Cold rise dough question

I find that the cold rise doesn't really do much to affect the texture, it does more to enhance/change the flavor. Slowing the action of the yeast via a cold rise allows the bacteria to be more active and impart more influence on the flavor profile.

If you want a good thin crust I can offer one tip that I have good success using. When you toss the pie make it an inch or two larger than you want it, then use your pizza cutter to cut away that inch or two. I use a pizza screen as a template for this. Then sauce it, top it, and get it in the egg ASAP. Less time on the counter will allow for less rise and give you more of a thin crust with a crisp texture.

Not necessarily. The cold rise is used instead of a counter rise. The dough still doubles in size, but over a period of many days, not a few hours.

The same dough recipe can go rise and bake in a few hours or sit in the fridge for 4 or 5 days with no problems. As long as the dough doesn't fall then it will be fine. You still want the yeast to have a little punch when you remove it from the fridge. I allow it to come to room temp over a couple hours before I form the pie. During that time it will rise some more.

Fidel: Do you put your dough in the fridge immediately after kneading, or do you let it rise once, punch it down, and off to the fridge?

So, right after kneading (or do you use the mix only/autolyse technique)?

I follow Peter Reinhart's pizza neapolitana technique...mix flour/yeast/water/salt in a stand mixer for 5-7 minutes, then refrigerate at least overnight. Use dough the next day, or hold up to 3-4 days before using. You can also divide it immediately after kneading & freeze (put the dough blobs into oiled plastic wrap, then a zipper bag).

As a matter of fact, I fired my brand new BGE for the first time this AM...and pizza was the first thing I cooked. Pics here on my blog:http://bouillie.wordpress.com/2009/04/16/big-green-egg-first-fire/.