Pizza dough schedule: when should I knead?

Start from dinner time

A Neapolitan pizza is not decided on the day. Between kneading and baking, my protocols take from just over 24 hours to just over 50 hours, alternating between room temperature and the fridge. The simplest approach is to start from the end: the time the pizzas go into the oven.

The schedule works backwards step by step. For each step it takes the middle of the duration range, and shows that range next to it. A step of 30 minutes to 1 hour therefore counts as 45 minutes.

The protocols available

Protocol	Bulk fermentation	Final proof	Total time
Traditional 24 h	30 min – 1 h at 20–24 °C	24 h in the fridge at 5–6 °C	about 25 to 27 h
Contemporary 48 h	30 min – 1 h at room temperature, then 24 h at 5–7 °C	30 min – 1 h at room temperature, then 24 h at 5–8 °C	about 50 to 52 h
Contemporary 24 h	3 to 5 h at 20–25 °C	30 min – 1 h at room temperature, then 24 h at 5–8 °C	about 28 to 32 h
Contemporary 36 h	2 to 4 h at 20–24 °C, then 8 to 10 h at 5–7 °C	30 min – 1 h at room temperature, then 24 h at 5–8 °C	about 35 to 41 h
Biga 50 %, room-temperature proof	biga 24 h at 5–7 °C, then 30 min – 1 h after the final mix	4 to 5 h at 22–24 °C	about 29 to 30 h
Biga 50 %, fridge proof	biga 24 h at 5–7 °C, then 30 min – 1 h after the final mix	up to 24 h in the fridge at 6–8 °C, stretched straight from the fridge	about 49 h

Room temperature here means roughly 20–24 °C (68–75 °F), and the fridge 5–8 °C (41–46 °F). The doses for these protocols are calculated with the dough calculator for direct dough and the biga calculator for indirect dough.

Why so many rests at room temperature

Temperature drives the dough: the higher it is, the faster it rises, and vice versa. In the fridge, above 4 °C (39 °F), fermentation and maturation carry on slowly; below that, they almost stop. The cold brings consistency and makes the timing easier to organise.

But a dough that goes into the cold too early may not get started. That is why every spell in the fridge is preceded by 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature, for bulk fermentation as for the final proof. These mechanisms are explained in temperature drives the dough.

The last step: taking the dough balls out

For a direct dough, a dough ball out of the fridge has to warm up before stretching: I aim for above 17–18 °C (63–64 °F). In my traditional protocol this usually takes 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the room and how far fermentation has gone. For the contemporary protocols, which are more hydrated, I allow at least 2 hours: the schedule therefore takes the dough balls out of the fridge 2 hours before stretching. If the room is warm, the dough ball can be a little cooler: it will warm up while you stretch it.

Biga is different. The dough balls can be stretched straight from the fridge. If the final proof happens at room temperature, I put them in the cold for the last 2 to 3 hours. The schedule takes this into account: baking follows the final proof directly.

Reading your schedule

Each line gives the start time of the step, the day, the planned duration and the target temperature. Balling has no duration of its own: it happens at the time shown, between two rests. The order of these steps and what each one does are explained in bulk fermentation, balling and final proof.

The schedule works in local “wall-clock” time: it ignores any clock change during the protocol.

Frequently asked questions

What time should I knead to eat pizza on Saturday at 8 pm?

With my contemporary 48-hour fridge protocol, start kneading on Thursday around 5 pm. With the traditional 24-hour protocol, on Friday around 5:45 pm. The schedule works out these times for any day and any hour.

Why a rest at room temperature before the fridge?

To get fermentation going. A dough put into the cold too soon may not start at all. That is why my protocols include 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature before every spell in the fridge.

Are the times strict?

No. Each step has a range, and the schedule takes the middle. Fridge steps are the most flexible: that is the whole point of the cold. Room-temperature steps depend on how warm the room is: the warmer it is, the shorter they get.

How long before baking should I take the dough balls out?

For a direct dough, I allow 30 minutes to 2 hours for a traditional dough and at least 2 hours for a contemporary one, depending on the room and how far fermentation has gone: the dough balls should be back above 17–18 °C (63–64 °F) before stretching. Biga dough balls can be stretched straight from the fridge.