Yes, you absolutely can leave your pizza dough in the refrigerator overnight. In fact, this process is known as cold fermentation or retarding the dough, and it is a technique widely used by professional bakers and pizza makers to significantly improve both the flavor and the texture of the crust.
The cold temperature of your refrigerator will not spoil or kill the yeast. Instead, it slows down the yeast activity significantly. While the rising process slows down, the yeast and natural enzymes still work slowly on the starches in the flour, developing complex, delicious flavors and improving the gluten structure, which makes the dough much easier to stretch tomorrow.
To do this successfully, here are a few simple tips to follow:
First, place your kneaded dough ball into a lightly oiled bowl or container that provides enough room for it to expand, as it will still rise a bit in the fridge.
Second, cover the container tightly with plastic wrap or a well-fitting lid to prevent the surface of the dough from drying out and forming a hard crust.
Finally, when you are ready to make your pizza tomorrow, take the dough out of the refrigerator about one to two hours before baking. Allowing it to come up to room temperature relaxes the gluten, making it much easier to stretch and shape without springing back.
I hope this helps, and I wish you and your family a wonderful pizza night tomorrow!
