New York (ish) Dough

The cold-fermented NY-style dough. 280g bread + 120g AP flour, 65% hydration, 1-2 day fridge ferment. Two 14-16 inch pies.

Time: 8 min | Yield: 2 14-16 inch pizzas | Difficulty: Intermediate | Serves: 2 | Published: 2026-04-23

This is my cold-fermented NY-style dough, the one I call 'New York-ish' because it hits every marker of the classic NY slice (foldable, chewy, airy rim, leopard-spotted bottom) without forcing me to pretend I'm running a Brooklyn pizzeria.

Bread flour + AP flour blend. 65% hydration. Low yeast, 1-2 day cold ferment. The AP softens the chew, the bread flour holds the structure. Together they give you the slice that snaps on the rim and folds in the center.

Comes out of the oven in 8 minutes. The active work is maybe 15 minutes total spread over 24-48 hours. The fridge does everything you can't see. This is the dough I make most weeks.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon.
  2. Add oil and cold water to manage the dough temperature throughout the process. Higher temperature doughs during mixing can overproof faster. I recommend water around 60-65 degrees.
  3. If using a mixer, refer to the other tab labeled (Using a Mixer).
  4. Mix with your spoon or spatula until there is no more dry bits remaining then dump on a clean countertop.
  5. Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes. Scrape off your hands along the way. If it way too sticky, let it rest (covered) for 15-20 minutes.
    You'll know it's right: After 5-7 min, dough should be smooth and slightly glossy. Should feel tacky like a Post-it note: grabs your finger lightly but lifts cleanly. Sticky = leaves dough on your hands.
  6. After kneading, cover in a lightly oiled bowl for 30 minutes
  7. After 30 minutes, perform a series of four stretch and folds. Pull the dough from one side and fold on top to the other. Rotate 90 degrees and repeat for all four sides.
  8. Rest, covered for another 30 minutes.
  9. After 30 minutes, see if the dough passes the "window pane test." See picture. We are trying to pull two sides of dough up and stretch as thin as possible.
    You'll know it's right: Thin film should hold for 2-3 inches of stretch before tearing. Slightly translucent, you should see light through it. If tears immediately, gluten not developed yet, do another fold round.
  10. You will repeat stretch and folds every 30 minutes until it passes the window pane test.
  11. If it does not pass after four attempts, move to the next step.
  12. Once you pass the window pane test, cover in the fridge for 1-2 days.
    You'll know it's right: By 24 hr, dough should have grown about 30%. By 48 hr, surface should look bubbly when you tilt the container. Past 72 hours, dough goes slack, time to bake.
  13. Ball the dough 1 day before you make pizza.
  14. Place the dough in individual containers or on a baking sheet, then put back in the fridge.
  15. On the day of making pizza, pull the dough out of the fridge 3-5 hours before you plan on baking.
    You'll know it's right: After 3-5 hours, press gently with fingertip, indent should slowly spring back about halfway. Balls should look slightly domed and feel pillowy.
  16. ENJOY!

Troubleshooting

Dough went past 72 hours in fridge and went slack

Cold-ferment doughs have a 1-2 day sweet spot. Past 72 hours, gluten breaks down. Set a phone alarm at 24 and 48 hour marks. If you need more flexibility, use [room-temp 24-hour dough recipe](/recipes/24-hour-room-temp-dough) instead, more forgiving timing.

Dough refused to stretch after pulling from fridge

Not enough room-temp time after fridge OR insufficient cold ferment. Full 3-5 hours at room temp before stretching is non-negotiable. Cold dough WILL fight you. If still resisting, give it 30 more minutes. Patience saves the dough.

Bread + AP flour blend felt slack and lacked structure

The 70/30 blend is purposefully softer than 100% bread flour. That's the texture goal. If you want more structure, swap to 100% bread flour (400g instead of the blend). You'll get a chewier, more 'NY classic' bite. The AP blend is for those who like a slightly softer slice.

Window pane never passed after 4 fold rounds

Initial knead wasn't long enough, OR your AP flour was very low protein. Add an extra fold round (5 total instead of 4). Or extend initial knead to 8-9 minutes. Some AP brands (like store-brand) are lower protein than King Arthur, may need more work.

My dough barely rose in the fridge

Yeast was weak/expired OR fridge runs very cold (below 35°F). Check yeast expiration. Most home fridges are 37-40°F, which is ideal. Below 35°F slows yeast to a crawl. Reposition dough container to a slightly warmer shelf of the fridge.

I balled the dough early and now it's over-proofed

Pulled from fridge too soon after balling, OR room temp too warm for the bench proof. Ball 1 day BEFORE baking, return balls to fridge for that day, then pull 3-5 hours before baking. If balls overproof on bench, bake immediately, they'll still work but oven spring will be reduced.

Notes

This is a COLD-ferment dough, different animal from my 24-hour room-temp recipe. The fridge slows fermentation to a crawl which gives you a narrow 1-2 day window to bake (after that, the dough goes slack). If you need more flexibility, make the room-temp 24-hour recipe instead.

Nutrition (1/8 of one dough ball (~37g)): 125 calories, 4g protein, 24g carbs, 1.5g fat.