To make the levain mix, take a tall jar and combine the 1.8 ounces (50 grams) of sourdough starter with your 2 types of flour and warm water, using a digital scale for accurate measurements. Mix until fully blended.

Cover and leave to sit at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours, or until doubled in size. A nice trick is to put a rubber band around the jar where the line of the levain is when you first mix it, so you can check how much it’s growing and be sure that it's doubled.

Once the levain mix is ready, it’s time to make the final mix. In a large bowl, dissolve the salt in warm water. Stir it until it’s completely dissolved. Add the 7 ounces (200 grams) of levain mix, and stir until dissolved. 

Slowly add the two types of flour, mixing them together with your hands. The key is to blend the flour slowly so that the dough hydrates fully. Leave to rest on your kitchen countertop uncovered for 10 minutes before beginning the initial kneading. 

Once rested, dust your work surface with flour and knead the dough. If kneading by hand, use the palm of your hand and push the dough in a forward motion to the point that it’s almost tearing. Pull the dough back onto itself, rotate it, and push with your palm again. This will take 10 to 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can also knead the dough using a stand mixer. Mix the dough on a low speed for 10 minutes, then at medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. 

You can stop kneading the dough when it’s smooth and its shape bounces back after pressing into the dough with your fingers. This means the gluten structure has developed and the dough is giving some resistance. You should be able to squeeze and pull it without any tearing.

On your work surface, tighten up the dough by tucking the edge of your hand under the dough and pulling it towards you, moving your way around the edge of the dough to keep tucking the edges underneath. This helps smooth out the surface and ensures an even fermentation. Add a little olive oil to a large bowl or tub, spreading it around with your fingers to coat the container. Place the dough inside and cover with a cloth or lid, and leave to ferment at room temperature on your kitchen countertop for 3 hours. The dough has finished bulk fermenting when it has at least doubled in size, and lots of air bubbles appear under the surface.

Portion the dough into 3 or 4 equal pieces, depending on the size of your pizza. Shape each piece of dough into a ball using the same technique as tightening up the bulk dough. Place the dough piece on the countertop and pull it towards you from the edge furthest away from you, tucking the edge of your hand under the dough. Keep doing this around the edge of the dough and pulling it towards you, moving your way around the edge until it’s smooth and round.

Tip: Make more dough than you need? No problem. The best time to freeze your homemade pizza dough is right now, after the first rise (after it's doubled in size). After you divide it into equal dough balls, make sure you've put a light layer of olive oil into your containers to prevent sticking. Place the dough balls you don’t plan to use into separate containers with lids, and place them in the freezer. You can freeze your dough balls for up to 3 months.

Once shaped, dust a proving tray with flour or line a baking tray with parchment (baking) paper, and place the dough balls on the tray. Cover with a cloth or the tray’s lid and place inside the fridge to cold prove overnight for 24 hours.

Once the cold proof has finished, bring the pizza dough balls back up to room temperature by removing them from the fridge and leaving the tray on your kitchen countertop for around 2 hours. It’s important they’re at room temperature before you start stretching the pizza dough, or they will be too tight and impossible to stretch. 

Fire up your oven, and aim for 950 ˚F (500 ˚C) on the stone baking board inside, using your thermometer to check the temperature.

Using a small amount of flour, dust your pizza peel. Stretch the pizza dough ball out to 12 inches (30 centimeters) or 16 inches (41 centimeters) and lay it out on your pizza peel. Add your favorite toppings. If you’re not sure where to start, check out all our pizza recipes for a huge range of topping ideas!

Slide the pizza off the peel and into your oven and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, making sure to rotate the pizza every 20 seconds or so for an even bake.

Slice, serve and enjoy!