At DailyBowlStudio, we've come to understand that extraordinary pizza begins with top-notch dough. With over thirty years spent refining our technique, we are thrilled to divulge a few trade secrets. While our precise recipe remains our own little mystery, these guidelines will set you on the path to making pizzeria-grade pizza dough within your kitchen.
Flour Quality is Key
A stellar pizza dough needs premium flour. 00 flour is our top choice, a finely milled Italian variety that has a moderate protein level of about 12%, striking the right balance for dough elasticity and tenderness. In its absence, bread flour can serve as an alternative, though the resulting texture will vary somewhat.
Water Temp and Dough Hydration
Your water's temperature is crucial for dough fermentation and development. Cold water, roughly at 45°F (7°C), is best for a slow fermentation that enhances taste, whereas warmer water at 85°F (29°C), speeds up the process. Aim for a hydration proportion, the water-to-flour ratio, between 60-70% to suit most domestic ovens.
Go Easy on the Yeast for Better Flavor
For truly flavorsome dough, less yeast and more fermentation time is the formula we swear by. We use merely 0.2% of fresh yeast in relation to our flour's weight and let our dough ferment from 24 to 48 hours. This extended fermenting phase allows rich flavors to evolve and results in dough that's more digestible.
Salt—It's More Than Just Taste
Salt isn't only for flavoring your dough, it bolsters the gluten network and tempers fermentation. We commend using fine sea salt at a 2.5-3% ratio to your flour's weight. It's best to mix it in once the flour and water have begun to integrate, keeping it from interacting with the yeast immediately.
Fermentation: The Hidden Craft
Post-mixing, leave your dough to bulk ferment at room temp for a couple of hours. Then, partition it into balls, store in lidded containers, and refrigerate from 24 to 72 hours. During this chilled fermentation, enzymes work to convert starches into sugars, adding to the flavor and contributing to the crust's signature browning.
Gentle Dough Handling
As you're ready to bake, take the dough out of the fridge 1-2 hours beforehand to allow it to reach room temp. Treat the dough with care to maintain the formed gas pockets. Use your fingers to press and stretch the dough instead of rolling it out, keeping those vital air bubbles intact.
Finalizing with High Heat
Our wood-fired ovens reach 850°F (454°C), but a home oven typically tops out at 550°F (288°C). Make up for this by pre-heating a pizza stone or steel for at least one hour, providing the strong bottom heat needed for a crust that's both crispy and fluffy.
Perfecting pizza dough is a learning curve, with each attempt teaching new aspects of the craft. Document your observations, tweak the variables and learn what best fits the conditions of your own kitchen space.
Eager to witness our dough creation in action? Come to one of our monthly pizza-making classes led by Chef Alessandro, who will display these tactics in greater detail. For forthcoming events, peek at our calendar!