At Crust & Craft Pizzeria, we're committed to the art of crafting sublime pizza, and it all begins with top-notch dough. We've refined our dough recipe for over 30 years and are now eager to unveil some tips to help you make your own pizzeria-caliber pizza dough. Although we keep our specific recipe confidential, following these essential guidelines can elevate your homemade pizza dough to a professional standard.
Choosing the Right Flour
Outstanding pizza dough is built on premium flour. For superior dough, opt for 00 flour—this Italian flour variety is finely milled with a moderate protein content (typical is 12%), offering an ideal fusion of resilience and softness. If 00 flour isn't available, a quality bread flour can substitute, albeit with a modestly altered texture.
Optimal Water Temperature and Dough Hydration
Your water's temperature plays a crucial role in shaping the dough's fermentation period and development. For a prolonged fermentation that enhances the flavor, cold water at about 45°F (7°C) is perfect. Conversely, lukewarm water near 85°F (29°C) accelerates fermentation. Adjust hydration levels, the proportion of water to flour, to 60-70% for optimal results in typical home ovens.
Limited Yeast for Extended Fermentation
Flavorful dough emerges from employing minimal yeast and giving ample time for fermentation. By using merely 0.2% of fresh yeast by flour weight, we let our dough ferment for a 24-48 hour period. Such an unhurried fermentation lets complex flavors blossom and yields a dough that's more digestible.
Salt's Role Extends Beyond Taste
While salt is a known flavor enhancer, it has significant roles in reinforcing the gluten matrix and managing fermentation. To optimally integrate salt, which should constitute 2.5-3% of the flour's weight, add it as the flour and water begin to merge; this prevents the salt from interacting with the yeast prematurely.
Fermentation: The Craft
Post-mixing, let your dough undergo initial fermentation at ambient temperature for about two hours. Following that, segment it into separate balls for individual pizzas and store these in covered containers, refrigerating them for a period ranging from 24 to 72 hours. It's during this cold fermentation process that enzymes break starch into sugars, which not only builds flavor but also contributes to our crusts' caramelization.
Handling with Delicacy
When ready to bake, bring your dough out of the refrigerator and let it rest for 1-2 hours. Treat the dough with care to maintain the air bubbles that have formed; this can be achieved by gently pressing and stretching the dough with your fingertips, avoiding any rolling action that would deflate those bubbles.
Heat: The Final Element
Although our specialized ovens reach up to 850°F (454°C), most residential ovens typically only go as high as around 550°F (288°C). Compensate for this by using a pizza stone or steel that you've heated for a minimum of an hour to supply the extreme bottom heat necessary for a perfectly crispy exterior and a fluffy interior.
The mastery of pizza dough is an evolving experience, with each attempt enlightening you further about the subtleties of the process. It's beneficial to record your observations, tweak the variables, and uncover what suits your kitchen's unique conditions best.
We warmly invite you to see our dough-preparation firsthand in our monthly pizza workshops where Chef Luca will demonstrate these techniques meticulously. For upcoming sessions, refer to our event schedule!