Gluten Development Gluten is formed when you knead the pizza dough. Kneading takes longer than you think. If you're kneading by hand, it can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes. When you keep kneading the dough you will notice that the stickiness is reduced over time.
Pizza dough involves a basic mixture of yeast, flour, water, oil, and salt or sugar. Once you mix the ingredients, you must knead the dough to make it sticky enough for the components to hold together but not so sticky that it clings on every surface and ruins your pizza night.
We recommended kneading your dough for about 4 to 6 minutes! Over-kneading your dough will create a fine, crumb-like texture, giving your dough a bready texture rather than a light and airy pizza crust.
After the ingredients have all come together, cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest for 10-20 minutes. Then, knead on medium speed for about 5 minutes.
If your dough is too sticky and it's impossible to work with you can add some extra flour, just a little at a time. Make sure you weigh the extra flour you add and then you'll be able to adjust the recipe correctly the next time you bake.
If your dough is so sticky that it sticks to everything, you need to add a little flour to it. As you are kneading it, make sure that your hands and your work surface are coated in a light dusting of flour, and add a few teaspoons of flour at a time. This will get rid of the stickiness.
One of the top reasons for a sticky dough is adding too much water. As stated earlier, high hydration makes the dough stick from everything. Thus, it is essential to understand and learn how to control the hydration level. In addition, adding more water to your dough will require a longer kneading process.
One of the signs that your dough is ready is that it will be completely smooth after kneading it. Your dough will be shaggy and lumpy to begin with, but once you've kneaded it for a while it should be smooth and slightly tacky to touch.
The first reason your pizza dough gets tough is that it contains too much flour. Or in baking terms, the dough has too low hydration. If the dough contains too much flour compared to water, the result will be a dry, tough pizza dough that's hard to work with. The simple solution is therefore to add less flour.
If you do not knead it long enough, there may be a lack of gluten formation resulting in an adhesive consistency. Using the wrong type of flour also contributes largely to a sticky dough. For a delightfully light texture in your pizza dough, Italian 00 flour is an ideal choice.
Keeping the dough cold during mixing—especially when friction from a food processor is involved—allows the yeast to ferment gradually when the dough is refrigerated. During this proofing period, the yeast develops complex flavors and creates just enough gas bubbles to make the dough pliable.
Signs of Overproofed Pizza Dough:
The dough has risen beyond its original size: Overproofed dough will have a very large volume and may spring out of the container. The dough is soft and sticky: Overproofed dough will feel very soft and may be difficult to handle.
Dough doesn't become sticky during the rise. It was probably sticky when you put it in the bowl or proving drawer. To avoid sticky dough, add water in drip by drip during the kneading process. Stop when the dough is soft and springy even if you have water left over.
When you cut into an over kneaded dough, you will notice that the interior is very dry and crumbly. The slices will likely fall apart rather than holding their shape. While the general taste of the bread may be the same, it will not have a nice mouth feel but, again, be dry, dense and crumbly- no thank you!
Yes. After the first rise, you can knead the dough lightly to remove some gas that causes air bubbles. This step is ideal if you want your dough to be flat and dense or if you want bread with a close crumb, like sourdough. If you prefer sourdough with an open crumb, just knead the dough lightly.
Over-proofing happens when dough has proofed too long and the air bubbles have popped. You'll know your dough is over-proofed if, when poked, it never springs back. To rescue over-proofed dough, press down on the dough to remove the gas, then reshape and reproof. (This method won't work for sourdough bread.)
How to tell the difference between “sticky” and “tacky” when it comes to dough: The easiest way is to press your hand onto the dough and then lift it up. If the dough pulls up with your hand and then releases (so your hand comes away clean), the dough is tacky. If you end up with dough stuck to your hand, it's sticky.
Dough Degassing After First Rise
The goal is to deflate it with a couple of pushes with your fist straight down, then straight back up. Don't twist! Punching is essential because it releases the built-up CO2 gas, redistributes the yeast so it can find new food sources, and equalizes the dough temperature.
Yes. And in fact, letting dough rise twice is highly encouraged if you're making Neapolitan-style pizza. This is because it gives a lot more time for the yeast and dough to interact with one another and create that perfect, chewy crust.
The second rise allows the yeast to produce carbon dioxide gas, which helps to leaven the dough and gives it a light, airy texture. However, some recipes only call for a single rise. This can be achieved by using a higher amount of yeast or by letting the dough rise for a longer period of time.
A dough hook is the best tool you can use to knead dough. It does everything your hands would do, but more quickly. Not only does a stand mixer and dough hook do all the work—but you're more likely to get better results if you use them instead.