Ken Forkish’s “I Slept in But I Want Pizza Tonight” Dough

When it comes to bread, baked goods and pizza, Hawaii-based New York Times bestseller and chef Ken Forkish knows how to get stellar results that appeal to both home cooks and experts alike. That’s because he’s had many years of experience in and out of the kitchen, not to mention accolades galore: Author of “Evolutions in Bread,” “The Elements of Pizza” and “Flour Water Salt Yeast,” which won both a James Beard and IACP award, Ken’s also the founder of Ken’s Artisan Bakery and Ken’s Artisan Pizza. In 2022, his pizzeria was named one of the best in the country by 50 Top Pizza, and in 2024, his newest book, “Let’s Make Bread!” paired with comics artist Sarah Becan’s vibrant illustrations, will be published. 

Suffice it to say, we trust him when it comes to high-quality pizza, and this “I Slept in But I Want Pizza Tonight” Dough recipe is no exception. All you need is a few ingredients and, as Ken states in “Flour Water Salt Yeast,” “the resulting flavours will be delicate, sweet wheat, and ideal for combining with high-quality tomatoes and toppings.” 

And the best part? There’s no need to plan days in advance  – if you wake up in the morning and want pizza for dinner, you’re golden. Once you’ve mastered the same-day dough, the sky’s the limit, including Ken’s own pizza dough made from “extra” levain starter.

Difficulty

Servings

Makes three 277-gram dough balls for roughly three 12-inch (30-centimetre) pizzas

Prep Time

6 to 8 hours

Cook Time

n/a

By Ken Forkish

dough balls on a wooden counter top

Note

We’ve slightly modified this recipe from Ken’s original to get a hydration of 64 % rather than 70 %. For the other ingredients, the percentages are as follows: fine sea salt (2 %), instant dried yeast (0.1 %) and strong white flour (100 %). While you don’t have to follow his schedule to a T (just be sure to set aside 6 to 8 hours for prep and proofing), Ken suggests the following: Mix the dough at 11:30 a.m., shape it into dough balls at 1 p.m. and make pizza that evening anytime between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Refrigerate if you need the dough balls to hold a bit longer (they will keep up to 2 days), then let them come to room temperature before making pizza for about 1 hour. 

1. Combine the ingredients: Pour the 320 grams of roughly 38 °C water into a large bowl or dough tub.

Add the fine sea salt to the water and stir or swish it around in the bowl until it dissolves. Add the yeast and let it rest for a minute to hydrate, then swish it around until it’s dissolved. Add the flour.

2. Mix the dough: Stir your hand around inside the bowl or dough tub to integrate the water, salt, yeast and flour until it becomes a single mass of dough.

Use the pincer method to cut the dough in sections with your hand, alternating with folding to develop it into a unified mass. 

Tip: For the pincer method, make a claw-like shape with one hand, then pinch and squeeze five or six times across the entire length of the dough mass. 

Continue this process for 30 seconds to 1 minute. The target dough temperature when finished mixing is 28 °C; if you have a probe thermometer, feel free to check it now.



3. Knead and first rise: Let the dough rest for 20 minutes, then knead it on a lightly floured work surface for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

The skin of the dough should be very smooth. Place the dough ball seam side down in a lightly oiled dough tub or box. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Leave the dough for about 1 ½ hours at room temperature for the first rise. Note: This may take a bit longer if your room is cold.

4. Shape: After the first rise, moderately flour a work surface about 0.

5 m wide. With floured hands, gently ease the dough out of the tub and place it onto the work surface in a somewhat even shape. Dust the entire top of the dough with flour, then divide it into three 277-gram dough balls, using a pizza dough scraper and digital scales for accuracy. Shape each ball into a medium-tight round, working gently and being careful not to tear the dough.

5. Second fermentation: Place the dough balls onto a lightly floured baking sheet or dough box, leaving space between them to allow for expansion.

Lightly flour the tops, cover them with plastic wrap, a dish towel, or box lid and let rest at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours or until doubled in size.

6. Make pizza: After the second fermentation, it’s time to make pizza.

Refrigerate the dough balls if you’re not ready to cook yet (just remember to let them come to room temperature before making pizza). Otherwise, cook, have fun, and if you don’t know where to start, we’ve got tons of recipes for you to try!

Reprinted with permission from The Elements of Pizza by Ken Forkish, copyright © 2016. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Ken Forkish

Ken Forkish is the founder of Ken’s Artisan Bakery and Ken’s Artisan Pizza. He trained at the San Francisco Baking Institute, the CIA Greystone, Toscana Saporita in Italy and l'Institut Paul Bocuse in France. He is the best-selling author of “The Elements of Pizza” and “Flour Water Salt Yeast,” which won both James Beard and IACP awards. 
  • 320 grams water 
  • 10 grams fine sea salt 
  • 0.5 gram instant dried yeast or 0.5 gram active dried yeast 
  • 500 grams strong white flour, preferably “00,” plus more for dusting 
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for lining the dough tub or box

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