Cold Proof Pizza Dough

What is cold proofing pizza dough?

Cold proofing is just the same as regular proofing, except it’s done at a cold temperature (instead of room temperature). Because of the reduction in temperature, the proof will take longer, for the same amount of yeast.

This method has a couple of advantages, which I’ll try my best to explain in this article. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know.

Alternatively, If you’d like to skip ahead, feel free to use the page contents below. Also, you can return to the page contents at any time by pressing the green button at the top right of the screen.

Can I prove pizza dough in the fridge?

The most common way to do cold proofing is in the fridge. The dough still needs to be covered, as normal, to prevent the dough from drying out (and forming a thick skin).

As long as the temperatures aren’t freezing, the yeast can still work, it will just be slower. Dough can be frozen to preserve it for a bigger length of time but that’s typically not the goal of cold proofing. It’s simply used as a way to control the proof.

If you’re interested, click here to check out my article on freezing pizza dough.

What does cold proofing pizza dough do?

Probably the main benefit to cold proofing pizza dough is the predictability that it provides. The fridge remains at a consistent temperature so therefore, the temperature outside the fridge doesn’t affect the proofing of the dough. This can be particularly useful to people living in warm climates (not something I experience often, being from the UK).

Additionally, cold proofing can be an excellent option for leftover dough. The surplus dough can be knocked back (click here to check out my article on that), and proofed again overnight in the fridge. Because the prove happens more slowly, the dough shouldn’t overprove.

Is cold proofing pizza dough better?

Cold proofed dough isn’t necessarily better but it does tend to produce a more distinct (sour) flavour. I would recommend that you try room temperature proofing and cold proofing to see which you prefer.

With cold proof dough, the yeast works slower but the bacteria (which is not harmful) tends to reproduce relatively quicker. The resulting dough therefore tends to be more sour, more like sourdough. Some people prefer this flavour and others don’t.

Some people would argue that the increased levels of bacteria are beneficial healthwise. In my opinion, there isn’t enough evidence to support this and I don’t see pizza as a health food anyway. So my view on this comes at it more from a taste perspective.

Personally, I enjoy the increased sourness but I can see why some people might not. However, this also depends on how long you proof for. If you cold proof for 72 hours you should get more sourness than if you cold proof for 48 hours.

At the end of the day, I think it’s fun to experiment and figure out what you enjoy. Even if you prefer dough that’s proofed at room temperature, you can still use cold proofing for preserving leftovers (for the following day). To be honest, this is what I mostly use cold proving for.

How do you cold proof pizza dough?

Cold proofing is just as simple as regular proofing really. You just need to make sure you have enough space in the fridge for your dough.

The pizza dough still needs to be sealed, such as in an airtight container. This prevents the dough from drying out and forming a skin on the surface.

A pizza proofing box is ideal for all types of fermentation, including cold proofing in the fridge. Alternatively, you can place the dough in bowls and seal them with plastic wrap (cling film).

Should dough rise during cold proof?

Dough should rise during a cold proof just like dough during a room temperature proof. The main difference is that the rise will happen much slower.

However, the dough should start rising quicker again once it has been removed from the fridge. It’s important to allow for this, to avoid over-proofed dough.

Can pizza dough be cold?

One of the keys to making great pizza is ensuring that the dough is at room temperature before shaping. It should also be at room temperature before cooking.

When dough is at room tempeature it is much softer and easier to shape. This should help you to achieve a pizza that is thin in the middle but light and airy in the crust.

For deatailed instructions (with a video), click here to check out my article on pizza shaping. Skilled shaping can transform good pizza to great pizza!

Additionally, pizza dough that enters the oven at room temperature tends to cook better than cold pizza dough. When the dough is too cold it can lead to excessive “leapording”. This is where the crust itself doesn’t brown properly, but there are many spots of dark crust that are overcooked.

There seems to be a trend online with trying to create pizzas with more “leoparding”. However, in traditional Neapolitan making, this is known as “measles” pizza (not “leoparding”) – and it’s generally considered a defect. A small amount is fine, especially if the crust itself has browned nicely.

Personally, I would just ensure that your pizza dough is at room temperature before cooking. This should ensure that you don’t get too much “leoparding” – leading to “measles” pizza.

How long to let cold pizza dough rise?

Typically, cold proof pizza dough is left to rise for at least 24 hours. However, 48 hours is probably more common. This should ensure a nice texture to the dough with an increased sour flavour.

In fact, it’s not unusual for cold pizza dough to be left to prove for 48 to 72 hours. This length of time tends to produce a more sour flavour profile – more like sourdough.

Also, with a very long prove, the proof of the dough is arguably more reliable. This is because it remains in a temperature controlled environment (such as a fridge) for as long as possible.

However, as with room temperature dough, extending a prove beyond 48 to 72 hours presents a risk. The dough may lose strength, making the pizza more difficult to shape. If the dough cannot be shaped properly the desired texture in the pizza cannot be achieved (thin in the middle with a light and airy crust).

Therefore, I would recommend a cold proof of up to 48 hours. If you want to experiment with longer proofs I suggest getting some pizza flour that is intended specifically for long proofs. This should be a stronger flour which will allow the dough’s strength to hold up for longer.

I have used Caputo Pizzeria flour for proves of around 72 hours with great results. Being a professional pizza flour, it’s made to withstand long proves.

Can you cold proof any dough?

You can in fact cold proof any dough, not just pizza dough. I tend to think of cold proofing as another tool in my arsenal. There’s times when I just know it will produce a better dough, or make my life easier.

For example, I’ll often knock back leftover dough. This technique effectively resets the dough and allows it to prove again. Instead of going to waste, your dough can be used again. Click here to check out my article on knocking back dough.

However, after knocking back, dough usually proves quite quickly. To ensure the dough is good to use the next day (not overproofed) I’ll usually refrigerate it. This cold proofs the dough, meaning it’ll be proofed in around another 24 hours instead of just another 4 or 5 hours.

In fact, you could cold proof leftover pizza dough and then use it to make focaccia or ciabatta. Or, you could make some purpose-made ciabatta dough (which typically has a higher hydration than pizza dough) and cold proof this. You may find you develop more flavour in your ciabatta using this technique.

How much yeast do I need for cold fermentation pizza?

In general, you would need a lot more yeast for cold fermented dough to achieve a similar proof time. This is to counter how slower the dough proofs at colder temperatures. Alternatively, you can give the dough more time.

Imagine an experiment where we proofed one batch of dough in the fridge and another batch of dough at room temperature, for 24 hours. To achieve a properly proofed dough, we would probably need around 8 to 10 times as much yeast for the cold proofed dough. That’s right, eight to ten times as much!

For example, let’s say the 24 hour room temperature proof required just 0.3g of yeast, the 24 hour cold proof would probably require around 3g of yeast.

However, don’t forget that the cold proofed dough would need to be removed from the fridge before shaping. For pizza, cold proofed dough should be allowed to get back to room temperature before shaping and cooking the pizza. In fact, I would recommend allowing the dough to get to room temperature before balling.

Therefore, a “cold proofed” dough may actually spend just as much time out of the fridge as in it, depending on the length of prove. And since dough proves much quicker out of the fridge, the amount of yeast required reduces drastically.

In this case, you may only need about twice as much yeast in your dough.

For example, let’s say you’re doing a 24 hour fermentation which consists of 12 hours in the fridge and 12 hours at room temperature. In this case, you probably only need around 0.6g of yeast (double) as opposed to the 0.3g for a “normal” room temperature prove.

To be truthful, there isn’t an exact science to this. A lot of it comes from experience and finding out what works for you and your preferred routine.

Having said that, I’ll show you what works for me, and it doesn’t require any maths or anything.

48 hour cold proof pizza dough

Cold proofing pizza dough for 48 hours is very common. It produces an excellent dough with almost any flour and it’s very simple to do. This is where I would recommend to start experimenting with cold proofing.

In fact, this is the way I cold proof my dough most of the time. There’s a few reasons for this, let me explain…

1. It’s easy

Firstly, I find that I can just make my regular 24 hour recipe but leave the dough in the fridge for an extra day and it will work out just fine. I find that any of my 24 hour recipes work great for this.

If you wanted, you could use poolish dough, or even sourdough.

2. I can use up any leftovers

The other main reason I like this recipe is that I can refrigerate any leftovers for a 72 hour cold proof dough the following day. Bear in mind that I recommend using a high quality pizza flour such as Caputo Pizzeria to ensure enough strength for cold proofing.

Personally, I find that once you start going over 72 hours, the dough starts rapidly dropping off in terms of quality. This is true even if you’re using a high quality pizza flour such as Caputo.

For example, if I made 72 hour cold proof dough, any leftovers would be approaching 100 hours old. They would have probably lost most of their strength and be particularly sour. I really dislike waste so this isn’t ideal.

3. It’s more flexible

If I aim for a 48 hour proof but I don’t end up making pizza for some reason (rain springs to mind – I live in England), it’s not an issue. I can simply knock back the dough if it’s overproofing (although it’ll probably be OK) and leave it in the fridge until the next day.

This way, I’ll have some nice 72 hour dough to work with on the following day (when hopefully the sun is out).

The flavour

Finally, I find that 48 hour cold proof dough strikes a nice balance on the flavour front. It produces a bit of extra sourness without going too far.

After all, some people aren’t keen on the extra sourness.

Cold proof vs warm proof pizza

In my view, I’d say the differences between cold and warm proof pizza are fairly small. I think the prefered method should come down to personal choice.

For me, the biggest benefit to cold proofing is that it offers a more consistent proofing environment. This could be the selling point, especially if you live in a warm climate (and not the UK, like me!).

I’d say the other main difference is the flavour of the dough but this comes down to personal preference anyway.

Another point is that many people believe that warm proofed dough offers a more “open” crumb. This would make sense since yeast ferments optimally at a warmer temperature.

However, I think any differences are pretty minimal. Also, you may not want pizza with a large airy crust anyway.

As mentioned previously, one way in which I always do cold proofing is for leftovers. I hate wasting dough and cold proofing immediately solves that issue. That’s a clear win for cold proofing!

For me, the main downside to cold proofing is the space it takes up in the fridge! As long as you’re not making loads of pizzas though it’s not a big issue, unless you have a small fridge I guess.

At the end of the day, I’d say that both cold and warm proof pizza has it’s place.

Cold proof Neapolitan pizza dough

Cold proofing is not really traditional for Neapolitan pizza. However, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t make great Neapolitan style dough. In my opinion, it’s an excellent option.

The traditional method in Naples is to proof the dough at room temperature, usually for around 24 hours. For example, like my Authentic Neapolitan Recipe here.

However, as the weather changes throughout the season, the amount of yeast used also has to change. With experience, this can be done. You could also use my Pizza Dough Calculator here.

Cold proofing takes some of the guess work out of the equation. As long as you allow the dough to get to room temperature before the final proof, you should end up with similar pizza to warm proofing.

The recipe on this page is for Neapolitan style pizza but you can always adjust the hydration to make New York style pizza, for example. Any dough can be made using the cold proofing method, the technique remains the same.

With that being said, let’s get into the recipe.