In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine all of the dough ingredients and knead until the dough comes together in a cohesive ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl (5-10 minutes). It should be somewhat smooth but still a little wet and tacky. If the dough doesn't come together, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until it does.
Cover the bowl and let the dough bulk ferment at room temperature for 3 hours. Perform a set of stretches and folds every 30 minutes (3 sets is plenty) and let the dough rest for the remainder of the 3 hours.
To stretch and fold the dough, you'll do one stretch north to south, and one east to west. Grab the top edge of the dough and stretch upwards as far as you can without the dough breaking. Then fold it over on the bottom. Repeat the same motion from side to side.
Shape the dough into a tight ball and place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and place in the fridge overnight (up to 48 hours).
In the morning: Remove the dough from the fridge and divide in half. Shape each half into a tight ball and place in a lightly oiled proofing container (I just use an enameled baking dish). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours or until doubled in size and puffy.
You can also put the proofed dough balls back in the fridge for another 24-48 hours and then shape/cook immediately after removing from the fridge.
Margherita Pizza
Preheat your oven and pizza stone to 500°F for at least 15 minutes.
Place one of your dough balls on a piece of parchment paper and gently press into a large circle with lightly oiled fingers. Start from the middle and press out to the sides. It should feel like you're pressing all the air to the edges of the dough. The dough will be very elastic at first but will relax as your keep pressing it. The dough will rise about double in the oven, so press it out to about half your desired thickness.
Lightly brush the dough with olive oil (especially the edges), then add the sauce and all your desired toppings.
Slide the pizza onto the preheated baking stone and then bake the pizza for 5-7 minutes. Then switch the oven to broil on high for 2-4 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
Top with fresh herbs and enjoy that perfectly crispy crust!
Notes
How to keep pizza crust from getting soggy:1. Use a super hot oven and preheated pizza stone! Preheat both your oven and pizza stone to 500°F. Switch between bake and broil to help get rid of excess liquid from the cheese. 2. Don't use too much sauce! Sauce that contains a lot of liquid can cause your pizza to be soggy. Just spread a thin amount over the crust. 3. Don't use too much cheese!! Make sure you drain excess water from the cheese and don't use too much or else the liquid won't be able to evaporate.