At WorldConnectPortal, we hold the conviction that extraordinary pizza is founded on superior dough. With the refinement of our recipe over thirty years, we're enthused to disclose some of our doughcraft secrets. While the precise formula is our heritage and remains undisclosed, these fundamentals can assist you in crafting pizzeria-caliber pizza dough within your dwelling.
Quality of Flour is Key
The bedrock of exceptional pizza dough is the use of premium flour. Our recommendation is to use 00 flour, which is an ultra-fine Italian flour that has an optimal protein percentage, about 12%, ideal for achieving the blend of robustness and suppleness in dough. If 00 flour is unavailable, a decent substitute would be bread flour, despite it resulting in a marginally different texture.
Water's Temperature and Moisture Content
The heat of the water is crucial in dough fermentation and structure. Utilize cool water, approximately 45°F (7°C), for extended fermentation that enhances flavor, and warm water, about 85°F (29°C), for a more expeditious fermentation. The dough's hydration, the water to flour ratio, should lie in the range of 60-70% to suit most residential ovens.
Lessen Yeast and Lengthen Time
A pivotal secret to a dough enriched in taste is to reduce yeast usage and allow extended time for fermentation. Our protocols call for a mere 0.2% fresh yeast in relation to our flour quantity, for fermentation that spans from 24 to 48 hours. This protracted duration permits the development of intricate flavors and yields a more digestible dough.
Salt's Role Beyond Seasoning
Salt not only seasons the dough but also fortifies gluten networks and modulates fermentation. Preferring fine sea salt, we advocate employing it at 2.5-3% of the flour's weight. Introduce salt once the flour and water commence integration, avoiding direct yeast contact.
Fermentation: A Culinary Craft
Subsequent to mixing, let your dough undergo bulk fermentation at ambient temperature for a couple of hours, then partition it into ball shapes. Encase these balls in lidded vessels and refrigerate for a timespan stretching from 24 to 72 hours. It is during this cold fermentation that the dough’s chemistry transforms, as enzymes convert starch into sugars, which embellish both flavor and crust coloration.
Delicate Handling
Prior to the pizza preparation, unfurl your dough from the cold storage 1-2 hours ahead of baking to reach a tepid state. Tactful manipulation is key to safeguarding the developed gas cavities within the dough. Rather than rolling out the dough, which would deflate those precious pockets, gently employ your fingertips to prod and stretch.
Heat: The Concluding Act
While we harness the inferno-like heat of our wood-fired ovens, reaching 850°F (454°C), home ovens typically peak at around 550°F (288°C). To bridge this gap, utilize a pizza stone or steel that's been pre-heated extensively, at the least for a full hour, to supply the ferocious bottom heat required for a crust that's crisp externally and porous internally.
The mastery of pizza dough is a continual journey. Every preparation imparts new insights. We endorse chronicling your observations, tweaking the variables, and honing what is optimal for your very own kitchen’s characteristics.
And for a live demonstration of how we craft our dough, feel free to enroll in our pizza workshops held monthly, where Chef Luca goes through these methods scrupulously. Visit our event schedule for prospective dates!