72 Hour Pizza Dough Recipe

Why 72-Hour Pizza Dough?

The short answer? Time builds flavor. And structure. And confidence. When you slow things down, wild things happen. The dough develops a deeper, more complex flavor. Gluten strengthens naturally without aggressive kneading. The crust bakes up with that perfect chew and blistered bottom.

Most people try to rush dough. I get it, I was the same way early on. But 72-hour pizza dough forces patience, and it rewards you every single time. I've made this dough thousands of times since 2012, and it still gets me fired up when I pull a pie off the steel. Don't have 3 days? Try our 24-hour dough recipe.

Pizza Dough Timeline Comparison

Our recommendation: 72-hour dough hits the sweet spot. It's long enough to develop incredible flavor and structure, but not so long that you risk over-fermentation. Plus, the timeline fits perfectly into a weekly routine, mix on Monday, bake on Thursday. That's exactly how I do it at home.

Watch: The 72-Hour Dough Process

72-Hour Pizza Dough

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Fermentation: 72 hours | Yield: 3 dough balls (12–14″ pizzas)

Want more or fewer pies? Keep your hydration perfect and scale this recipe up or down with our Dough Calculator .

Ingredients

• 500 g bread flour (we recommend Central Milling Organic — it's what we use in our kitchen and what we'll be using in our dough packs)
• 16 g sea salt
• 1 g instant yeast (about ¼ tsp)
• 350 g water (room temp)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, add the flour. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and whisk to distribute evenly. Add the salt and whisk again — this keeps yeast and salt from direct contact too soon.
2. Pour in the water and mix with hands or a dough whisk until fully hydrated and no dry spots remain.
3. With damp hands, knead in the bowl for 2–3 minutes until a slightly sticky mass forms. That's it. No stand mixer, no kneading on the counter. Lahey was right — less is more.
4. Cover and rise at room temperature for 24 hours; it should roughly double and show small bubbles.
5. Refrigerate for 48 hours to slow-ferment and build flavor/strength. This cold fermentation stage is where the magic really happens — the dough develops that complex, slightly tangy flavor you can't get any other way.
6. Remove from fridge, divide and ball. Proof covered 3–4 hours at room temp.
7. Stretch, top, and bake on a thoroughly preheated Baking Steel (see tips). It's a game changer.

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Pro Tips

• 💪 Don't skip the rest after balling — this is when the dough relaxes and becomes a dream to stretch. I tell everyone in my pizza classes: if you're fighting the dough, it needs more time.
• 📏 Use a digital scale. Precision = consistency. This recipe is dialed in to the gram — trust the numbers.
• 🧊 Sweet spot is 72–96 hours; beyond that structure can fade. I've pushed it and tested the limits so you don't have to.
• 📦 Store dough airtight in one of our dough containers — I designed them specifically for this. They keep the fridge clean and the dough protected.
• 🔥 Preheat your Baking Steel Original for at least 45 minutes at 500–550°F for that blistered, crisp bottom. Steel conducts heat far faster than stone — that's the whole insight that started this company.

• 24 hours at room temperature (first rise)
• 48 hours in the refrigerator (cold fermentation)
• 3-4 hours at room temperature after balling (final proof)

• 15 minutes active prep time
• 72 hours fermentation (mostly hands-off)
• 3-4 hours final proof
• Total: About 76 hours from mixing to baking, with only 15-20 minutes of actual work

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?

You can, but bread flour's higher protein gives better structure and chew. If using all-purpose, reduce water slightly (5–10 g) to avoid over-hydration. We specifically chose Central Milling Organic bread flour for this recipe — and for our upcoming dough packs — because the protein content and consistency are unmatched.

Do I need to use a Baking Steel?

No, but it's a major upgrade. A preheated Baking Steel delivers the intense bottom heat that makes this dough shine — steel transfers heat up to 20x faster than ceramic stone. I literally invented the Baking Steel because I couldn't get this kind of crust any other way. No Baking Steel? A pizza stone will work, or try the back side of a sheet tray.

Can I freeze this dough?

Yes — and I highly recommend it. After the 72-hour fermentation, divide and ball, oil lightly, and freeze airtight. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temp 3–4 hours before baking. I freeze batches all the time and the Baking Steel brings them right back to life. Full details: our complete freezing dough guide.

How do I know when it's ready?

It should feel soft and puffy, stretching easily without tearing. If it's tight or resistant, give it more room-temp time. After 12+ years of making this dough, I can tell by feel — and you will too after a few batches.