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1
Choose a large bowl that's about five times the volume of the ingredients. Mix the flour, yeast, and water in the bowl until well combined. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 12 hours, or until almost tripled in volume. Now, it's ready to use. (Keep the timing in mind. If you plan to bake bread in the morning, get the starter going early the night before.)
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2
When making bread daily, store the starter at room temperature and feed three times a day. If baking less frequently, store it in the refrigerator and feed every other week. To feed the starter, scoop out 2 cups (bake with it, give it away, or trash it) and replace it with 2 cups high-protein flour and 2 cups warm water (100 to 110u00b0F), stirring until blended. Most of the bread recipes in this book call for 1 to 2 cups of starter, so you can use that amount to bake with, then replace it with a 50-50 mix of flour and water.
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3
Put the flour, starter, and water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Crumble in the yeast.Using the dough hook, mix on low speed until everything is moist, about 4 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix until the dough clings to the dough hook, about 3 minutes more. Add the salt and mix until the dough is very soft and stretchy, another 3 minutes.
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4
Put the dough in an oiled bowl, turning to coat it with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot (90u00b0F) until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
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5
Cut the dough into 4 or 5 equal pieces and roll into balls (about the size of a small cantaloupe) on an unfloured board. Put the balls in an airtight container, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
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6
To roll out each ball of dough, remove the dough from the refrigerator about 1 hour before using. It will stretch more easily when it's warm. Flatten the ball on a floured work surface, then hold the disk in your hands in the air and circle your fingers around the edge, pinching gently around the edge to make a border. It's easier to start stretching pizza dough in the air instead of on a work surface, because in the air gravity will pull down the dough, stretching it from where it's held in your fingers. Once it's stretched to about 8 inches in diameter, put the dough on the counter and pat it out with your fingertips from the center toward the edge to fully stretch the round of dough. Gently push your palms into the center of the dough to gently stretch it away toward to the edges. Pat and stretch to a round about 12 inches in diameter and a little more than a 1/4 inch thick, with a thicker rim. Top and bake as you like.
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7
Remove all but the bottom rack in your oven and put a baking stone on the rack. Preheat the oven to 500u00b0F for at least 30 minutes. If you have convection, turn it on to help brown and blister the top of the pizza.
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8
Place the dough round on a well-floured rimless baking sheet. Arrange a few slices of mortadella over the dough. Scatter the Parmesan and mozzarella over the mortadella. Slide the pizza onto the hot stone and bake until the cheese melts and the crust is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
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9
Meanwhile, buzz the pistachios and oil in a food processor until the nuts are coarsely chopped, about a minute.
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10
Transfer the pizza to a cutting board and drizzle with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the pistachio mixture (save the rest for another use). Cut into wedges.
