July 30, 2026 · dough
The New England Crust Master Dough (48-Hour Cold Ferment)
One dough to rule the site — a 65% hydration, 48-to-72-hour cold-fermented dough that works for beach pizza, bar pizza, NY slices, and sheet pans alike.
- Prep
- 20m
- Cook
- 0m
- Total
- 48h 20m
- Rest / Ferment
- 48h
- Servings
- 2 dough balls (280 g each)
Every recipe on this site links back to this dough. Learn it once and you can make almost every pizza in New England — the beach squares, the bar pies, the Greek pans — by changing how you shape and bake it, not what’s in it.
The secret isn’t an ingredient. It’s time. Two days in the fridge turns five pantry staples into dough with real flavor.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Mix
Stir everything together until no dry flour remains. It will look shaggy — that's fine. Rest 20 minutes covered so the flour hydrates.
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Knead briefly
Knead 4–5 minutes until mostly smooth. The long ferment does the rest of the gluten work for you.
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Ball and chill
Divide into two 280 g balls, place in lightly oiled covered containers, and refrigerate 48–72 hours. Flavor peaks around 48; texture holds through 72.
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Temper before use
Pull the dough 1.5–2 hours before baking so it comes to room temperature. Cold dough fights back when you stretch it.
Gear we used
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Digital kitchen scale
Baker's percentages only work by weight. This is the one non-negotiable tool on the site.