New York Pizza Dough Balls

Unwrap the dough balls, sit them in a proofing tray or an airtight container, and defrost in the fridge for a few hours. The defrost setting on a microwave works if you are short on time. Then prove at room temperature for about four hours, until they flatten out and spread.

Up to 12 months from frozen. The exact date is printed on the pouch. It reseals too, so you can pull out one or two balls and put the rest straight back in the freezer.

Refreezing partially defrosted dough is fine if it has stayed cold (below 4°C/40°F) and has not started to rise or sit at room temperature for more than two hours. If it has fully defrosted and you aren't ready to bake right now, you can leave it in the refrigerator. It will safely keep there for up to 24 to 48 hours.

Yes, and it suits a domestic oven better than most styles. It bakes at a moderate temperature, so a standard oven with a
preheated pizza stone on the top shelf will do the job well. For the best results cook on maximum heat for around 10 minutes.

We ship this product out frozen to UK mainland addresses. Free over £45, £5.99 below. Saturday delivery is £7.99 and free over £100. Scottish Highlands is £9.99, again free over £100. We do not ship to Northern Ireland at the moment, as customs delays affect product quality. Full shipping information here.

A 12 to 14 inch base, the classic New York slice size. For something smaller and softer at 10 to 12 inches, our Neapolitan dough balls are 250g.

Because each New York ball is 280g, against 250g for our other doughs. A pack of 10 gives you the same total weight of dough for the same £23.99. Price per ball is higher simply because the ball is bigger.

The flour and the fat. New York dough uses Caputo 0 flour and extra virgin olive oil. That combination builds a stronger, more elastic dough, and it bakes into a crisp base. Our Neapolitan dough balls use 00 flour with no oil, cooked hotter and faster for a soft, puffy crust.

Olive oil is what gives a New York base its
texture. It softens the crumb, it helps the base crisp instead of charring, it makes the dough more forgiving to stretch, and it is why this style holds up stiff where a Neapolitan base will not.

Caputo 0 flour, a grade coarser than the 00 in our Neapolitan dough. Higher protein, so more gluten strength, and that is what carries a 14 inch base without tearing. Alongside it: water, extra virgin olive oil, fine sea salt and fresh yeast.

When using a pizza oven bake it lower and longer than a Neapolitan. A Neapolitan cooks in 60 seconds at 500°C. New York style wants moderate heat over several minutes, which gives the base time to dry out and crisp. Preheating a pizza stone properly matters more here than the oven temperature itself.

Almost always too little semolina, or the base sitting on the peel too long. Dust the peel with semolina rather than plain flour. Build the pizza quickly, then give the peel a shake before you launch. A perforated pizza peel helps here, since the holes let loose flour fall away instead of burning onto the stone.