⭐ Vito's Double Pizza Calculator

Vito's Double Specs

The technique solves a problem with classic single-stage Neapolitan: at 60-65% hydration and 24h cold, the dough is slightly underproofed at the centre when it goes into the oven. Vito's double bumps hydration to 65-72% and splits the rise. The first room-temperature stage kickstarts yeast activity. The cold stage develops flavour without over-proofing. The second room-temperature stage lets the balls reach a full, relaxed final rise.

The dough at 70% hydration is wetter than classic Neapolitan but not Detroit-wet. You knead it the same way: 10 minutes by hand or 6-8 in a stand mixer, then 2-3 stretch-and-folds over the first hour. Tipo 00 with a W-value of 280-320 handles the extra water and the longer total time without collapsing.

Why Three Stages

The theory comes from bread baking. A long cold ferment builds flavour (proteases slowly work, yeast metabolises slowly, bacteria add slight acidity). A short warm ferment right before the bake does the opposite — it rebuilds gas in the structure that the cold had settled. The combination gives you flavour AND lift, rather than trading one for the other.

Practically: you can't do this last-minute. Plan the bake 24-30 hours in advance. Mix the dough the day before at lunch, bulk it on the counter until late afternoon, refrigerate overnight and through the next morning, pull it out mid-afternoon, ball it, and bake in the evening.

Baking Is the Same as Neapolitan

Once the balls are ready, this is just a Neapolitan bake. 450-485°C in a wood or gas pizza oven for 60-90 seconds. In a home oven, use a pizza steel at 250-300°C and bake for 4-5 minutes. The extra hydration means the base needs slightly more heat transfer from below, so a steel beats a stone here. See the home oven vs pizza oven guide for the adjustment.

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