This is the current iteration of my go-to farm to fire pizza dough. While a true Neapolitan pizza dough (by law in Italy) can only contain Italian “00” flour, American bread flour, water, salt, and yeast, mine is a bit more elaborate.
It’s probably closer to a New Haven pizza dough, except I make it thinner and bake it hotter for the crispy/creamy cornicone characteristic of a Neapolitan. The rye flour gives a more robust flavor and makes up for the fact that I don’t want to spend the time it would take to make sourdough pizza crust. The sugar helps with browning/carmelization that hot baking temperatures provide. The olive oil adds flavor and helps elongate and lubricate the gluten strands so you can stretch the dough a lot without it tearing.
Add all the dry ingredients to a stand mixer bowl, and stir to combine.
Add water and oil, and stir to get mostly combined. Put the bowl in the mixer, attach the dough hook, and mix/knead for 5 minutes on low. (You can also hand-knead for about the same time).
Let sit for 5 minutes.
Mix 4 more minutes on low. Check to see if gluten allows a “baker’s window pane” (you can stretch it thin enough to be translucent, nearly see-through, without tearing). If not, mix it a bit longer (or hand-knead).
Immediately divide into 4 equal portions (preferably by weight)
Make a small puddle of olive oil on the counter.
Form each portion into a ball, then plop the bottom of it into the oil puddle. Place the dough balls on a parchment-covered baking sheet.
Brush the top of each ball with more oil, and loosely cover the sheet with shrink wrap.
Immediately refrigerate for 24-72 hours.
On pizza night, pull the dough ball(s) out of the refrigerator one hour before using. If the rest are remaining in the fridge for a later time, cover the dough ball(s) in use with a clean dish towel. Otherwise keep covered with shrink wrap.