Takes: 24-48 hours total (slow cold ferment)

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500g bread flour

450g water (weight of water divided by weight of the flour, gives us our hydration 90%)

10g salt

5g active dry yeast

25g olive oil for dough, plus more for pan and topping

Flaky salt, herbs, garlic or whatever for topping

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1. Mix the Dough: In a big bowl, combine flour and yeast. Add water, and mix with a spoon until flour is worked in. Add salt and olive oil, and gently mix it in. (It'll be goopy; that's what we want.) Let it rest for 15 minutes.

2. Coil Folds: This adds strength to the dough without kneading. You'll do 4 sets of coil folds every 25 minutes - google it if you need to: With wet hands, lift the dough, let it stretch, and fold it under itself. Rotate and repeat on all sides. Cover with a damp towel between sets.

3. Cold Ferment (this gives us the jiggle): Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate the dough for 12-48 hours. It should rise a bit and will be full of bubbles. 24 hours is a good amount of time. You can cut corners here by skipping the cold ferment, but you will absolutely notice a difference in flavor and quality.

4. Pan Proof: Generously oil one 9"x13" pan or two 7½"x9" pans (don't skimp, at least 2-3 Tbsp). Gently pour the cold dough into the pan. Don't deflate it! Add a drizzle of oil on top. Let it proof at room temp for 2-4 hours, until it's puffy and bubbly. The warmer your kitchen, the more quickly the dough will proof.

5. Dimple + Top: Preheat oven to 450°F/230⁰C. With oiled fingers, dimple the dough. Top with flaky salt, rosemary, garlic, or whatever you're into. Drizzle more olive oil on top; this helps the surface to crisp.

6. Bake: Bake 20-25 minutes, until deeply golden and crisp. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing.

Note: I've experimented with 100% hydration dough, where the only change is 500g flour and upping to 500g water. It's a little more difficult to work, but it makes the dough extra jiggly. Once you master 90%, consider trying 100% to see which one you prefer.

Tags: baking, bread, dairy-free, egg-free, eggless, Italian, make-ahead, Mediterranean, nut-free, vegetarian, vegan

Bare Minimum - Substack (July 25, 2026)