Pizza Dough Question

"Ben" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

hi, i'm really not a cook, but in the last month i've been trying to
work on pizza making at home... already it tastes so much better than
any delivery i've had, but still want to improve it a bit.

got a book that describes a neapolitan type crust recipe -- i tried to
double the yeast amount, in order to make it rise some more, but it
didn't help... in fact, what it did do is make it really hard to
stretch the dough...

can anyone offer tips to 1) how to make it rise more 2) what makes it
so it's hard to stretch ? was it the added yeast ?

here's the recipe i used:

1 tsp active dry yeast (i used 2, and it didn't make it rise more)
1 1/4 warm water (made sure to measure temp to 115 F & used bottled
water)
1 cup cake flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose non bleached flour
2 tsp sea salt

I tried various rising methods... (over the counter / put in
refrigerator for 24 hrs, punching down serveral time) -- also when i
take the dough ball out of the refrigerator I let it sit at room temp
for 2 hours...

Thanks for any tips from you pros!

ben

Try this:
3-1/2 cups bread flour (or all-purpose)
1-1/2 teaspoons dry or instant yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups water

Two things:
1) You may have too much salt ratio to yeast.
2) There is no necessity for heating the water this high. Anything over 90
and UNDER 110 is better. Don't go to 115.

Dee Dee

Dee Dee said:

"Ben" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

hi, i'm really not a cook, but in the last month i've been trying to
work on pizza making at home... already it tastes so much better than
any delivery i've had, but still want to improve it a bit.

Quoted message said:

got a book that describes a neapolitan type crust recipe -- i tried to
double the yeast amount, in order to make it rise some more, but it
didn't help... in fact, what it did do is make it really hard to
stretch the dough...

Quoted message said:

can anyone offer tips to 1) how to make it rise more 2) what makes it
so it's hard to stretch ? was it the added yeast ?

Quoted message said:

here's the recipe i used:

Quoted message said:

1 tsp active dry yeast (i used 2, and it didn't make it rise more)
1 1/4 warm water (made sure to measure temp to 115 F & used bottled
water)
1 cup cake flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose non bleached flour
2 tsp sea salt

Quoted message said:

I tried various rising methods... (over the counter / put in
refrigerator for 24 hrs, punching down serveral time) -- also when i
take the dough ball out of the refrigerator I let it sit at room temp
for 2 hours...

Quoted message said:

Thanks for any tips from you pros!

Quoted message said:

ben

Try this:
3-1/2 cups bread flour (or all-purpose)
1-1/2 teaspoons dry or instant yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups water

Two things:
1) You may have too much salt ratio to yeast.
2) There is no necessity for heating the water this high. Anything over 90
and UNDER 110 is better. Don't go to 115.

Dee Dee- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

interesting...i didn't know the salt has an affect on the yeast
activity... and i've been adding more than the recipe calls for to try
to get more taste in there... so it makes sense -- I'll watch it next
time & the water temp, and definatley try your recipe as well. I have
to watch some more Alton Brown 🙂

btw, i remember in the pizza place i used to work in, we took the
dough balls right out of the cooler before tossing/baking... we didn't
let it sit at room temp. Is that really needed ? can someone offer
tips to the best (but not overkill) method of rising ? obviously
faster is better if it doesn't hurt the results...

Thanks Dee Dee!

"Ben" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Dee Dee said:

"Ben" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

hi, i'm really not a cook, but in the last month i've been trying to
work on pizza making at home... already it tastes so much better than
any delivery i've had, but still want to improve it a bit.

Quoted message said:

got a book that describes a neapolitan type crust recipe -- i tried to
double the yeast amount, in order to make it rise some more, but it
didn't help... in fact, what it did do is make it really hard to
stretch the dough...

Quoted message said:

can anyone offer tips to 1) how to make it rise more 2) what makes it
so it's hard to stretch ? was it the added yeast ?

Quoted message said:

here's the recipe i used:

Quoted message said:

1 tsp active dry yeast (i used 2, and it didn't make it rise more)
1 1/4 warm water (made sure to measure temp to 115 F & used bottled
water)
1 cup cake flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose non bleached flour
2 tsp sea salt

Quoted message said:

I tried various rising methods... (over the counter / put in
refrigerator for 24 hrs, punching down serveral time) -- also when i
take the dough ball out of the refrigerator I let it sit at room temp
for 2 hours...

Quoted message said:

Thanks for any tips from you pros!

Quoted message said:

ben

Try this:
3-1/2 cups bread flour (or all-purpose)
1-1/2 teaspoons dry or instant yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups water

Two things:
1) You may have too much salt ratio to yeast.
2) There is no necessity for heating the water this high. Anything over
90
and UNDER 110 is better. Don't go to 115.

Dee Dee- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

interesting...i didn't know the salt has an affect on the yeast
activity... and i've been adding more than the recipe calls for to try
to get more taste in there... so it makes sense -- I'll watch it next
time & the water temp, and definatley try your recipe as well. I have
to watch some more Alton Brown 🙂

btw, i remember in the pizza place i used to work in, we took the
dough balls right out of the cooler before tossing/baking... we didn't
let it sit at room temp. Is that really needed ? can someone offer
tips to the best (but not overkill) method of rising ? obviously
faster is better if it doesn't hurt the results...

Thanks Dee Dee!

Refrigerated dough handles easier. It's up to you if you want a pizza crust
that is risen or not. If so, you could shape the dough and let it come up
to temp and rise a bit.
Janet

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

can anyone offer tips to 1) how to make it rise more 2) what makes it
so it's hard to stretch ? was it the added yeast ?

More yeast will make it rise faster but not necessarily more. Keep dough
in a warm place for a longer time is my suggestion.

If the dough is hard to stretch, let it rest for a while (15 min
perhaps). Kneading/rolling develops gluten which makes the dough hard to
stretch. Resting lets the gluten relax.

--
Peter Aitken

"Ben" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

hi, i'm really not a cook, but in the last month i've been trying to
work on pizza making at home... already it tastes so much better than
any delivery i've had, but still want to improve it a bit.

got a book that describes a neapolitan type crust recipe -- i tried to
double the yeast amount, in order to make it rise some more, but it
didn't help... in fact, what it did do is make it really hard to
stretch the dough...

can anyone offer tips to 1) how to make it rise more 2) what makes it
so it's hard to stretch ? was it the added yeast ?

here's the recipe i used:

1 tsp active dry yeast (i used 2, and it didn't make it rise more)
1 1/4 warm water (made sure to measure temp to 115 F & used bottled
water)
1 cup cake flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose non bleached flour
2 tsp sea salt

Way too much salt. 1 teaspoon only. Salt does inhibit yeast. Cake flour
is absolutely wrong for bread. It does not contain enough protein to give
you gluten which is the foundation of bread. I use bread flour only and as
high protein content as you can get. I don't see how you get by with that
little flour. I'd need at least 4, closer to 5. Are you kneading the dough
enough? You are trying to develop the gluten which is the structure of the
bread. Knead for about 10 minutes, keep adding flour. Rest if you get
tired. The dough should be very satiny and smooth and quite elastic when
done. You seem to be aiming for a thick, soft crust. You won't get that
with cake flour. You'll get cracker consistency instead - crumbly and dry.

Quoted message said:

I tried various rising methods... (over the counter / put in
refrigerator for 24 hrs, punching down serveral time) -- also when i
take the dough ball out of the refrigerator I let it sit at room temp
for 2 hours...

Your water is pretty hot. I don't even bother with proofing when I make
pizza dough. I just use ordinary filtered water at room temperature. I let
the yeast rest in the water just to hydrate then I make the dough and do an
overnight rise in the fridge. Fresh yeast makes all the difference. Check
the date stamp on your yeast packages.

Let the dough rest before you roll it out. It will be springy but it should
give up and stretch out. Don't work it too hard at this point or it will
get very tough to work with.

Paul