1. Flour - bread flour / pizza flour has higher protein and creates a slightly better chewy crust with some big holes aka Wood fired pizzeria style. But I wouldn't make a special trip for it - all purpose / plain flour works just fine!
2. Yeast - use yeast labelled “instant” or “rapid rise”. If you can only find normal yeast (can be labelled “active dry yeast”) then dissolve yeast with the sugar in the warm water (no need to let it foam, use all the water). Mix the flour and salt in a bowl, make well. Pour in yeast mixture and oil. Proceed with recipe as written.
Fresh yeast -I have not made this with fresh yeast, but using the standard conversion, you will need 15.5g / 0.55 ounces of fresh yeast. Crumble into warm water with sugar and follow above directions for active dry yeast.
3. Salt - reduce to 1 1/2 tsp if using table salt (finer grains = less volume for same amount of salt)
4. Water temp– if it’s so scorching hot you wouldn’t bathe in it, it will kill the yeast. If it’s a lovely temp you could sit in for hours in a bubble bath, it’s the perfect temp.
5.Pizza dough doesn't need to be as smooth as other breads. Dough should be soft and a bit sticky - not so sticky it gets stuck all over your hands, but JUST enough flour so it's barely sticking to your hands. Softer dough = better pizza crust, tough dry dough = dry pizza!
6.Dough rising – time will vary depending on room temperature, humidity. Over 30°C, should rise in 1 hour. 25-27°C = 1.5 - 2 hrs.
If it's not rising, move to somewhere warmer - will work fine even if it takes 5 hours to rise.Warm place ideas - run empty dryer, turn off then put bowl inside. Or oven at 30°C/86°F (no hotter, will kill yeast). Do not put in direct sunlight.
7. Fridge & flavour development:fridge = slows down yeast rising = time to let enzymes in the yeast to do their work, transforming starch into sugar which creates a more flavourful pizza crust. This dough is terrific cooked immediately once made, but gets even better with time. I usually make dough the day before, the cook the next day.
Note that the dough will likely deflate while stored in the fridge. This is not a problem! Just ensure you take the dough out ~3 hours before you plan to cook. Shape the individual balls while cold, then leave to rise in a warm place.
8. Cheese - always use freshly grated for pizza, not store bought pre-shredded which is chunkier (so you need more to cover = weighs down crust) and coated with anti caking agent (doesn't melt as well). Just grate with standard box grater.
- Mozzarellais the most commonly used. It melts well, gets nice golden spots, and has a fairly neutral flavour so you don't have overly salty toppings when you add bacon, pepperoni etc.
- To up the flavour, add a mix other cheeses with more flavour that melts well, such as Monterey Jack, Cheddar (don't use too much, it's greasy), fontina, gruyere, provolone, Swiss cheese.
- Buffalo mozzarella is used for Margherita pizza, see recipe here.
- Blue Cheese is used for Quattro Formaggio (4 Cheese Pizza) along with provolone, parmesan and mozzarella (and it's fabulous! Recipe here)
9. Pizza stone - preheat stone in oven. Sprinkle wooden paddle very generously with semolina (or flour or cornmeal/polenta). Slide raw pizza base onto paddle, cover with toppings. Remove hot stone from oven, then slide pizza onto hot stone. Transfer to oven immediately, cook 6 to 7 minutes.
10. DOUGH STORAGE:
Dough in fridge up to 5 days - Plan ahead, do Rise #1 in a large container (or separate dough into 3 smaller containers for Rise #1). After you do Rise #1, remove cling wrap and cover with lid*, and put the puffed up dough in the bowl straight into the fridge with the cling wrap on (ie do not deflate it). It will probably rise a bit more in the fridge in the first 24 hrs, then it might deflate. Either way ok.
Then remove cold dough from fridge and immediately proceed to "Form small balls, Rise #2" steps. Will take 3 - 4 hrs for Rise #2 using fridge cold dough, doesn't matter if it even takes 6 hrs (ie you left to rise, came back and realise it's not rising, move to warmer place, as I have done!). Also see "Practical Timing" tip below.
* Do not use airtight lid for Rise #1, need some air escape. Cling wrap is best - I know it's not environmentally friendly, but it is the most effective for Rise #1.
Alternative -After Rise #1, form log, cut into 3 and form balls per recipe. Use one/two now, save the other by putting in fridge or freezer BEFORE doing Rise #2. When ready to use, take out of fridge (or thaw from freezer) and follow recipe for Rise #2. Dough rises a wee bit less which is why I prefer refrigerating straight after Rise #1 (ie pre cutting) but once baked it is barely noticeable (I only notice because I measured during testing!!)
Freezing dough -do Rise #1, shape into log and cut into 3 per recipe. Lightly coat ball with oil (or use oil spray), then freeze ziplock bags for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge, then shape into ball and proceed with Rise #2 - it will take 3 to 4 hours because the dough is starting from fridge cold.
11. Reheating cooked pizza
- Emergency - pizza on paper towels, microwave reheat. Soggy base, but does the job!
- Stove - pizza in dry skillet over medium high heat, lid on to warm the top (3 - 5 minutes). Crispy base!
- Oven - pizza on tray covered loosely with foil. 7 minutes at 180°C/350F. Crispy base!
12. Make ahead pizza bases only
Bake base only 2 minutes at 275°C/530°F (all oven types), or as high as your oven will go if it won't go that high. Will be pale but just cooked in centre. Cool on cooling rack, then immediately wrap in cling wrap and freeze up to 3 months (even better, put in containers or large ziplock bags as well). To use, thaw, top and bake for 10 minutes at temp per recipe.
Can also refrigerate base overnight (wrap well to avoid drying out), but the day after the bases are a bit dry. Freezing is definitely best to preserve freshness.
HOMEMADE PIZZA TIPS
- Forgiving dough - if you use weights listed, dough should be perfect. But if too sticky, just use more flour when kneading. Too dry, sprinkle with water. Takes hours longer to rise? That's fine too. Rises way too quickly, not ready to cook? No worries, put it somewhere cold (fridge, bathroom) to slow/stop the rise.
- Practical Timing - dough rising time can be temperamental depending on humidity, kitchen warmth etc. Best to start earlier in day, and get to Rise #2. Once Rise #2 has been done, the puffed up balls ready for stretching into pizza bases can sit around for up to 5 hours in a COOL room (to stop rising further). Just make sure you keep them covered with a damp tea towel (and dusted with flour so they don't stick to tea towel) so they don't dry out. Cling wrap on top would be extra insurance policy.
- Uneven base -don't fret about your base looking uneven or even if you tear a hole in it - just patch it up. Once cooked and the dough puffs up, everything evens out - and anyway, the "rustic" look is in! And with practice, you will get better stretching base out evenly.
- Rolling pin not the best -it will knock the air out of the dough, and the crust will be crisper as it won't rise as well.
- Toppings(see here for recipes) - don't load up too much and don't use too many "wet" ingredients on the one pizza. Too much toppings = weighs down crust, makes centre soggy.
- Pizza sauce - same as toppings, use less (I use 1/4 cup). 1/2 cup that some recipes call for is way too much - will make your pizza soggy.
- FRESHLY GRATED mozzarella cheese -is best for max surface area coverage and best melt. Store bought grated cheese is bigger pieces, so you need more to get the same coverage = thicker layer of cheese =weighs down the crust.
- Cook immediatelyonce you stretch the pizza base, transfer to pizza pan, top & cook immediately. Don't leave it sitting around even for 5 minutes, sweats underneath = soggy base.
Nutrition per slice of pizza (assuming pizza cut into 8), base only ie excludes pizza sauce and toppings.
