72 hour pizza dough

Put a handful of flour into the cold water, then the yeast, and mix to activate it.

Mix the salt into the flour, then add the water a little at a time with the other hand; expect sticky hands for 10 to 15 minutes.

Transfer the sticky dough to the bench and work it without adding flour or water, pushing forward and back with the palms, picking it up and rotating between passes.

Cover with a damp cloth and rest at least half an hour, up to one hour.

Work the rested dough again; it is smooth and no longer sticky.

Oil the bowl with extra virgin olive oil, oil the dough and knead it in, then check that the dough bounces back.

Cover with a damp cloth and seal with plastic wrap on all sides so the dough does not dry.

Leave out of the fridge at least two to three hours to get the yeast going, then refrigerate overnight.

The next morning take the dough out, knead it again to reinforce it, cover with a damp cloth and seal, leave it to warm up, and put it back in the fridge before going out; repeat the following day.

On day three, at almost 72 hours, make the pizza balls four hours before you want to bake; earlier than four hours makes them hard to stretch without a rolling pin.

Portion into 270 gram balls, or 250 to 300 grams, closing the bottom so there are no gaps, and put six into an oiled pizza tray or a container that needs neither flour nor oil.

Prove four hours at room temperature; the balls can instead be held in the fridge for up to a week and taken out four hours before baking.

Put fine semolina at the side and on top, free the ball from the tray with a scraper, move it quickly onto the semolina and press it out; no rolling pin, pushing the gases to the edges and leaving the rim alone.

Keep the smooth side down and the rough side up, then top with tomato, basil, pecorino over the basil, mozzarella, and a generous drizzle of olive oil.

Bake at 350 degrees Celsius for about three minutes: 45 seconds first, then 30 seconds per side for three sides, then about five seconds a side to finish the leopard crust, and closer to the flame if it is still pale.