At Crust & Dreamery, our stance is that outstanding pizza is rooted in outstanding dough. With over thirty years dedicated to refining our recipe, we're eager to divulge a few of our trade secrets to you. While our exact recipe remains our closely-held tradition, these cornerstone principles will enable you to craft pizzeria-caliber pizza dough within your own home.
The Importance of Flour
The base of any good pizza dough lies in the quality of flour used. Our suggestion is to opt for 00 flour, a highly milled Italian variety with a moderate amount of protein content, around 12%, to strike that ideal mix of chewiness and softness. If 00 flour isn't available, a nice alternative is bread flour, which may give a variation in texture.
Water's Role in Dough Consistency
The degree of heat in your water is crucial to both the dough's fermentation time and its texture. Cold water, approximately 45°F (7°C), slows down the fermentation for a richer flavor, while warmer water around 85°F (29°C) speeds the process up. For hydration levels — your water to flour ratio — aim for 60-70% to be suited for typical household ovens.
Less Yeast, More Time
A vital element to a tastier dough is minimizing yeast usage and lengthening fermentation time. With just 0.2% fresh yeast in proportion to the flour, we let our doughs rise for 24-48 hours, enhancing the flavors and ensuring a more digestible result.
Salt's Dual Function
Salt is not just for taste; it fortifies the gluten network and keeps fermentation in check. We favor fine sea salt, accounting for 2.5-3% of the flour's weight. It's best to mix it in once the flour and water have slightly combined to avoid killing the yeast.
The Science of Fermentation
Post-mixing, let your dough undergo an initial bulk fermentation at a room temperature for about 2 hours before portioning it into individual balls. Stow these in sealed containers and cool them for 24-72 hours. Within this period of cold fermentation, enzymes are at work, converting starches into sugars, contributing to both the taste and the dough's golden crust.
Gentle Dough Manipulation
When ready to bake, extract the dough from the cold storage 1-2 hours ahead to let it reach room temperature. It’s essential to be delicate with the dough to maintain the air pockets that have developed. Press and shape the dough with your fingertips instead of rolling, which deflates those vital bubbles.
Ultimate Heat Source
Conversely to our wood-fired ovens that reach an intense 850°F (454°C), most kitchen ovens will top out at roughly 550°F (288°C). A pizza stone or steel, preheated for a minimum of an hour, will make up for this by providing strong bottom heat, replicating that crunchy crust and light center.
Honing the craft of pizza dough is a continuous learning experience. Each preparation is an opportunity to gain new insights into the dough-making process. Record your results, tweak the factors, and zero in on the methods that suit your kitchen’s conditions best.
Come over to witness our dough preparation first-hand at one of our monthly pizza-making classes where Chef Julian illustrates these methods with detail. Be on the lookout for the upcoming slots on our events schedule!