What’s the key to making delicious pizza dough? Do true secrets exist for achieving that perfect pizza dough flavor? As someone who specializes in pastry, I get frequently questioned about the key elements that contribute to a pizza dough’s delightful taste. While numerous tips exist, I’ll highlight a couple of the crucial ones in this discussion.
First, you must use the right ingredients for the recipe. Not all recipes are created equal. Each one requires different types of ingredients in order to produce a unique final product. Your ingredients list is the key to finding the right combination of ingredients to make your special recipe truly one-of-a-kind.
It is often difficult to determine the correct ingredients needed for any given recipe. Sometimes it takes trial and error to determine which ingredients make the best mixture. And even then sometimes the recipe calls for ingredients that you don’t have or can’t locate in your local area. Making homemade pizza can be a very enjoyable process. It is when the process fails that people start to question the real purpose of making homemade pizza. Is it not better to purchase a pre-made pizza dough from a store?
The second secret is making sure your toppings match. If you have ever made homemade pizza before then you know what I’m talking about. When making homemade pizzas, it is important to choose the correct toppings to compliment the base dough. There is no sense in using toppings that do not go with the base, or that go too spicy for a delicate tomato base. The same goes for cheese toppings; although it is delicious on its own, it does not work well with a tomato base.
Cheese and tomato toppings are the two of the biggest contributors to flat crust pizzas. To learn what is the secret to good pizza dough it is important to use high quality tomatoes. They should be firm and ripe in order to maximize their flavors. In addition to using fresh tomatoes ensure that the cut tomatoes have not been sitting around too long. The longer they sit the less flavor they will retain.
Another secret to good pizza dough is using the right bread machine. Most commercial bread machines will produce what is termed “standard” pizza dough. This type of dough will give most recipes a run for their money. In order to get the best possible result from your pizzas, you should work with a good quality machine that has the ability to knead and rise without having to add additional water. Most commercial bread machines will work with both soft and hard dough.
One of the biggest mysteries about what is the secret to good pizza dough is that using the right toppings will really give your pizza its unique character. Traditionally tomato based toppings are the best way to provide this flavor. However, today more people are experimenting with different types of toppings such as cheese, spinach, chicken, and even exotic vegetables. As long as the toppings have a good balance of sweetness and crunchiness, your pizza will be a real winner.
The final secret to good pizza dough is to make sure that you have enough and that it is thoroughly mixed. The more batter that you use the less likely that your pizza will stick to the pans. Also, the less time that the crust stays in contact with the heat source, the better the outcome will be. Following these simple guidelines will help you make the best pizza possible.
Another key to pizza dough is making sure that you have the right amount of water added. Too little water and the pizza will dry out quickly, while too much water and the pizza will dry out very slowly. This will depend on the recipe and even on personal preference, but the rule of thumb is that no more than half a cup of water should be added.
Finally, your secret to good pizza dough? Keep the temperature at the beginning and the end of the baking. A good pizzeria will start out the oven well under room temperature and leave it in order to let the toppings cool. Once the toppings are ready and the temperature has begun to cool, it is time to place the pizza in the preheated oven and get ready for some great tasting pizza!
You can also choose to bake the pizza crust at the oven instead of in the conventional way. If baking in the oven, simply line the baking sheet with crust and bake for about one hour. Turn the pizza oven when done and slide it off of the prepared baking sheet, allowing it to cool. When you want to cut into it, remove the knife right away, because it may be a bit drier than the original. Once you’re satisfied that it’s all gone and you want to serve it, all you have to do is slice it into perfect pieces.
