The Everything Dough: Versatile No-Knead Dough for Bread, Baguettes, Pizza, Bagels, and Pretzels

Ingredients

• 450 g Warm water (About 1 7/8 cups, 38-40°C (100-104°F))
• 7 g Instant yeast (1 standard packet)
• 20 g Sugar (About 1 1/2 tbsp)
• 20 g Olive oil (About 1 1/2 tbsp)
• 15 g Salt (About 2 1/2 tsp (use kosher or fine sea salt))
• 680 g All-purpose flour (About 5 1/2 cups, unbleached preferred)
• as needed Semolina flour (For dusting pizza peel and bread)
• 1/2 cup Pizza sauce (For pizza; use your favorite brand or homemade)
• 2 handfuls Mozzarella cheese, full-fat (For pizza; about 120g (4 oz) per pizza)
• as desired Pepperoni (optional) (For pizza; thick-sliced preferred)
• 50 g Molasses or honey (For bagel boiling water)
• as needed Sesame seeds (optional) (For bagel topping)
• 225 g Baking soda (For pretzel boiling water)
• as needed Flaky salt (For pretzel topping)

Instructions

1. Mix the Everything Dough

   In a 6-quart lidded container, combine 450g warm water (about 38-40°C), 7g instant yeast, 20g sugar, 20g olive oil, 15g salt, and 680g all-purpose flour. Stir with a sturdy spoon for about 15 seconds until most flour is hydrated. Wet your hand and finish mixing by squeezing and folding until no dry flour remains. The dough will be shaggy and lumpy.

   Time: PT5M

2. Initial Fermentation

   Cover the container and let the dough ferment at room temperature (about 25°C) for 25 minutes.

   Time: PT25M

   Temperature: 25°C

3. Cold Fermentation

   After 25 minutes, transfer the covered dough to the refrigerator and ferment overnight (12-24 hours).

   Time: PT0M

   Temperature: 4°C

4. Shape for Desired Use

   Remove dough from fridge. For bread: shape into a tight loaf. For baguettes: divide into 4, pre-shape, rest, then roll into tubes. For pizza: divide into 4 balls, rest. For bagels/pretzels: divide into 8, pre-shape, rest, then shape as desired.

   Time: PT10M

5. Final Proof

   Proof shaped dough in a warm place (oven with light on, about 27-30°C) until roughly doubled. For bread: 1 hour. For baguettes: 45-60 minutes. For pizza: 30-40 minutes. For bagels/pretzels: 10-15 minutes.

   Time: PT15M

   Temperature: 27-30°C

6. Bake (see variations)

   For bread: Bake in Dutch oven at 480°F (250°C) lid on for 20 minutes, then lid off for 25-35 minutes. For baguettes: Bake at 450°F (232°C) covered for 15 minutes, then uncovered for 15 minutes. For pizza: Bake at 550°F (288°C) for 6-10 minutes. For bagels: Boil in molasses water 15-20 sec per side, then bake at 425°F (218°C) for 20 minutes. For pretzels: Boil in baking soda water 15-20 sec per side, then bake at 425°F (218°C) for 18-22 minutes.

   Time: PT1H

7. Cool and Serve

   Transfer baked goods to a wire rack and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing or serving.

   Time: PT8M

8. Cleanup

   Wash all bowls, utensils, pans, and surfaces used. Soak any sticky dough residue before scrubbing. Wipe down counters and sweep up flour.

   Time: PT20M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

230

Protein

6g

Carbohydrates

44g

Fat

3g

Fiber

1.5g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Warm water: Filtered water
• Instead of Instant yeast: Active dry yeast (same amount, bloom in water first)
• Instead of Sugar: Honey, Maple syrup
• Instead of Olive oil: Vegetable oil, Canola oil
• Instead of Salt: Table salt (reduce to 2 tsp)
• Instead of All-purpose flour: Bread flour (for chewier texture)
• Instead of Semolina flour: Cornmeal
• Instead of Pizza sauce: Crushed tomatoes with salt and herbs
• Instead of Mozzarella cheese, full-fat: Low-moisture mozzarella
• Instead of Pepperoni (optional): Other pizza toppings
• Instead of Molasses or honey: Barley malt syrup, Brown sugar
• Instead of Sesame seeds (optional): Poppy seeds, Everything bagel seasoning
• Instead of Flaky salt: Kosher salt

Equipment Needed

• 6-quart high-sided lidded container
• Sturdy spoon
• Digital scale
• Clean hands
• Cutting board
• Bench scraper (optional)
• Proofing basket or 10-inch bowl with tea towel (optional)
• Dutch oven (optional)
• Oven
• Parchment paper
• Spray bottle (for water) (optional)
• Wire rack
• Serrated knife or scissors
• Sheet tray
• Pizza peel (optional)
• Pot (for boiling bagels/pretzels)
• Spider or slotted spoon
• Pastry brush (optional)
• Bagel boards (optional) (optional)

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Mixing dough until no dry flour remains.
• Allowing sufficient cold fermentation for flavor and gluten development.
• Proper shaping and tensioning for bread and baguettes.
• Boiling bagels and pretzels before baking.
• Using high oven heat for proper crust.

Chef Tips from the Video

• Longer cold fermentation (24-48 hours) yields best flavor and texture.
• Use a proofing box or oven with light on for consistent proofing.
• For extra crispy pizza, bake on a preheated pizza stone or steel.
• Bagels and pretzels are best eaten the day they're made.
• Experiment with toppings and fillings for endless variety.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Dough keeps up to 7 days. Baked bread, bagels, and pretzels keep 2-3 days in airtight container.

Freezer: Freeze baked goods up to 2 months, well wrapped. Thaw at room temp.

Room temperature: Baked bread and pizza keep 1 day, covered. Bagels and pretzels best same day.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Dough can be made up to 7 days in advance and stored in the fridge.
• Shape and refrigerate bagels/pretzels overnight for morning baking.
• Baked bread freezes well; slice before freezing for easy toast.