PrintPizza Dough Help!
I have decided to make my own pizzas for my family, but have been having trouble with the dough. It is way to elastic and I can hardly roll it out onto my pizza pan. I use regular four, should I maybe try bread flour instead?
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9 Comments:
I've always used all-purpose regular flour, sometimes veering off into the imported Tipo "00" flours from Italy (which never seemed to make *much* of a difference for me. Are you letting your dough rest a bit after kneading? That usually gives it some play. If you want some really great pizza-at-home advice, try reading the forums at pizzamaking.com. There's some great info there.
Adam Kuban at 11:12AM on 02/22/08
Rolling won't do, you have to stretch it by hand. Flatten the ball of dough into a flat disc. Push the edges out and around getting it as flat and wide and round as you can. Then grab it on one side and lift it off the surface and allow its own weight to pull it down. As it starts to sag (and even if it doesn't, the turning will get it started), quickly start turning the dough in your hand like you were turning a steering wheel. Keep doing this until the dough stretches itself out to the diameter and thickness you need. Then put it back down on your floured surface.
When you get good at this, you can try tossing the dough!
seyo at 11:14AM on 02/22/08
I've noticed a lot of finger tip action stretching the dough - you can actually see the imprints of all the digits, interspersed with lifting and stretching as seyo describes so well.
Adam Kuban is the pizza man! Follow that link wherever it may take you!
PerkyMac at 11:24AM on 02/22/08
seyo is right - stretching and turning is the way to go (great description!). If you still have trouble with it, drop by your local pizza parlor (not during a busy time) and ask them to show you how they do it -- they may even offer to let you try it out. I bought some dough from my local place not long ago when I was pressed for time and the owner gave me all kinds of pointers while he was ringing it up!
CookiePie at 12:43PM on 02/22/08
Hobsons96: I just posted some YouTube vids I found of Alton Brown making pizza dough on Good Eats!
True to Alton form, he explains all the technical aspects behind a good dough and then shows you how to stretch it, top it, and cook it. I found this episode tremendously helpful, even though I think I ended up finding his recipe a bit too salty for my taste.
I had always been amazed at the stretchiness and almost gumlike quality of the pizza doughs I see the pizzamakers in NYC pizzerias slinging and wondered what they did to get such an easy-to-work-with dough. Mine, like yours, had always been tough and hard to stretch, and I had to use a rolling pin to wrestle it into shape.
But after seeing this Alton episode, I realized I wasn't kneading the dough enough. I had previously only left it in the stand mixer for 5 to 10 minutes, whereas Alton recommends 15 minutes on a fairly high speed. It helps develop the stringy gumlike gluten fibers and allows the dough to stretch better. He even demonstrates a concept called "windowpaning." I'd explain it, but you'll see ...
My pizzas got immensely better after this info. Hope this helps!
Adam Kuban at 12:55PM on 02/22/08
Also: I see this is your first post on Serious Eats, hobsons96. Welcome! Good to meet you!
Adam Kuban at 12:56PM on 02/22/08
I make pizza every week (like for the last ten years or more) and I stopped trying to roll it after the first couple of times. It was hopeless. Definitely, as others have indicated, you need to let it rest. Then just start poking it and moving it around with your fingers. Then it will be easier to stretch it to your desired size and shape. At that point, you can kind of fold it over to place it on your paddle. It doesn't hurt to let it rest 5-10 more min. before you top it and slide it on your stone, either.
frederika at 1:09PM on 02/22/08
I LOVE the pizza dough recipe in Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Bread Bible, it is easy to make (no kneading!)and manage and makes just the kind of thin crust I love. She cooks it for 5 min alone then 5 min with toppings, so I make a bunch at a time, cook for 5 min then freeze. Then it only takes another 5 min in a hot oven to finish cooking and heat the toppings. I have not noticed a significant difference between the fresh and frozen versions. I did just get Peter Reinhart's American Pie book in the mail yesterday, haven't finished reading it yet but I will prob give one of his recipes a shot this weekend.
mrsmoosie at 6:48PM on 02/22/08
I almost always roll my dough, but I let it rest for at least 30 min.
NuJoi at 12:54PM on 02/23/08