Mastering Pizza Dough

Pizza Making — Dough Mixing

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Once all ingredients are prepared, pizza making begins with mixing the dough, followed by dough formation; fermentation is the process that takes place before and after.

Dough mixing is the process of thoroughly blending flour, water, and various auxiliary ingredients in specified proportions. There are two methods: hand mixing and machine mixing. Hand mixing is relatively simple and follows a similar workflow to machine mixing, so it needs little explanation. Below is a brief overview using a dough mixer as the example.

Flour-to-Water Ratio

The ratio is calculated by weight. Generally, a flour-to-water ratio of around 1:0.55 is ideal. The amount of water mainly depends on the water-absorption capacity and moisture content of the flour. As a rule, high-gluten flour requires less water, while low-gluten flour requires more — adjust flexibly according to your actual situation.

Standard Pizza Dough Formula (by weight)

• Flour: 100%

• Water: 55%

• Salt: 2.2%

• Instant dry yeast: 2%

• Sugar: 2%

• Olive oil: 2%

Mixing Procedure (using a dough mixer)

• Pour the flour and water into the mixing bowl at a 1:0.55 ratio. Add them gradually, or hold back a small amount; once the mixer starts, add the remaining flour or water little by little depending on the dough's consistency. This allows adjustment as needed and prevents overflow if the bowl is too full when the mixer starts.

• Dissolve the yeast in an appropriate amount of warm water (around 30°C / 86°F), then pour it into the flour in the mixing bowl.

• Add the sugar, then start the mixer on low speed for about 3 minutes until the flour and water combine into a rough, flaky mixture.

• Add the salt to the flaky dough and continue mixing on low speed for about 7 minutes. Then add the olive oil, switch to high speed, and mix for about 5 minutes, until the dough surface becomes smooth with a "pumpkin-skin texture."

Tips:

When adding ingredients, do not place salt and yeast in direct contact, as the chemical properties of salt can inhibit yeast activation. Sugar serves as nourishment for the yeast and can be added together with the yeast solution.