Cold-Fermented NY Mushroom Ricotta Pizzas

Steps

1. Day 1, make the dough: in a large bowl whisk the bread flour, instant yeast and sugar. Add the water and stir into a shaggy dough; cover and rest 20 minutes.
2. Add 11 g of the salt and 15 g of the olive oil, then knead 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. This is about 63% hydration and 2% salt.
3. Let the dough rest covered at about 75°F (24°C) for 1 hour. Divide into 2 equal balls, coat 2 lidded containers with 5 g of the olive oil, add the balls and refrigerate about 24 hours for a cold ferment.
4. Day 2, take the dough out 2½ hours before baking and let it warm at about 75°F (24°C) until soft, puffy and springing back slowly when poked.
5. Meanwhile, place a pizza stone or steel on the upper-middle rack and preheat the oven to 550°F (290°C) for 45–60 minutes.
6. Make the herb sauce: crush or blend the canned tomatoes with the tomato paste, half the garlic, the oregano, half the basil (torn) and the remaining 2 g salt. Leave it uncooked.
7. Heat a skillet over medium-high with 10 g of the olive oil; add the mushrooms, the remaining garlic and the thyme and cook 6–8 minutes until browned and dry, then cool.
8. Stir the ricotta with the lemon zest and black pepper in a small bowl.
9. Dust a peel with half the semolina. Stretch one dough ball by hand into a thin 14-inch round with a slightly thicker rim and lay it on the peel.
10. Spread half the sauce over the dough, scatter half the mozzarella and half the mushrooms, then add half the ricotta mixture in small spoonfuls.
11. Slide onto the stone and bake 7–9 minutes until the crust is deep golden and blistered and the cheese bubbles.
12. Repeat with the second dough ball, the remaining semolina, sauce, mozzarella, mushrooms and ricotta mixture.
13. Finish each pizza with half the parmesan, half the red pepper flakes, half the remaining basil leaves (torn) and half the last 5 g of olive oil drizzled over. Cool on a rack 3 minutes, then cut each into 6 slices.