In the context of pizza dough easy does not mean simple. At 85% hydration there is nothing casual or forgiving about the process. Easy means controlled. It means that the dough behaves in a predictable way if the underlying variables are respected. High hydration pizza dough fails most often not because the pizzaiolo lacks skill but because the recipe promises simplicity where structure is required. This article uses the word easy to remove unnecessary fear not to suggest shortcuts. The goal is not to make 85% hydration effortless but to make it understandable and repeatable.

What this dough is designed to deliver

An easy 85% hydration pizza dough must deliver three things at the same time: manageable handling structural integrity and reliable baking performance. Handling means the dough can be moved shaped and opened without collapsing under its own weight. Structure means the gluten network can hold gas without tearing even at extreme water levels. Baking performance means the dough sets fast enough in the oven to prevent spreading while still producing an open light crumb. If any one of these fails the hydration number becomes meaningless. This article focuses on how these outcomes are achieved not on chasing visual volume or social media aesthetics.

Who this article is written for

This is written for pizzaiolos who already understand basic dough making and want to explore high hydration with intention. It is not written for viral hacks no-knead miracles or fast content recipes. If you are looking for a shortcut this article will feel slow. If you are looking for a reference you can return to over years it will feel precise. The focus is on principles that remain valid regardless of flour trends oven technology or platform algorithms. High hydration dough is not a trend. It is a stress test for understanding dough. This article exists to make that test readable rather than intimidating. This article explains one specific high hydration setup. The broader principles behind dough structure fermentation control and hydration systems are documented in the pizza books for those who want the full framework.

The 85% Hydration

II. The 85% hydration base recipe with preferments

This base recipe uses two preferments to make extreme hydration manageable instead of fragile. At 85% hydration direct dough methods collapse quickly because water overwhelms early gluten formation. By splitting fermentation into a biga for structure and a poolish for extensibility and enzymatic activity the dough gains strength before full hydration is introduced.

This is not a shortcut. It is a control strategy.

Preferment 1: the biga (structural backbone)

The biga exists to build gluten strength in a low-hydration environment before the dough is exposed to excess water.

Biga formula (baker’s % relative to total flour):
Flour: 50%
Water: 45–48%
Yeast: 0.1–0.2%

Example with 1000 g total flour:
Flour 500 g
Water 225–240 g
Yeast 0.5–1 g

Mix just until the flour is hydrated and the mass is rough and dry. Do not knead to smoothness. Let the biga rest 2 hours at room temperature to initiate fermentation then place it in the refrigerator for 20–22 hours. During this time structure develops without excessive enzymatic breakdown.

Preferment 2: the poolish (hydration carrier)

The poolish exists to carry water flavor and enzymatic activity into the final dough without shocking the gluten network.

Poolish formula (baker’s % relative to total flour):
Flour: 50%
Water: 100%
Yeast: 0.05–0.1%

Example with 1000 g total flour:
Flour 500 g
Water 500 g
Yeast 0.25–0.5 g

Mix until smooth and homogeneous. Cover and ferment in the refrigerator for 20 hours. The cold environment slows activity while allowing full hydration and enzymatic development.

Final Dough (control phase)

Additional Water added during mixing:

Water: 110–125 g
Salt: 25–30 g

Final dough assembly

After fermentation combine the cold biga and cold poolish. Tear the biga into pieces and add it to the poolish. Begin mixing gently until the biga breaks down and the dough becomes cohesive. Only after partial gluten integration add water and salt at 2.5–3.0% of total flour. Continue mixing until the dough is unified elastic and extensible. Optional olive oil up to 1% may be added at the end if handling requires it. Let the dough rest 15 minutes at roomtemperature and fold it once. After that make the dough balls and place it in the refrigerator for 20–22 hours. After that the dough needs 2-4 hours at roomteperature.

This method achieves 85% final hydration not by forcing water into weak dough but by introducing it through a controlled fermented medium. There are no fixed mixing times and no fixed bulk durations. The recipe is intentionally built around sequence and structure rather than numbers. What makes this dough work is not the hydration value but the order in which hydration is allowed to happen. Yeast choice becomes more critical as hydration increases. The practical differences between fresh yeast and instant yeast and how they behave under long cold fermentation are explained in detail here.

Step by Step

III. Step-by-step process: how this dough is built

This dough is built in layers not steps. Each stage prepares the next one and removes stress from the system before it can accumulate. At 85% hydration the order of operations matters more than timing. The goal of this process is not speed or convenience but structural readiness. The sequence biga → poolish → final dough exists to introduce water gradually while protecting gluten from early collapse.

Stage one: building structure with the biga

The process begins with the biga because structure must exist before extensibility is introduced. The biga is mixed at low hydration just until the flour is hydrated and uneven. There is no intention to create smoothness. At this point gluten strands begin forming in an environment where water is limited which forces alignment and strength. After mixing the biga rests at room temperature long enough to activate yeast and enzymes without accelerating breakdown. The subsequent cold fermentation allows structure to mature slowly while keeping enzymatic activity in check. By the time the biga is fully fermented it contains strength resilience and tension that cannot be created once excess water is present.

Stage two: preparing hydration with the poolish

The poolish exists to carry water into the system without shocking the gluten network. It is mixed separately at full hydration and fermented cold to prevent runaway activity. In this stage water becomes fully absorbed and enzymatic processes soften the flour without the mechanical stress of mixing. The poolish develops extensibility aroma and fluidity. It does not need strength because that role has already been assigned to the biga. When fermented correctly the poolish behaves like a hydrated medium rather than a loose dough. This distinction is critical because it allows water to enter the final dough in a controlled form.

Stage three: combining without collapse

The final dough is assembled by combining the cold biga and the cold poolish. The biga is torn into pieces and introduced into the poolish first. Mixing begins gently to allow the hydrated poolish to soften and dissolve the biga without tearing its internal structure. This phase is not about speed. It is about integration. As the biga breaks down the dough becomes cohesive while retaining strength from the preformed gluten network. Only once this balance is visible is water and salt added. Salt tightens the structure and stabilizes fermentation which prevents further breakdown during mixing. Optional oil may be added at the end if handling requires it but it should never replace structural control.

Why this order works at 85% hydration

This sequence works because water is never introduced to unprepared gluten. The biga creates strength before dilution. The poolish prepares hydration without mechanical stress. The final dough brings both together under controlled conditions. If this order is reversed the dough fails for predictable reasons. Adding high hydration early overwhelms gluten before it can organize. Fermenting everything together accelerates enzymatic breakdown. Mixing aggressively tears structure that cannot be rebuilt. This process avoids those failure points by design. It is not a trick. It is a mechanical solution to a mechanical problem.

Dough Physics

IV. Dough physics at extreme hydration

At 85% hydration dough stops behaving like a conventional elastic mass and starts behaving like a hydrated structure under load. Understanding why this system works requires separating water behavior gluten mechanics and enzymatic activity instead of treating hydration as a single variable. The biga and poolish architecture exists to manage these forces independently before they are allowed to interact.

Water binding and free water at 85% hydration

Not all water in dough behaves the same way. At moderate hydration most water is bound within starch and protein matrices. At extreme hydration a significant portion remains free water. Free water increases mobility reduces friction and accelerates biochemical reactions. This is why highly hydrated dough feels fluid and unstable when structure is not prepared in advance. The poolish addresses this problem by binding water early without mechanical stress. During cold fermentation water penetrates starch granules and proteins gradually which reduces the amount of free water later introduced into the final dough. When the poolish is added to the biga hydration enters the system already partially stabilized rather than flooding dry gluten all at once.

Gluten behavior beyond elasticity

Gluten at high hydration is not primarily an elastic network. It becomes a load-bearing lattice. Elasticity alone is insufficient because the dough must resist gravity and internal gas pressure at the same time. The biga creates this lattice under low hydration where gluten strands are forced to align and crosslink efficiently. Once formed this network does not disappear when water is added. It stretches and adapts. This is why strength must be built before hydration increases. Attempting to build gluten after water saturation leads to tearing rather than alignment. The system works because extensibility from the poolish is layered onto a pre-existing structural framework rather than replacing it.

Why the system remains stable

At 85% hydration instability usually comes from rate mismatch. Gas production outpaces structural setting. Enzymatic softening outpaces gluten reinforcement. Mechanical stress exceeds tensile strength. The biga and poolish system synchronizes these rates. Cold fermentation slows enzymatic activity while allowing hydration to progress. Separate preferments isolate functions so no single process dominates too early. When combined the dough reaches a state where structure extensibility and fermentation are aligned rather than competing. This alignment is what allows the dough to be handled opened and baked without collapse.

Extreme hydration dough does not fail because it contains too much water. It fails because water is introduced faster than the structure can adapt. This system solves that problem by changing the order of physical events. Water binding comes before dilution. Structure comes before extensibility. Control comes before volume. Once these relationships are understood 85% hydration stops being a stunt and becomes a predictable mechanical outcome.

Flour Vehaviour

V. Flour behavior and absorption limits

At extreme hydration flour stops being a background ingredient and becomes the primary limiting factor. This is why talking about brands misses the point. Flour behavior is defined by structure milling and starch damage not by logos. The biga and poolish system does not hide weak flour. It exposes it. That is its strength.

Why flour is not a brand decision

Flour performance at 85% hydration depends on how it absorbs water and how it releases it over time. Protein percentage alone does not predict this behavior. Two flours with the same protein number can behave completely differently once hydration rises because protein quality starch integrity and milling method vary. Fine milling increases surface area and accelerates hydration. Damaged starch absorbs more water early and releases it later. Ash content influences enzyme activity and buffering capacity. None of these factors are visible on a label. This is why brand recommendations age poorly while principles remain valid.

Absorption limits are structural not numerical

Every flour has an absorption ceiling beyond which structure cannot support additional water. This ceiling is not a fixed number. It depends on how hydration is introduced and when structure is asked to carry load. In a direct dough this limit is reached quickly because water dilutes gluten before alignment occurs. In the biga and poolish system the apparent limit shifts upward because structure is created under low hydration first. The biga builds a lattice that can later tolerate dilution. The poolish binds water without mechanical stress. Together they allow more water to enter the system before collapse occurs. This does not mean any flour can reach 85%. It means the system reveals where the real limit is.

How the system tests flour honestly

This architecture acts as a diagnostic tool. If the biga fails to hold shape after cold fermentation the flour lacks structural resilience. If the poolish liquefies excessively the flour releases water too quickly under enzymatic action. If the final dough tears during integration the absorption limit has been exceeded. These signals are not failures. They are information. Because the process separates structure from hydration it becomes clear which property is failing. This clarity is impossible in single-stage doughs where all variables collapse at once.

A flour that performs well in this system is not strong because it looks dry or tight. It is strong because it adapts. It absorbs water gradually. It retains cohesion under load. It releases extensibility without losing integrity. These traits are mechanical and biochemical. They are not trends. They have not changed in decades and they will not change in the future.

Extreme hydration does not reward fashionable flour choices. It rewards flours that respect physics. This is why the biga and poolish method remains relevant regardless of market cycles. It does not chase hydration numbers. It measures flour behavior under stress and builds dough accordingly. Flour performance becomes the limiting factor at extreme hydration.
A detailed breakdown of what defines the best flour for Neapolitan pizza and why strength is not just a protein number can be found here.

Fermentation Dynamics

VI. Fermentation dynamics with two preferments

At 85% hydration fermentation is no longer a background process. It becomes the dominant force shaping dough behavior. Using two preferments is not about complexity. It is about separating biological functions so they do not interfere with each other too early. The biga and the poolish ferment for different reasons and at different speeds. Understanding this separation is the key to keeping extreme hydration under control.

Biga and poolish serve opposite fermentation roles

The biga exists to build structure under restrained biological activity. Its low hydration limits enzyme mobility and slows yeast metabolism. Fermentation in the biga is primarily structural. Gluten alignment and reinforcement happen while gas production remains modest. This creates a matrix that can later carry load. The poolish does the opposite. Its high hydration accelerates enzymatic activity and softens the flour. Here fermentation is biochemical rather than structural. Starches break down proteins relax and flavor precursors develop. Gas production is secondary. The poolish is not meant to hold shape. It is meant to prepare extensibility.

When these two preferments are fermented separately each can reach its functional peak without destabilizing the other. The biga becomes strong without drying out. The poolish becomes fluid without collapsing structure because structure is not its job. This division of labor is what makes 85% hydration achievable without pushing any single process beyond its limit.

Enzymes accelerate at high hydration

Enzymatic activity increases dramatically as water availability rises. At extreme hydration amylase and protease reactions accelerate which can quickly undermine gluten if left unchecked. This is why single-stage high hydration doughs often feel overripe long before they are usable. In this system enzymes are allowed to work where they are beneficial and restricted where they are dangerous. The poolish encourages enzymatic softening in isolation. The biga protects gluten from premature degradation. When combined the enzymatic load is already partially spent which reduces the risk of runaway breakdown in the final dough.

Why cold fermentation is mandatory

Cold is not optional in this architecture. It is the only way to slow biological reactions without stopping hydration. Refrigeration reduces yeast metabolism and enzyme speed while allowing water to continue migrating into starch and protein structures. This decoupling is critical. At room temperature hydration and fermentation accelerate together which removes the control window. Cold fermentation stretches time and creates predictability. It ensures that when the biga and poolish are combined structure hydration and fermentation are aligned rather than competing.

At extreme hydration failure rarely comes from too much fermentation. It comes from fermentation happening at the wrong time. Two preferments and cold control solve that problem by staging biological activity instead of letting it run freely. This is why the system remains stable even as hydration approaches its upper limits. This method relies on staged fermentation rather than timing alone. A deeper explanation of the fermentation process and how it evolves over time is available here.

Temperature

VII. Temperature as the invisible control layer

Temperature is the most powerful variable in this system and the one that is most often ignored. At 85% hydration temperature does not just influence fermentation speed. It determines whether the system stays coherent at all. Every biological and mechanical process in dough responds to temperature but not at the same rate. This imbalance is why temperature must be treated as a control layer rather than a background condition.

Why temperature governs everything

Hydration increases mobility. Increased mobility amplifies the effect of temperature. Yeast activity enzyme speed and gluten relaxation all accelerate as temperature rises but they do so unevenly. Enzymes often outpace structure formation. Gas production can exceed gas retention. At extreme hydration small temperature shifts can push the dough from stable to unmanageable without any visible warning. This is why recipes that rely on fixed times fail. Time only works when temperature is constant and at high hydration it rarely is.

Temperature management without numbers

This system avoids fixed temperature targets on purpose. Absolute numbers change with flour fermentation length and environment. What matters is relative control. Cold fermentation is used to slow biological reactions while hydration continues. Mixing is done with cold components to prevent early acceleration. Resting phases are observed through dough behavior rather than clocks. The dough should gain extensibility before it gains gas. It should resist stretch before it relaxes. These signals are more reliable than any thermometer reading.

How temperature preserves structure

The biga and poolish architecture depends on temperature separation. The biga needs restraint so structure can mature without enzymatic damage. The poolish needs hydration without runaway activity. Cold creates this separation. When both preferments are combined their temperatures define the initial pace of the final dough. If this pace is too fast structure cannot adapt. If it is controlled the dough remains cohesive even at extreme hydration.

Temperature does not announce itself when it causes failure. Dough simply becomes sticky fragile and unresponsive. By the time this happens the damage is already done. Treating temperature as an invisible control layer prevents this scenario. It allows hydration fermentation and structure to progress in sequence rather than in conflict. This is why temperature awareness remains relevant regardless of trends techniques or equipment. It is not a variable that expires. It is the framework that keeps everything else aligned.

Handling Stress

VIII. Handling, stress and real-world failure points

At 85% hydration most failures do not happen during fermentation or mixing. They happen on the table. Handling exposes the true limits of the system because gravity mechanical stress and surface friction act at the same time. This is where theoretical dough turns into physical dough. The biga and poolish architecture exists to survive this transition.

Balling under load

Balling is the first moment where structure must carry weight. Highly hydrated dough spreads immediately if internal tension is insufficient. In this system tension comes from the biga. Because structure was built under low hydration the dough can be shaped without tearing even when water content is extreme. Balling is not about tightening aggressively. It is about guiding mass into a shape that supports itself. Excess force destroys alignment. Too little structure leads to pooling. The correct outcome is a ball that holds form without resistance. If this does not happen the system has already exceeded its absorption limit.

Opening and gravity

Opening the dough introduces continuous gravitational stress. At high hydration extensibility increases faster than strength if the dough was not prepared correctly. The poolish provides flow and elasticity while the biga provides resistance. This balance allows the dough to stretch without thinning unevenly. Gravity is not the enemy here. It is the test. A dough that opens smoothly and holds thickness across the center has reached structural balance. A dough that elongates uncontrollably has lost it. No amount of bench flour or technique can fix that once it occurs.

Why the system decides success

Single stage high hydration doughs often feel manageable during mixing but fail during handling because all stresses arrive at once. In this system stress is introduced gradually. Structure is created before hydration peaks. Hydration is absorbed before handling begins. Fermentation is slowed before gas pressure increases. This staging means that when the dough reaches the table it is already conditioned for load. Handling becomes guidance rather than control.

Real world conditions are never ideal. Surfaces vary humidity changes and movements are imperfect. A system that works only under ideal handling is not a system. It is a demonstration. The biga and poolish method succeeds here because it does not depend on precision tricks. It depends on structural readiness. When that readiness exists gravity stops being a threat and becomes confirmation that the process worked. When high hydration dough fails the cause is rarely random. Common tearing spreading and instability issues are broken down step by step in this dough troubleshooting guide.

Baking Constraints

IX. Baking constraints and oven reality

Extreme hydration only becomes real in the oven. Until that point structure is provisional. At 85% hydration baking is not a finishing step. It is the final structural decision. Heat must arrive fast enough to set the dough before gravity and internal steam spread it beyond recovery. This is why not every oven can carry this level of hydration even if fermentation and handling were perfect.

Heat transfer and structural setting

Highly hydrated dough contains more mobile water which delays structural setting. During the first moments of baking water turns to steam and expands faster than gluten can stabilize if heat input is insufficient. The dough spreads before it lifts. This is not a recipe flaw. It is a heat transfer problem. Successful baking at 85% hydration requires rapid energy delivery to the dough surface so starch gelatinizes and proteins coagulate early. When this happens expansion is directed upward instead of outward. When it does not the dough collapses into a flat disk regardless of fermentation quality.

Why some ovens cannot support extreme hydration

An oven that applies heat slowly creates a long transition phase where the dough is soft liquid and under pressure. During this phase structure is weakest. The longer it lasts the more the dough spreads and the more gas escapes. High hydration amplifies this weakness because free water delays setting. This is why some environments consistently fail with 85% hydration even when everything else is correct. The limitation is not temperature alone. It is rate of heat transfer. Without fast surface energy the system has no chance to lock structure before collapse occurs.

How the system compensates for oven limits

The biga and poolish architecture does not remove oven constraints but it reduces their impact. Prebuilt structure from the biga increases resistance during the early bake. Hydration carried through the poolish is already partially bound which reduces excessive flow. Fermentation control limits gas pressure so expansion remains manageable. Together these factors shorten the vulnerable window where the dough is exposed to gravity and steam without support.

Baking at extreme hydration is not about pushing limits blindly. It is about matching dough physics to heat physics. When those align 85% hydration becomes stable rather than dramatic. When they do not no adjustment to the recipe will compensate. This reality does not change with trends or technology. Heat sets structure. Structure must be ready before heat arrives.

When This Recipe

X. When this recipe works and when it doesn’t

Authority in dough making comes from knowing where a method stops working. Extreme hydration attracts attention because it promises openness and volume but without boundaries it quickly becomes unreliable. This recipe works only when its structural and environmental assumptions are respected. Understanding those limits builds more trust than claiming universal success.

When this recipe works

This system works when structure hydration and fermentation are aligned. It performs best when flour can absorb water gradually without releasing it too quickly and when fermentation is slowed enough to preserve gluten integrity. It works when handling is deliberate rather than forceful and when the oven can set structure before gravity dominates. In these conditions 85% hydration produces extensibility without collapse and openness without fragility. The dough remains responsive rather than reactive. The recipe succeeds because the order of operations protects the system from early failure.

When this recipe does not work

This recipe does not work when any of the control layers are ignored. If flour reaches its absorption limit before structure forms hydration becomes destructive. If fermentation accelerates beyond structural readiness enzymatic breakdown overtakes strength. If handling introduces excessive stress tension is lost before baking begins. If heat arrives too slowly structure cannot lock before spreading occurs. In these scenarios lowering hydration often improves results because it restores balance. Forcing 85% hydration under unsuitable conditions leads to inconsistency rather than mastery.

Why saying no builds trust

Refusing to apply this method universally is not a weakness. It is an acknowledgment of physical limits. High hydration is not a quality marker. It is a response to specific conditions. When those conditions are absent the correct decision is adjustment not insistence. This mindset separates systems from recipes. A system adapts. A recipe repeats. The value of this method lies in knowing when to step back rather than push forward.

Extreme hydration rewards restraint. When used in the right context it delivers exceptional texture and clarity of crumb. When used indiscriminately it exposes every weakness in flour fermentation handling and heat. Trust comes from understanding both outcomes. This recipe earns that trust by defining its own boundaries. The same logic applies beyond dough. When results only work because the owner is present the system is fragile. This pattern and how to recognize owner dependent businesses is explained in more detail here.

From Recipe

XI. From recipe to system: controlling hydration

At some point every pizzaiolo reaches the same realization: recipes stop answering the questions that matter. They explain what to do but not why adjustments are necessary when conditions change. Extreme hydration accelerates this moment because small deviations produce visible consequences. At 85% hydration success no longer comes from obedience to instructions. It comes from understanding relationships. This is the mental shift that turns a recipe into a system.

Why hydration must be controlled not repeated

Hydration is often treated as a target number. In practice it is a response. Water interacts with flour fermentation temperature and time in ways that cannot be fixed by copying ratios. The biga and poolish method makes this visible. Structure is built first hydration is introduced second and fermentation is staged rather than allowed to run freely. This sequence teaches a deeper lesson: hydration only works when the system is ready to accept it. Once this principle is understood the number itself loses importance. Control replaces ambition.

Thinking in signals instead of steps

Systems are built on observation rather than instruction. In this process decisions are guided by signals such as resistance extensibility cohesion and response to stress. These signals remain consistent even as environments change. Time temperature and flour quality may vary but the indicators of readiness do not. This is why a system scales while recipes fracture. The role of the pizzaiolo shifts from following steps to reading the dough. Hydration becomes one variable among many rather than the defining feature.

Why systems outperform recipes long term

Recipes promise repeatability but only under identical conditions. Systems adapt because they are built around cause and effect. The biga and poolish architecture is not valuable because it produces 85% hydration dough. It is valuable because it separates structure hydration and fermentation into controllable layers. Once this logic is internalized it can be applied beyond this specific formula. Hydration can be raised or lowered with intention. Fermentation can be extended or restrained without guessing. Flour limitations become measurable rather than frustrating.

The purpose of this article is not to convince you to always work at extreme hydration. It is to demonstrate what happens when hydration is treated as a controlled outcome rather than a fixed goal. This perspective changes how dough is approached at every level. It reduces dependency on recipes and increases confidence in adjustment. Mastery does not come from pushing numbers higher. It comes from knowing why you would and when you should not.

This is where recipes end and systems begin.

If you want to understand how these systems behave in your own dough and kitchen, start with the reference we use internally.

→ Access the free dough system reference

🔗 → Free E-Book

Easy 85% Hydration Pizza Dough – Biga and Poolish System Explained

This article is part of the Pizza Archive. If you came for the Free E-Book , you can start here.

🔗 Free E-Book

Home / Dough Archive / Easy 85% hydration pizza dough – biga and poolish system explained

Written by Benjamin Schmitz, · Januar 2026

I. What “easy” means at 85% hydration