Best Ever Pizza Dough

I went to a cooking group the other day and we learned how to do hearth style baking and we made the best ever pizza dough.  It's like the kind you get at Pizza Hut.  I have a google doc that was shared with us that I can share with you on how to do hearth style.  That really gave the crust a nice crispy outside with the soft inside.  Following the recipe with the 3 days to make it gives the dough a really nice flavor.  Below is the Poolish recipe (sponge) and the recipe for the dough.

Master Formula: Pizza Dough 1
From Crust and Crumb

(Two days before you want to eat pizza.)
Make poolish starter.

Poolish-style preferment
(Sponge)

4 c (18 oz) bread flour or whole wheat bead flour
4 c cool water (65-70°)
¼ tsp instant yeast

Combine all ingredients in LARGE mixing bowl, big enough to hold double volume.

Beat or whisk for 1 minute, until well mixed and smooth. Small lumps ok.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temp for 3-5 hrs, or until bubbly
and foamy

Refrigerate sponge, well covered, over night.

Makes 3 lb 2 oz of poolish. To use the same day, must be made at least 5 hours in advance.

Better to make it the day before. Clean and active for up to three days if
refrigerated. [Make on Day 1. Use on Day 2, 3, 4.]

Sponge can be frozen just before or just after refrigerating it on the first
night. To use frozen sponge, transfer to the fridge from the freezer 24-36 hrs
before intended use.

Take sponge out of the fridge one hour before using it.



(One day before.) Dough

3 ½ c (16 oz) unbleached bread flour (up to 1 c. whole wheat flour OK)
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp instant yeast
2 T (1.5 oz) honey
½ c (4 oz) olive oil
¾ c + 1 T [6 ½ oz) cool water
1 ¼ c (10 oz) poolish

Combine all ingredients in a mixer with paddle (not a hook). Mix on low for 1
minute. Mix on medium for 12 minutes until smooth and creamy.

Cover with plastic wrap and rise at room temp for 3 hours, till bubbly. Refrigerate
overnight, covered.

(On pizza eating day.)

Preheat oven to 550° (or the highest your oven can go) and prepare oven for hearth
baking. (See separate entry for hearth baking.)

On a heavily floured surface, cut dough into 3-8 pieces. Toss pieces, one at a time,
with flour and round into gentle balls. Place them on a pan, and spray with cooking
spray and cover with plastic wrap. Rise at least 30 mins. (Can be held for two days,
tightly covered, in the fridge.)

Shape dough into circles on a piece of parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray.
The dough is very wet. Use cool water on your hands to keep it from sticking. When
it starts to spring back, let it rest for a few minutes before stretching more.

Cut the parchment paper around the pizza leaving a tab big enough to grab. Put toppings on the pizza. Use a peel or flat baking sheet to transfer the pizza to the preheated baking stone.