Gather the ingredients.

Add all of the ingredients to a medium bowl (a glass bowl is great because you will be able to observe bubbles from fermentation activity). Stir to thoroughly combine. The dough will look rough and shaggy and feel soft and sticky.

Cover bowl with a damp towel or plastic bag and rest for 20 minutes.

Then stretch and fold the dough, more or less as follows. Moisten your hand with a little water, scoop your hand underneath the dough and gently grasp one side of the lump. Lightly stretch the dough in your hand away from the main mass, then fold it over. Repeat this motion on different sides of the dough three or four more times.

Then flip the whole mass of dough such that the seams of your folds face down against the bottom of the bowl. You should notice that the shaggy dough becomes considerably more smooth, which is the goal.

Rest the dough for another 20 minutes, then stretch and fold again.

Cover once more and ferment for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature. Your dough will probably not rise significantly, but you should see bubbles forming on the surface and underneath (which you can observe if your dough is in a glass bowl). If you do not see bubbles, continue to ferment until you do.

Lightly flour a work surface. Invert the bowl above the floured area and wait for the dough to release itself from the bowl. Divide the dough in half. Using essentially the same technique as the stretch and fold earlier (minus the wet hands), shape the pieces into rounds.

Coat the inside of two round, one-pint storage containers (preferably with lids) with oil and place a dough ball seam-side down into each one. Cover with lids or plastic wrap.

Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before using. Dough kept in the refrigerator longer will continue to develop flavor and has a shelf life of a week or more.

To make pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a well-floured surface. Coat the dough lightly all over with flour as well. With your hands, gently flatten and stretch the dough into a thin circle about 12 inches in diameter.

Add sauce and toppings as desired and bake according to your preferred method. Serve immediately.

This recipe makes enough for 2 small pizza shells …… not sure about your home, but that’s never enough for my household so make sure to double this recipe