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Your Friendly
Neighborhood
Dough Dealer

Stop settling for delivery. Make restaurant-quality pizza in your own oven.

The Process

Fridge Icon

The Thaw

Out of the fridge

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The Shape

Give it a rest

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The Rise

Let it proof

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The Fire

Bake like a boss

The Good Stuff

Water

Filtered Water

Flour

Premium Flour

Salt

Sea Salt

Starter

100yr Starter

All Natural & Full of Love

Your Pizza. Your Way.

From my box to your oven. Tag us #ballzinabox

Jersey Roots. San Diego Dough.

Birky

I’ve been in San Diego for 25 years, but I grew up in Verona, NJ, where Pizza is a religion.

As you can imagine I have been obsessed with making the kind of pizza at home that you don't have to order from "those places." (You know the ones.)

San Diego definitely has its gems—shout out to Sisters, Long Island Mike's, and Tribute. But I wanted that pizza on my schedule, from my oven, made to order.

For years my kitchen looked like a flour bomb went off. But I finally cracked it: The Perfect Dough.

It works in your oven. It works in an Ooni. It just works. You're Welcome!!

- Birky

Birky's 3 Ballz Logo

Pizza For The Soul

One Dough. Infinite Possibilities.

Tag Your Pizzas With
#ballzinabox

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Birky's Foolproof
Pizza Guide

Never Made Pizza Before? Perfect.
Just Follow These Steps Exactly.

Read this first: This guide assumes you've never made pizza in your life. That's okay. I'm going to tell you exactly what to do, step by step. Don't skip steps. Don't improvise. Just follow along and you'll make great pizza.

⏰ Your Timeline (All Methods)

Night Before: Move dough from freezer to fridge (30 seconds)
6 Hours Before Dinner: Take dough out, leave in bag on counter (30 seconds)
3 Hours Before Dinner: Shape dough ballz and start final proof (5 minutes)
1 Hour Before Eating: Preheat (details depend on your method)
30 Minutes Before: Prep toppings (10 minutes)
Go Time: Stretch, top, bake (10-15 minutes)
1

The Night Before: Thaw

What you're doing: Moving frozen dough to the fridge so it can thaw overnight.

EXACT STEPS:
  1. Open your freezer
  2. Take out the dough (still in its bag/container)
  3. Put it in your fridge (any shelf is fine)
  4. Close fridge
  5. Go to bed

That's it. The dough will slowly thaw overnight. You're done with this step.

2

6 Hours Before Dinner: Warm Up (In Bag)

What you're doing: Letting the dough come to room temperature while still in the bag.

EXACT STEPS:
  1. Take dough out of fridge (keep it IN the bag)
  2. Set it on your kitchen counter
  3. Leave it alone for 3 hours

Do NOT open the bag yet. Just let it sit. Go watch TV, clean, whatever. Come back in 3 hours.

Why 3 hours? Cold dough is impossible to stretch. Room temperature dough is easy. This wait time is mandatory.
3

3 Hours Before Dinner: Shape & Proof

What you're doing: Shaping the dough into tight ballz and letting them proof (rise).

EXACT STEPS:
  1. The Bag Trick: Use scissors to cut 3 sides of the bag. Peel the top plastic off gently. Flip the dough over (dough side down) onto your floured surface, and the rest of the bag will peel right off.
  2. Get a large soup bowl or container (one per ball helps keep shape)
  3. BE LIBERAL with semolina or flour. Coat the bottom of the bowl AND the top of the dough. You can reuse the excess flour later, so don't be shy.
  4. Rub flour on your hands
  5. Pick up one dough ball
  6. Pull the top surface of the dough down and around to the bottom (like you're making a pouch)
  7. Pinch the bottom closed (where all the seams meet)
  8. Place it smooth-side UP in your heavily floured bowl/container
  9. Repeat for each dough ball
  10. Cover with a slightly damp kitchen towel (or plastic wrap)
  11. Leave on counter for 3 hours

🛠️ What You Need:

  • Semolina flour (best - buy at grocery store) OR
  • Rice flour (second best) OR
  • Regular all-purpose flour (if you have nothing else)
  • Large soup bowls or baking sheet to hold dough ballz
  • Clean kitchen towel
⚠️ Don't skip this 3-hour wait. If you try to make pizza before the 3 hours is up, your dough will be tight and impossible to stretch. Trust the process.

👉 Now: Pick Your Cooking Method 👈

You've done Steps 1-3. Now choose how you're going to cook your pizza. The guide will show you exactly what to do next.

👆 Click one of these buttons now

🔥 Ooni Method 🔥

4

1 Hour Before: Preheat Your Ooni

What you're doing: Getting your Ooni screaming hot.

EXACT STEPS:
  1. Take your Ooni outside (obviously - fire hazard indoors)
  2. Follow Ooni's instructions to light it (gas or wood/charcoal depending on model)
  3. Set flame to HIGH
  4. Close the door
  5. Let it heat for 20-30 minutes
  6. Use an infrared thermometer (or Ooni's built-in thermometer) to check: you want 750-900°F
  7. Once it hits temperature, turn flame to MEDIUM and let it stabilize for another 20 minutes

🛠️ What You Need:

  • Your Ooni pizza oven
  • Fuel (propane, wood pellets, or charcoal - depending on your Ooni model)
  • Infrared thermometer (helpful but not required if your Ooni has a built-in one)
5

30 Minutes Before: Prep Toppings

What you're doing: Getting your sauce, cheese, and toppings ready.

SIMPLE MARGHERITA (RECOMMENDED FOR FIRST TIME):
  • 2-3 oz crushed tomatoes or pizza sauce (from a can is fine)
  • 3-4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into chunks (NOT shredded - buy the ball in water)
  • Fresh basil leaves (about 6-8 leaves)
  • Olive oil
  • Salt

Put everything in separate bowls. You'll need to work fast when the dough is ready.

6

Go Time: Stretch Your Dough

EXACT STEPS TO STRETCH:
  1. Be LIBERAL with flour/semolina on your counter/board. You don't want it to stick. You can always shake off excess later.
  2. Take ONE dough ball and place it on the floured surface
  3. Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough
  4. Using your fingertips, press down gently in the CENTER of the dough
  5. Keep pressing outward in a circle, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge (this is your crust - don't press it)
  6. Pick up the dough and drape it over your fists
  7. Let gravity stretch it - gently rotate it on your fists as it stretches
  8. You want it about 10-11 inches round and thin (you should almost see through it in the center)
  9. Place stretched dough on a WELL-FLOURED pizza peel
⚠️ CRITICAL: Your pizza peel must be HEAVILY floured or your dough will stick and you'll be sad. Shake the peel - the dough should slide around easily.
🚨 THE BIG MESS WARNING: Be REALLY careful NOT to get any water, oil, or sauce on the Pizza peel before launching. If it gets wet, the pizza WILL stick, flop, and make a massive mess inside your oven.

🛠️ What You Need:

  • Pizza peel (the flat paddle thing - this is REQUIRED for Ooni)
  • Flour (for dusting)
7

Top Your Pizza (Fast!)

EXACT STEPS (Work quickly - under 2 minutes):
  1. Spoon sauce in the center of dough
  2. Use the back of the spoon to spread it in a spiral to about 1 inch from the edge
  3. Scatter torn mozzarella pieces on top (don't overload - less is more)
  4. Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil
  5. Sprinkle a pinch of salt
  6. Shake the peel - make sure pizza slides around (if it sticks, add more flour under the stuck spot)
⚠️ Don't add basil yet! It goes on AFTER baking or it burns.
8

Bake in Ooni

This is fast and requires your FULL ATTENTION. Don't walk away.

EXACT STEPS:
  1. Stand in front of your Ooni with the pizza on the peel
  2. Open the Ooni door
  3. Quickly slide the pizza off the peel onto the stone (one swift forward-and-back motion)
  4. Close the door
  5. SET A TIMER FOR 20 SECONDS
  6. After 20 seconds, open door and use the peel to turn the pizza 180 degrees (the side closest to the flame cooks faster)
  7. Close door
  8. Wait another 20 seconds
  9. Check the pizza - look for bubbling cheese and dark spots (leoparding) on the crust
  10. Turn again if needed
  11. Total cook time: 90-120 seconds (1.5 to 2 minutes)
  12. When the crust has dark spots and cheese is bubbling, slide the peel under the pizza and pull it out
🔥 DO NOT WALK AWAY! Ooni pizzas cook in 90 seconds. If you go inside to grab a beer, you'll come back to charcoal. STAY. WATCH. TURN.

🛠️ What You Need:

  • Pizza peel (to launch and retrieve pizza)
  • Turning peel (smaller round peel for rotating - optional but helpful)
  • Timer (your phone works)
  • Oven mitts

🏠 Indoor Oven Method 🏠

4

1 Hour Before: Preheat Your Oven

What you're doing: Getting your oven and pizza stone (or baking steel) as hot as possible.

EXACT STEPS:
  1. Put your pizza stone or baking steel on the middle or upper rack of your oven
  2. Turn oven to the HIGHEST temperature it goes (most home ovens go to 550°F - set it there!)
  3. Set a timer for 60 minutes
  4. Wait the FULL hour (the stone/steel needs time to get screaming hot)

Don't have a pizza stone or baking steel? You can use a heavy baking sheet flipped upside down. Not ideal, but it works.

🛠️ What You Need:

  • Pizza stone (best option - $20-40 at any kitchen store) OR
  • Baking steel (even better but pricier - $70-90) OR
  • Heavy baking sheet flipped upside down (last resort)
  • Pizza peel OR large cutting board dusted with flour
⚠️ Do NOT skip the full hour preheat. A lukewarm stone = soggy pizza. Give it the full 60 minutes.
5

30 Minutes Before: Prep Toppings

What you're doing: Getting your sauce, cheese, and toppings ready.

SIMPLE MARGHERITA (RECOMMENDED FOR FIRST TIME):
  • 2-3 oz crushed tomatoes or pizza sauce (from a can is fine)
  • 4-5 oz shredded mozzarella (pre-shredded is fine for oven pizza) OR fresh mozzarella torn into pieces
  • Fresh basil leaves (about 6-8 leaves)
  • Olive oil
  • Salt

Put everything in separate bowls. You'll need to work fast when the dough is ready.

6

Go Time: Stretch Your Dough

EXACT STEPS TO STRETCH:
  1. Be LIBERAL with flour on your surface. You don't want it to stick.
  2. Take ONE dough ball and place it on the floured surface
  3. Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough
  4. Using your fingertips, press down gently in the CENTER of the dough
  5. Keep pressing outward in a circle, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge (this is your crust - don't press it)
  6. Pick up the dough and drape it over your fists
  7. Let gravity stretch it - gently rotate it on your fists as it stretches
  8. For oven pizza, stretch it to about 12-13 inches round and slightly thicker than Ooni style
  9. Place stretched dough on a WELL-FLOURED pizza peel (or cutting board)
⚠️ CRITICAL: Your pizza peel (or cutting board) must be HEAVILY floured or your dough will stick. Shake it - the dough should slide around easily.
🚨 THE BIG MESS WARNING: Be REALLY careful NOT to get any water, oil, or sauce on the Pizza peel before launching. If it gets wet, the pizza WILL stick, flop, and make a massive mess inside your oven.
7

Top Your Pizza (Fast!)

EXACT STEPS (Work quickly - under 2 minutes):
  1. Spoon sauce in the center of dough
  2. Use the back of the spoon to spread it in a spiral to about 1 inch from the edge
  3. Sprinkle cheese evenly (don't overload - about 4-5 oz total)
  4. Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil
  5. Sprinkle a pinch of salt
  6. Shake the peel/cutting board - make sure pizza slides (if stuck, lift edge and add more flour underneath)
⚠️ Don't add basil yet! It goes on AFTER baking or it burns.
8

Bake in Your Oven

What you're doing: Baking the pizza directly on the hot stone/steel.

EXACT STEPS:
  1. Turn oven DOWN to 450°F (yes, down - this prevents burning)
  2. Open oven door
  3. Pull out the rack with the hot stone/steel slightly (be careful - it's hot)
  4. Quickly slide the pizza off your peel/cutting board directly onto the stone/steel (one swift forward-and-back motion)
  5. The pizza is now sitting directly on the stone/steel (no pan underneath)
  6. Close oven door
  7. Set timer for 5 minutes
  8. After 5 minutes, open oven and rotate the pizza 180 degrees (use your peel or a spatula)
  9. Close door and bake another 2-5 minutes
  10. Pizza is done when cheese is bubbly and crust edges are golden brown
Baking Steel Hack: If you are using a Baking Steel, check the bottom after 5-7 minutes. If it's getting too dark but the top isn't done, pull the pizza out, slide a cookie sheet/pizza pan between the steel and the pizza, and finish baking on the sheet for another 5 minutes. This saves the bottom from burning.

Total bake time: 10-15 minutes

🔥 YES, the pizza goes DIRECTLY on the stone/steel. No pan. No parchment paper. Just dough on stone. That's how you get a crispy bottom.

🛠️ What You Need:

  • Pizza peel OR large spatula to remove pizza
  • Oven mitts (heavy duty - that stone is HOT)
  • Timer

🍳 Cast Iron Method (Advanced) 🍳

⚠️ HEADS UP: This method is trickier and involves handling very hot cast iron. If this is your first time making pizza EVER, I recommend starting with the oven method above. But if you're feeling confident, let's do this.
4

1 Hour Before: Preheat Cast Iron in Oven

EXACT STEPS:
  1. Place your cast iron skillet (12-15 inches) on the middle rack of your oven
  2. Turn oven to 500°F (or 550°F if it goes that high)
  3. Set timer for 45 minutes
  4. Let the cast iron get SCREAMING hot

🛠️ What You Need:

  • Cast iron skillet (12-15 inches - Lodge is the classic brand)
  • Heavy duty oven mitts (the cast iron will be dangerously hot)
  • Vegetable oil or olive oil
5

30 Minutes Before: Prep Toppings

SIMPLE MARGHERITA:
  • 2-3 oz crushed tomatoes or pizza sauce
  • 4-5 oz shredded mozzarella
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
6

Stretch Your Dough (Smaller)

Follow the same stretching instructions as the oven method, but make your pizza slightly smaller - about 11-12 inches to fit in your cast iron pan.

Place stretched dough on a floured surface (cutting board or counter).

7

The Tricky Part: Into the Cast Iron

🔥 SAFETY WARNING: You're about to handle a 500°F cast iron pan. Use HEAVY DUTY oven mitts. Move slowly. Do NOT rush this step.
EXACT STEPS:
  1. Put on heavy oven mitts
  2. Carefully pull the oven rack out (with the hot cast iron on it)
  3. Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of oil into the hot pan (it will sizzle - that's good)
  4. Swirl the pan to coat the bottom with oil
  5. Working VERY carefully, place your stretched dough into the hot pan (it will sizzle immediately)
  6. Use a spoon or spatula to press the dough flat against the bottom and up the sides slightly
  7. NOW top the pizza WHILE IT'S IN THE PAN: sauce, cheese, salt, oil
  8. Carefully slide the rack back into the oven
  9. Close oven door
  10. Set timer for 10 minutes
⚠️ If you feel uncomfortable at ANY point, stop and use the regular oven method instead. This method requires confidence and careful handling of extremely hot cookware.
8

Bake & Check

EXACT STEPS:
  1. After 10 minutes, open oven
  2. Wearing oven mitts, pull out rack
  3. Use a spatula to lift the edge of the pizza and check the bottom
  4. If bottom is golden-brown and crispy, and cheese is bubbly on top, it's done
  5. If not, put it back for 2-5 more minutes
  6. Total cook time: 10-15 minutes
  7. Once done, use a spatula to carefully lift the entire pizza out of the pan onto a cutting board
🔥 The pan will stay dangerously hot for 30+ minutes. Don't touch it. Don't let kids/pets near it. Set it on the stove with a note: "HOT - DO NOT TOUCH"
9

Rest, Finish & Eat!

FINAL STEPS:
  1. Transfer your pizza to a cutting board
  2. WAIT 2-3 MINUTES (I know it's hard, but the cheese is lava)
  3. While waiting, tear fresh basil leaves
  4. Drizzle a little olive oil over the hot pizza
  5. Scatter fresh basil on top
  6. Optional: grate fresh Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese on top
  7. Cut into slices
  8. Take a photo and tag @3ballzinabox
  9. MANGIA!

🍕 YOU DID IT! 🍕

You just made pizza from scratch. Like, actual real pizza. Not delivery. Not frozen. YOU made this.

Your family thinks you're a wizard now. Don't tell them it was this easy.

Questions? Email me: birky@3ballzinabox.com

Show me your pizza: Tag @3ballzinabox on Instagram

- Birky

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Birky's Pizza Dough Ballz
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Pickup & Delivery

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11275 Carroza Ct.
San Diego, CA

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‪(619) 431-2536‬
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Small Batch • Artisan

Handmade Artisan Dough

$30.00+ Local Delivery

This isn't factory dough. This is "I woke up early to feed the starter" dough. It's handmade in small batches with real ingredients and a whole lot of love. Whether you're chasing that perfect leopard-spotted Neapolitan crust or a crispy NY-style fold, this dough is your canvas. It's forgiving, flavorful, and ready for your oven.

Local Delivery in San Diego Only

65% Hydration

The sweet spot. Crispy bottom, airy cornicione (crust).

48hr Ferment

Cold fermented for flavor depth and digestibility.

Freeze or Fire

Use immediately or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaws in 4 hours.