it almost disappeared after baked, that’s why I added extra when I took the pizza out of the oven.
Please!! Wipe the excess olive oil around the pizza!!! If you don’t, excess will drip to the bottom of the oven and literal flames will light inside your oven. Be aware of this!
Now, open oven and using your big silicon spatula you will transfer the parchment paper with the pizza to the upside down baking tray in the oven. It will be like pushing out the parchment with the spatula onto the upside down baking sheet. Technically you can do this without the spatula, just using the corners of the paper with your silicon oven mitts, but it’s more challenging and riskier this way.
As soon as you close the door, DROP OVEN TEMPERATURE to 450°.
Bake from 7 to 10 minutes. Do not open the door during the first 7 minutes. After that, everything will depend on the initial temperature and how golden and crusty you want your crust. I started my oven at 550° and baked for 9 minutes.
When pizza is done, pull out the oven rack half way through. Place near the edge of the baking sheet the flat cookie sheet. Using oven mitts, transfer the parchment paper to the flat sheet.
Pizza will always be on the parchment paper. It will be the carrier of the pizza all the time.
What you’ll need:
A deep baking sheet that will serve you as your “pizza stone”. This baking sheet is the exact one I used and it has been with me for years.
A flat cookie sheet like the one I used in the video for transferring the pizza. You may use a second baking sheet turned upside down for working the dough.
Pre-cut parchment paper will make your life easier.
A jumbo silicon spatula like the one I used that will serve you as your “pizza peel”.
My trusted silicon oven mitts. They REALLY resist the heat.
For this recipe, a reliable food scale comes really handy.
Lastly, the exact fig spread I used!
3 recipes I think you’ll love if you’re loving this one:
Asparagus and Prosciutto Puff Pastry Tart
Twice Sautéed, Twice Salted Crispy Potatoes
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I truly can’t wait to the see how do you recreate this recipes. So many possibilities!! Don’t forget to make the world a better place by taking a pic and sharing your cretiation for everyone to see how wonderful it is! Tag me on Instagram @devamadeo or Facebook @DevAmadeo. Cheers!
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Easy Homemade Overnight Pizza Crust, with prosciutto, arugula and fig spread
Ingredients
Overnight Pizza Dough
◯ Bread flour - 1 ¾ cup, 300g
◯ Instant yeast - 1 ½ Tsp
◯ Salt - 1 Tsp, 6g
◯ Water - about ¾ cup, 200g
◯ Olive oil - 1 Tsp, 4g, plus mor for drizzling
Optional
◯ Finely chopped rosemary or thyme leaves (no need to chop thyme) - 1 sprig
◯ Lemon zest - from half lemon
Toppings (for 1 ball of dough)
◯ High quality thick tomato or pizza sauce - about 2 TBSP
◯ Prosciutto slices - 3 to 4
◯ Fresh mozzarella - about 2 oz, 2 slices
◯ Fig or apricot spread
◯ Fresh arugula and or fresh basil leaves
◯ Fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Details
Yield:
2 - 7” pizzas
Total time:
20 minutes, plus overnight time in the fridge.
Active time:
21 minutes to make the dough (only 6 kneading, divided), 5 minutes to assemble the pizza.
Baking time:
7 to 10 minutes
Equipment:
baking sheet, flat baking sheet, pre-cut parchment paper, jumbo silicon spatula
Steps:
Making the dough:
In a bowl whisk the 1 ¾ cup (300g) of flour with the 1 ½ teaspoon of instant yeast and the 1 teaspoon (6g) of salt.
Add the ¾ cup (200g) of water and the teaspoon (4g) of olive oil. Combine until a rough and somewhat shaggy dough forms.
Transfer to a flat clean surface and using the inside bottom of your hand knead the dough gently for 3 minutes. The motion should be pulling like trying to pull the edge of dough towards the center and then pushing it back. Rotate ¼ and repeat.
Let the dough rest for 15 minutes, 20 minutes if you area is too cool.
Knead again for 3 minutes.
With a sharp knife divide dough in half. Shape each half round to form a ball, tucking the loose edges below and pulling it to you to “seal” the dough below. Place each ball in a large plastic bag or airtight container. Let it rest in the fridge at least 24 hours (see notes above).
Making the pizza:
Take out the balls of dough your are planning on making. Let them come down to room temperature for about two hours.
Place a deep baking sheet turned upside down in the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 500° to 550*, depending on how high your oven can go.
Drizzle a bit of oil on a cookie sheet to use as a glue. Place a piece of parchment on top and drizzle a bit more of oil. Place a ball of dough and stretch out using your fingertips and not overworking it. Dough should look thin and almost transparent but be careful not to tear it apart.
Spread the two tablespoons of tomato sauce across, leaving about ½” of the edge clear. Roughly tear through the middle mozzarella slices so they are thinner and arrange over tomato sauce. Arrange prosciutto slices as well. Spoon small drops of the fig or apricot spread across the pizza, about 5 or 6. Drizzle just a bit of olive oil on top.
Wipe excess of olive oil around the pizza (see notes above).
Bring cookie sheet with pizza very near the edge of the upside down baking sheet in the oven. Transfer parchment paper with pizza using the extra large silicon spatula, or very carefully with your hand by handling the parchment for the corners.
Close oven and drop down temperature to 450°. Bake from 7 to 10 minutes. Do not open the door during the first 7 minutes. After that, everything will depend on the initial temperature and how golden and crusty you want your crust. I started my oven at 550° and baked for 9 minutes.
When pizza is done, pull rack out. Bring cookie sheet close to the edge and, with the help of the extra large spatula or with your oven mitts, pull parchment to the flat cookie sheet.
Arrange arugula and basil leaves on top. Sprinkle fleur del sel and freshly ground black pepper if desired. Cut and serve.
