Mistakes in making pizza

It is probably not an exaggeration to say that everyone loves pizza and many people have tried to cook the “party queen” at home.





But has it always been successful? When baking at home, the dough often hardens, becomes dry and hard, like a sole.





Real pizza is incompatible with low temperatures and semi-finished products, it likes high heat, fresh ingredients and does not tolerate oversights, which we will talk about in this article.

Italian pizza dough

1. The right ingredients
   To get a delicious pizza, you need the right “working” yeast. If you are not an expert in yeast, it is better to use dry fast-acting (instant) yeast. They reduce the time of mixing dough and increase its extensibility when molding pizza.
   
   
   
   It is also important to find quality flour. Bloating on the surface of the dough, raw, unbaked flesh, lack of crunch in the crust, rapid loss of freshness ... The cause of all these troubles can be insufficient protein content in flour.
   
   
   
   
   
   For comparison, our ordinary baking flour of the highest grade contains up to 10% protein, Italian flour of the variety “00” – 11.5%, and pizza flour of the New York style – 13-14% protein.
   
   Before cooking pizza, flour must be sifted, so it will not only get rid of impurities and lumps, but also be saturated with oxygen, and the dough will become light and tender.
   
   
2. Dough rolling
   The rough mechanical force of the roller destroys all the air bubbles formed inside the test, responsible for the air crust.
   
   
   
   Therefore, if you are preparing homemade pizza or fragrant focaccia, put an oily sheet of paper on the pan, and lay out a piece of dough on it and stretch it with your fingers to the desired size.
   
   
3. Thickness of dough
   In Russia, it is customary to think that real Italian pizza dough is thin and low-calorie, but in fact in the southern provinces of Italy (where pizza originated), the “correct” dough is often lush.
   
   
   
   The dough can be compared to the foundation of the house. Too thin "foundation" will not withstand the weight of sauce, filling and cheese. Too thick base risks remaining uncooked. The ideal thickness of the test varies from 3 to 6 mm.
   
   A thick base for pizza can be pre-baked, smeared with sauce and sprinkled with butter. Bring it to half-ready, and then lay out the filling, so nothing will burn and everything will be baked properly.
   
   
4. How to achieve a uniform rise
   We used to form a pizza dough ball, put it in an oiled bowl, cover it with a towel and leave it in this form for lifting. But the pros go the other way. It is enough to form a rectangular layer from the test and fold it several times on yourself so that the dough rises more evenly.
   
   
   
5. Salt time.
   Salt and yeast do not get along very well, so you need to salt the dough at a certain time. Beginner cooks will be easier to salt the water and add it to the dough. Or mix all the ingredients, including yeast, and add salt at the end.
6. Do you need sugar?
   Even if you do not like sweets, this is not a reason to give up sugar in the dough. Sugar is needed to facilitate fermentation, improve the taste of dough and for the beautiful color of the cake. If desired, it can be replaced with honey or malt.
7. Insufficient heat or baking time
   Real Italian pizza is baked at very high temperatures, so the stronger the heat in the oven, the higher your chances of getting a crispy crust and a soft middle.
   
   
   
   In the oven, you need to set the maximum temperature regime and heat it for at least 40-50 minutes. Evenly bake pizza and avoid dough drying will help the use of baking stone.
   
   Baking stone It quickly heats up, retains heat for a long time, evenly transferring it to the dough and absorbing moisture from it. Baking, cooked on stone, turns out to be more tender and airy.
   
   

Classic recipe for pizza dough by Yevgeny Klopotenko



True to his signature style, the popular culinary expert and winner of the MasterChef-5 show proves that making delicious pizza dough is not at all difficult.

The ingredients

• 300g flour
• 8-10g dry yeast
• 180 ml of water
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2.5 tbsp olive oil

Preparation

1. Add yeast, salt and sugar to the sifted flour bowl, stir.
2. Pour water heated to 38 degrees (this is the optimal temperature for yeast) and olive oil.
3. Mix it. pizza-doughIf it sticks to your hands, add some flour.
4. Cover the dough with a napkin and put it in a warm place for lifting for 40-45 minutes.
5. Put the dough on the flour-sprinkled surface and put it back again.
6. Cover the pan with an oily sheet of paper, lay out a piece of dough on it and, kneading it with your fingers, stretch it to the desired size.
7. Place the filling on the dough and bake at a temperature of 230 degrees 5-7 minutes.

Fast dough for pizza without yeast



Test ingredients

• 1.5 tbsp flour
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 100 ml of water

Preparation

1. Ask for flour. In a convenient container, mix sifted flour, salt and baking powder. Stir it all together.
2. Sprinkle the loose ingredients into a deep bowl where you're going to mix the dough. In the center of the loose mixture make a small depression, pour water and olive oil into it.
3. Mix the dough, first with a spoon and then with your hands. Mix until a single homogeneous lump is formed. The dough should be soft and elastic.
4. Let the dough stand for half an hour and safely bake a delicious and fragrant pizza from it.
5. From these ingredients, you can roll the dough with a thickness of 3 mm to 1 batter. Pizza from this dough should be baked in the oven for 10-15 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees. This dough is also good for making pizza in a pan.

Don’t limit your pizza recipes to the usual ingredients, try to experiment and find new flavors. And believe me, even with such a simple dish you will make a lot of culinary discoveries!