What if you don’t have 12 hours to rest in the fridge ?

I made this recipe many many times and confess that I only use the technique with the dough and cheese now. I have made delicious wonderful crispy cheesy pizzas with store-bought pizza dough and a sourdough pizza dough from Chef Gemma Stafford, https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/sourdough-pizza-crust/

Use a pizza dough that you like, follow this recipe's cooking method and it will still taste amazing.

It might not be as beautiful or as tasty as it would have been with the long cold rise, but it’s pizza, so I think it will be fine. I’d make it up to step 5, and skip the refrigerator step, then proceed with the recipe. You do need 4-5 hours from start to baking, so plan accordingly.

You need to find the time … that resting time allows the flour to fully hydrate and the flavors develop. This is also when glutens relax after they’ve formed, giving your dough a great elasticity and structure. Can you bake it without resting it? Sure! But it’s going to be tougher and less delicious. It’s worth finding a time when you can properly follow the recipe as written.