Just be sure to allow at least 90 minutes for the pizza dough to rise in a warm, draft-free spot in your kitchen before using it.
Yes, for a thicker, fluffier dough let it rise for 15-30 minutes, or until doubled. Can I make this dough the night before? Yes, to make this dough the night before put it in a bowl, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and a damp towel and store it in the refrigerator.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let the dough rise until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap, then put it inside the oven and let rise until doubled (about 45-60 minutes).
In short, the most common reasons for your pizza dough not rising are incorrect use of yeast, improper water temperatures, inadequate rising time and over-kneading the dough.
If your dough has not risen, it is possible that too much flour inhibited the yeast from having enough space to rise. One way to prevent the addition of too much extra flour is to properly knead your dough for at least 10 minutes so it forms a good gluten structure.
If your prep area is too cold, scout out warmer areas in your kitchen – perhaps next to a stove or heater – where you can place your dough bowl as it rises. If all else fails, you can try placing the bowl containing your dough in a warm water bath to speed up how quickly it rises.
In a toasty kitchen, your dough may proof in as little as an hour (or less!). When the temperatures dip, it can take much longer—upwards of two or even three hours.
“This lets the yeast get going before we chill everything down.” This time can vary based on your recipe and environment, so use your judgment if your recipe is high in yeast or it's a warm day — you may not need that 20- to 30-minute wait. Remember, your dough is going to grow.
If you don't let pizza dough rise, then it will not be able to trap the air bubbles that make for a light and airy crust. This will result in flat and dense bread that won't have much flavor or texture.
What you need to make an Italian pizza. Makes dough for 4 pizzas, each one about 12 inches in diameter: 600 mL of warm water. 7 cups (1kg) flour, type “00”*
The longer the yeast has had to feast – ideally 24 to 48 hours – the lighter and more flavorful the pizza dough will be. It will also be easier to digest because the yeast has done the job of breaking down ingredients that your stomach would have otherwise had to handle.
One way to make pizza dough rise faster is to place it in a warm oven. The heat will help activate the yeast, causing the dough to expand more quickly. Another way to speed up rising is to punch down the dough and knead it vigorously before shaping it into a pizza crust.
If your pizza dough is quickly snapping back or difficult to stretch, your dough is too tight. Cover your dough with plastic wrap and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. After a bit of rest, the gluten in the dough will relax, making the process of stretching much easier.
(You can skip this rise in the refrigerator and use the dough right away, but this cool, slow rise makes it easier to stretch and gives the pizza a crisper texture and more nuanced flavor.)
“Not giving your dough time to relax will give you something a bit tougher, more demanding, ornery, and perhaps even less flavorful,” says Asbrink. “Dough needs a minute to relax in order to be its best self—just like us.” So let that dough rest, and take 20 while you're at it.
This rest allows the starches and the gluten to expand and fully absorb the water, which makes the dough easier to handle and can shorten the time needed to fully knead the dough.
Proofing is the process of leaving the dough in the machine for 30 to 50 minutes at a steady temperature of 27°C. Because of this the yeast cells are given time to multiply, produce CO2 and alcohol.
Most recipes call for the bread to double in size – this can take one to three hours, depending on the temperature, moisture in the dough, the development of the gluten, and the ingredients used. Generally speaking, a warm, humid environment is best for rising bread.
If the dough is under proofed, the indentation springs back really fast and does not stay. If the dough is over proofed, the indentation stays, the surface is sticky, and the structure may collapse.
Because the yeast has already exhausted some of the dough's food supply, it won't be as energetic and will create much smaller air bubbles. Those smaller bubbles will allow for a texture more suited to sandwich bread, however, and will result in hardier bread.
If your dough balls didn't rise, it's because there wasn't enough yeast fermentation. There are several reasons for inadequate fermentation, but here are the top few. 1) There simply isn't enough yeast in your formula. Trying increasing your yeast by 10% increments in future batches to see if you get the proper rise.
Strategically poking holes in the dough creates little openings that permit air to escape while your pizza is baking. This prevents an undesirable puffing of the pizza dough, avoiding unwanted bubbles and preserving a superior texture for your final product.
The secret to great dough isn't kneading or throwing . . .
It's good old-fashioned H20. “Water, water, water,” says Falco. “Pizza dough made at home should be 50 percent water. Pizza needs to cook longer in a home oven, which means the dough needs to be more hydrated.”