At BalancedInsightlab, our stance is that outstanding pizza is built upon extraordinary dough. With over thirty years dedicated to refining our mix, we're delighted to unveil some of our dough-making wisdom. While the precise measurements are kept confidential, these guidelines will assist you in achieving professional-grade pizza dough in your own kitchen.
Quality of Flour is Crucial
Great pizza dough starts with superior flour. 00 flour, an ultra-fine Italian variety with a moderate protein level (typically around 12%), is our flour of choice. This produces an optimal blend of strength and softness. In the absence of 00 flour, bread flour stands in fairly well, but expect a dissimilar texture.
Water Temperature and the Right Hydration
Water temperature is instrumental for dough fermentation and maturation. Opt for colder water at 45°F (7°C) if you're aiming for slow fermentation to enhance the flavor, or warmer water at 85°F (29°C) for a speedier process. Keep the hydration ratio—that's the water to flour proportion—at 60-70% for optimal results in typical home ovens.
Less Yeast, More Fermentation Time
The key to a flavorsome dough lies in using minimal yeast and giving fermentation plenty of time. With just 0.2% fresh yeast to the weight of the flour, our dough ferments from 24 to 48 hours, eliciting complex tastes and promoting easier digestion.
Salt’s Role Beyond Taste
While salt indeed seasons your dough, it also fortifies the gluten structure and tempers fermentation. Precise sea salt, approximately 2.5-3% of your flour weight, is what we suggest. Introduce the salt once your dough begins to merge but prevent it from making direct contact with your yeast.
Fermentation: The Creative Process
Post-mixing, allow the dough to bulk ferment at a room temperature for a couple of hours, then split it into individual portions. These should then be placed into sealed containers and refrigerated for 24-72 hours. It's this cold fermentation period that brings your dough to life, as enzymes convert starch into sugars, contributing to flavor and the iconic crust browning.
Handling Your Dough Delicately
Prior to pizza preparation, take your dough out of the cooler roughly 90 minutes before baking to let it acclimate. When handling the dough, be gentle to maintain the gas bubbles that have formed, pressing and stretching with your fingertips rather than rolling, which would deflate those essential air pockets.
Applying Intense Heat
Our specialty ovens may reach 850°F (454°C), but normal ovens usually tap out at 550°F (288°C). Offset this by preheating a pizza stone or steel for an hour at least. Such will supply the fierce bottom heat that’s essential for a pizza base that’s concurrently crisp and fluffy.
Perfecting pizza dough is an evolving craft. Every batch is an opportunity to learn. Jot down your observations, tweak the variables, and figure out what fits your cooking space the best.
Keen to observe our dough formation up close? Sign up for our monthly pizza crafting sessions where Chef Alessandro illustrates these methods in full. For dates, swing by our events schedule!