Ceres-Style New York Pizza is a home replica of the hyped Manhattan pizzeria, built on a tangy sourdough and flour blend dough with bright San Marzano sauce, mozzarella blend, and a dark, charred crust baked on a pizza steel. The standout is the combination of active sourdough starter with 00 flour, whole wheat, and bolted flour for complex flavor and structure.
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Make the starter (or skip to the poolish): Mix 50g flour + 50g water in a jar, starting with whole wheat. Mark the level, cover with something breathable, and leave on the counter for 48 hours. Discard half so you have about 50g, then feed with 50g flour + 50g water. Keep repeating every 24 hours for 5–7 days until it rises consistently and doubles in size.
Shortcut poolish option: Mix 50g flour + 50g water + a pinch of dry yeast, let sit overnight, and it's ready to use.
Feed the starter one last time about 4–5 hours before mixing dough. Wait until it has doubled and is bubbly and active.
Mix the dough: Into a mixing bowl, add 270g water and 50g starter and mix lightly to incorporate. Add 362g 00 flour, 40g whole wheat flour, and 40g bolted flour. Mix about 1 minute until it comes together shaggy. Cover and rest 15–20 minutes (autolyse).
After the rest, add 9.6g salt and 9.6g olive oil. Mix 7–8 minutes until dough is very smooth — slightly tacky but not gluey. If your oven doesn't get above 500°F, add 6–7g sugar to help with browning.
Bulk ferment the dough: Place dough in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and bulk ferment for 4–6 hours depending on room temperature. Look for substantial growth.
Portion dough into 390g balls for 14–15 inch pies (this recipe makes 2). Do a stretch-and-fold, pulling and tucking the dough into itself, then roll on the board to seal. Lightly grease containers, place dough balls inside, and refrigerate for 1–2 days. Pull them out 3–4 hours before bake time.
Make the sauce: Mill or blend San Marzano tomatoes until very fine and consistent. Add salt to taste, erring on the saltier side. That's the sauce.
Prep the cheese: Shred full-fat low moisture mozzarella. Dice fresh mozzarella into tiny cubes for creamy contrast pockets.
Stretch the dough: Dust surface with rice flour. Press air out toward the edges to form the outer crust, then pick it up and let gravity stretch it as it rotates on the backs of your hands. Check for thin spots and even out, then transfer to a wooden peel.
Build the pie: Ladle sauce onto the dough and spread out. Add a few cubes of fresh mozzarella spaced randomly, then an even layer of shredded low moisture mozzarella.
Bake on a pizza steel at max oven temp (550°F recommended). Do not open the door or touch it. Around 7 minutes, check the bottom. Once you have a good char, move it up one or two slots below the broiler to char the top and crust for 1–2 minutes.
Rest the pizza on a wire rack for 1–2 minutes to ensure a crispy undercarriage.
Finish with Parmigiano Reggiano and optional olive oil. Slice and serve as a large New York-style slice.
Leftover pizza stores wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat on a pizza steel at 375°F for 3–4 minutes to restore crust crispness.
pizza steel · wooden pizza peel · stand mixer or mixing bowl · wire rack
Yes. Mix 50g flour + 50g water + a pinch of dry yeast, let sit overnight, and use it in place of the 50g active sourdough starter. The result will be less tangy but still excellent.
The 00 flour provides extensibility and gluten structure, whole wheat adds flavor and slight tang, and bolted flour (or sifted whole wheat) contributes bite and texture. Together they mimic Ceres' complex crust.
After portioning and cold-fermenting, dough balls hold quality for 1–2 days refrigerated. Pull them out 3–4 hours before baking to allow final proof at room temperature.
Add 6–7g sugar to the dough to help browning. Bake at your oven's maximum temperature and expect the crust to be slightly less dark; extend bake time by 1–2 minutes if needed.
Full-fat low-moisture mozzarella alone will work but will lack creamy pockets. Fresh mozzarella alone will release too much liquid and make the crust soggy. The combination is key to texture.
