Share Your Best Pizza Dough...

[oHUTCHYo]

I've tried quite a few different pizza dough recipes I've found online, none still have the texture I'm searching for.

They are either too crispy or just taste too floury. Most of the recipes I've tried call for '00' strong white flour, I'm just wondering if that's where I'm going wrong OR in the amount of time I'm proving the dough (several hours to overnight).

The exact texture and taste I want is effectively Dominoes, soft, airy and tasty, maybe ever so slightly bready.

I can find various recipes online myself, but I want to know what have YOU tried and is your favourite?

 

[oHUTCHYo]

Thanks Kimi, I did frequently use the other Jamie Oliver one, which was for New York style pizza, which he did on the Jamie and Jimmy TV show, along with Chris Moyles.

I've just got a new oven which goes to 300 degrees (versus my old one at 250) and also has a specific pizza setting to increase the heat even more. Hence my renewed interest in DIY pizza.

Thanks for your suggestion

 

[oHUTCHYo]

Thanks FT, thats one I'll be giving a try.

It's funny you mention cornmeal as I know Dominoes dust their surface with that. I take it its not actually in the dough itself though, just used for the sake of non-stick? Also like the idea of trying milk and see how that comes out.

 

[oHUTCHYo]

I thought it was Semolina that Dominos use...

I think you are right now you mention it

 

[oHUTCHYo]

If you want to give my recipe a go it is:

All-purpose or bread flour: 100%
Salt: 2%
Instant yeast: 1.5 %
Water: 65%

I've got some dough sat in the fridge to this mix, thank you. I'm holding off until Monday so it's had 5 days to cold ferment.

Question - once I split the dough and shape them to two pizza pans, will I get the best results going in to my blazing hot oven while the dough is still chilled or should I leave it to get to room temperature?

 

[oHUTCHYo]

Bit of a mixed bag. Getting used to the pizza oven will take some time I think. Also, I'm incredibly out of practice with regards to stretching dough :/ Finally, I didn't pay attention and ended up burning things. Oh well

Looks nice mate, I should take a tip from you and not get carried away with my toppings. I always add too much, out of a) greed and b) wanting to use up ingredients

 

[oHUTCHYo]

OK, my attempt:

00 bread flour: 100%
Salt: 2%
Instant yeast: 1.5 %
Water: 65%

Cold fermented for 5 days. 300 deg. C on pizza setting in oven.

Few mistakes on my behalf, namely over cooking and the damn thing cementing itself to a new heavy anodised aluminium pizza tray I've just bought. Perhaps should have greased it first or used semolina bed?

Ooops....


Good bubbles in the crust...


Still a little bready for my liking, unlike Dominoes...


Dissapointing overall

 

[oHUTCHYo]

How did you prepare the base? It looks like it hasn't been flattened properly in the middle to me. Based on the general browning I'd also guess that it was cooked too long at too low a temperature.

Rather than an aluminium pizza pan use a cast iron pizza stone or the bottom side of a cast iron pan that you've pre-heated until scorching hot. Put the toppings on your base and then use a peel to slide it on to the cast iron pan/stone. Immediately stick it under a pre-heated grill and your pizza will be cooked in < 5 minutes.

Just sort of pushed it outwards as evenly as I could to try and fill the tray. Temperature was 300 degrees pre-heated oven, cooking time circa 10mins. Definitely too crisp on the edges. I think I was worried about havng a doughy middle.

Ive tried using one of my cast iron pans in the past, heating it up on the hob, adding the dough in and then toppings, then banging in the oven.

I bought two of these ali trays as they were really thick and heavy, look about 5mm thick. Bloody things were £35. Was tempted by a stone but wasnt sure if too much heat shattered them? Likewise Ive seen flat slates of cast iron but was worried they be an accident waiting to happen when pulling from the oven.

 

[oHUTCHYo]

G3 Ferrari G10006 Delizia Plus

Guys, I know a few of you have this gadget. Can anyone offer their opinions - but specifically considering my current method...

(1) My oven has a pizza setting, lower and upper elements heat to 300 degrees.
(2) I use a heavy aluminium pizza tray, I place it on the hob for a minute with the pizza on which helps cook the base a little and also heat up the tray
(3) Tray goes in oven, usually takes 5-6 mins to cook a Neopolitan 14" pizza

Will this gadget give me a different taste or texture compared to my oven?

 

[oHUTCHYo]

Sorry, I missed this originally.

I've not used the BBQ pizza stone method but from what I've seen it's good for getting a bit of smoke flavour in there but if you're wanting pro Neapolitan style it's not the best option



I'm not sure many on here have it actually. My experiences are that when you manage to get the hang of it you can cook a Neapolitan pizza in <3 minutes (unmodded). Once you fully mod it you can get that down to 1-1.5 minutes.

The results (again, once you have the hang of it) are awesome and far better than I achieved in my oven even with cast iron pizza stones massively pre-heated and the oven set to grill mode. To be more specific, the texture of the crust was better - soft whilst also chewy and with a good bite. It's quite hard to describe fully but it's definitely better.

If you're used to cooking 14 inch pizzas though you might find it a bit of a shock moving to the 10-ish inch pizzas you can make with the Ferrari.

Thanks pal. I keep seeing mods being mentioned on the youtube videos but it doesnt expand on what those mods are, presumably element/temperature related?

I'm tempted to buy one, especially if it results in a soft and chewy finish.

 

[oHUTCHYo]

Thanks for the extra info Tart. Before I commit to another gadget I've decided to pick up some pizza stones to try instead of my aluminium.

I also bought some semolina flour to try on the base, I've been using a little olive so far on the tray to prevent sticking so am keen to see how the semolina works.

 

[oHUTCHYo]

Did any of you chaps catch the Nigel Slater series recently? I tried this as a pizza dough recently, not too dissimilar to my usual but quite a wet mix.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/sucuk_pide_41220

Sucuk pide
For the dough
450g/1lb bread flour, plus extra for kneading
pinch salt
7g sachet instant yeast
350ml/12fl oz tepid water

 

[oHUTCHYo]

For those of you folks still using a standard kitchen oven to make your pizza, have you yet to find the perfect recipe and method?

My oven has a pizza setting which gets me to a slightly above average temperature of 300 deg and have had varying results with basic flour, yeast and water mixes then the more complex flour, yeast, sugar, oil and water mixes.

 

[oHUTCHYo]

I've been making home made pizza for a while now and tried a lot of different recipes, I was late home from work last night so just threw a recipe together which actually worked out fantastic and I'll be using it from now on.

200g 00 Italian flour. I got mine from Shipton mill but got similar results from Mcdougalls 00 flour.
30g fine semolina
4g table salt
5g fast action yeast
185g warm water

Very high hydration pizza with give you a really nice texture and puffy crust but be warned can be difficult to work.

In a heavy glass bowl add all of the dry ingredients and mix to combine them.
Next add all of the water and mix with the handle end of a wooden spoon until combined.

Now you need to knead the dough either with a stand mixer or I use an electric whisk with the dough hook attachments.
Because it's such a wet dough they work very well.

Knead the dough until it pulls away from the sides of the glass bowl, this normally takes at least 8 mins.
The dough will be a sticky mess at first but keep kneading and eventually it will form into a ball, keep going until it does.

Once the dough is well kneaded rub a table spoon of oil onto your worktop and tip the dough out onto it.
Now you need to fold the dough, pinch an outer edge of the dough and fold in into the middle then turn and repeat this a few times.
After that flip the dough over so the seam side is down and cover the dough with the glass bowl.
leave the dough for 20-30 mins.

After 20-30 mins slightly wet your finger tips with warm water and fold the dough several times again. Wetting your finger tips will stop the dough from sticking to them.
Do not use any flour to dust the dough just yet.
Flip the dough over and cover with the bowl and leave again for 20-30 mins.

Set your oven to 230c

After this fold the dough once more with wet fingers then heavily dust the work top with flour and place you dough seam side down, now heavily dust the top of the dough with flour and use a dough scraper to push the dough into a ball from the out sides only, do not press on the top of the dough. You don't want any of the flour getting inside the dough at this point as it will ruin the texture of the dough, the flour should be on the outside only to stop the dough sticking to the work top.
Cover the dough with the bowl once more for 10 mins.

After this its ready to make the pizza. Remove the bowl and start to form the pizza base by pressing with the pads of your fingers lightly from the centre out forming a thicker crust around the edge, don't use a rolling pin you monster!
The dough should be soft and light. Once you've pressed the dough out to around 9" move it to your peel or large baking tray dusted with semolina, don't try to make the pizza full size at this stage as you will stretch it once more after the toppings are added.

Add your toppings remember less is more when it comes to pizza then pinch opposite sides of the dough and lightly stretch to desired size, bake in the oven at 230c for 12-15 mins.

Nom Nom Nom.

Superb, thank you for such a detailed guide. I'll be trying this very soon! Surprised to see only 230 degrees, I've been using 300 degrees pizza setting on mine but might explain where Im going wrong?