Pizza Dough
Pizza dough is not at all difficult to make. It does not require a mixer of any kind and is not difficult to stretch into pizza shaped disk.
This particular dough is low in yeast and slightly higher in salt which makes it rise slower than many doughs. It does not contain any sugar or oil like some New York style pizza doughs. This is basically a neapolitan style dough but I don't call for the Italian 00 flour. Ideally, this dough would be made the day before, allowed to sit in the refrigerator overnight to develop flavor and then allowed to rise 3 hours in a warm area (85 degrees F) or about 6 hours in a cool area (65° F). It makes a fairly soft dough but great oven spring in the oven. To adjust the wetness of this dough, you might reduce the water to 66% of the weight of flour or increase it as high as 75% of the weight of the flour. Beginners tend to prefer the drier dough until their dough handling skills improve. Wet dough generally makes larger bubbles and holes in the crust.
10 small pizzas (@ about 200 gm each or 7 @ 300 gram each)
Bread Flour 1250 gm (you can replace up to 25% of the white flour with whole wheat flour for an earthier taste and better nutrition)
Instant Yeast 2.5 gm
Salt 25 gm
Water 875 gm or ml
4 pizzas by volume (approximate- using weight is most accurate especially for salt weights)
Bread Flour 3 1/3 cups
Yeast 1/4 tsp (yes, that little)
Salt 2 tsp
Water 1 1/2 cups
For "x" number of 200g. pizza dough balls:
x times 125= grams of flour needed
x times 87.5 = ml of water needed
x times 2.5 = gm of salt needed
x times 0.25 = gm of instant yeast needed
This particular dough is low in yeast and slightly higher in salt which makes it rise slower than many doughs. It does not contain any sugar or oil like some New York style pizza doughs. This is basically a neapolitan style dough but I don't call for the Italian 00 flour. Ideally, this dough would be made the day before, allowed to sit in the refrigerator overnight to develop flavor and then allowed to rise 3 hours in a warm area (85 degrees F) or about 6 hours in a cool area (65° F). It makes a fairly soft dough but great oven spring in the oven. To adjust the wetness of this dough, you might reduce the water to 66% of the weight of flour or increase it as high as 75% of the weight of the flour. Beginners tend to prefer the drier dough until their dough handling skills improve. Wet dough generally makes larger bubbles and holes in the crust.
10 small pizzas (@ about 200 gm each or 7 @ 300 gram each)
Bread Flour 1250 gm (you can replace up to 25% of the white flour with whole wheat flour for an earthier taste and better nutrition)
Instant Yeast 2.5 gm
Salt 25 gm
Water 875 gm or ml
4 pizzas by volume (approximate- using weight is most accurate especially for salt weights)
Bread Flour 3 1/3 cups
Yeast 1/4 tsp (yes, that little)
Salt 2 tsp
Water 1 1/2 cups
For "x" number of 200g. pizza dough balls:
x times 125= grams of flour needed
x times 87.5 = ml of water needed
x times 2.5 = gm of salt needed
x times 0.25 = gm of instant yeast needed
Ingredients weighed out.
Mix together the water, yeast and flour using a fork or Danish Dough Whisk. No mixer is required. Do not knead the dough. Add the salt after a 30 minute rest by sprinkling it over the dough.
Wait. Do not knead. The dough will develop without much help from you.
After 30-60 minutes, lift the dough gently and stretch it.
Stretch the dough but don't let it tear.
Fold it over itself in thirds or in a spiral as shown here.
Fold the dough back into a ball. Wait another 30-60 minutes and repeat.
After 2-3 of these "stretch and folds" the dough should be smooth and fully developed.
Divide the dough into 200-400 gram balls and place in oiled containers.
Allow to rise 3-6 hours if you want to use the same day or rise 3 hours and then refrigerate 24-72 hours. The longer fermentation adds flavor and increased digestibility. Also, the crust will brown better since more starches have converted to sugars.
Alternatively, you can let each dough ball rise in an oiled bowl.
Dump the dough out and lightly push it out with the tips of your fingers. Do not use a rolling pin which can pop all the developing bubbles and may turn your crust to the consistency of cardboard. Allow gravity to help you pull the dough into a pizza shape. Do not worry if your pizza is not round.
Top your pizza lightly and bake at 500°F or hotter if possible. I recommend the Fibrament baking stones as they are available in many sizes to fit your oven and are the thickest on the market. Remember to pre-heat your oven to allow the stone to absorb as much heat as possible.