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Kneading the Most out of Your Pizza

  1. Choosing Flour and Yeast
  2. Let the Yeast Rest
  3. Knead the Dough Thoroughly
  4. Chill the Dough Overnight
  5. Cook at a High Temperature

  1. Choosing Flour and Yeast

    I don't need to tell you about the good toppings that you should be putting on your pizza. Fresh ingredients almost always taste better - fresh basil, fresh tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, etc. On the other hand, you may be a bit confused about what type of flour to use, and where to find the kind of yeast to make a good pizza.

    The Flour

    Don't go out to the store and blow a wad of cash on some primo expensive flour if you can help it. I have had great luck making pizza with all kinds of flours, though I most commonly use three types:

    • Unbleached, all-purpose flour
    • Whole wheat flour
    • Unbleached bread flour

    Out of the three, I've had the most success with unbleached, all-purpose flour. You can certainly cook your pizzas at higher temperatures before burning the crust with all-purpose flour, due to the lower gluten content (relative to bread flour). I honestly haven't seen or tasted much difference between flours other than this.

    The Yeast

    I'll readily admit that I use Fleischmann's Yeast (the active dry kind, but not the rapid-rise stuff). I usually buy the packet kind, which comes pre-measured in just the right amount. It's convenient... but unfortunately, it is flavorless. This is due to the fact that it's... well... just yeast!

    You can increase the flavor imparted by your yeast by giving it ample time to rise in a cold environment. See more below...

    An average yeast culture used in professional bakeries or kitchens is actually not comprised of solely one organism. Typically, such cultures include one or several strains of lactobacilli thriving in harmony with the yeast culture. It is widely held that the lactobacilli in these cultures provide most of the flavor of the baked goods they are added to, and that the yeast provide most of the volume, yet little to no flavor.

    There are a couple of options if you want to get a good yeast culture. First, you can shop online and buy a culture from a reputable seller. I've seen quite a few for sale on Sourdo.com and a few other places. The second option is to grow one yourself. Growing your own yeast culture is, flavor-wise, hit-or-miss. It's much easier to buy a culture from a reputable source.

  2. Let the Yeast Rest

    After you have proofed your yeast to insure that it is viable, you should mix about half the flour mixture into the yeast / water mixture and let that combination sit out in a warm place for at least 15 minutes. This allows the yeast to begin breaking down the flour before kneading the dough into a tougher, starchier consistency. The result is better flavor and much better texture in the final product.

    Your mixture should be somewhat liquid, but almost solid. It should come easily off of a whisk, but should be jelly-like in consistency.

  3. Knead the Dough Thoroughly

    More kneading means better texture.

    Kneading the dough makes it more elastic, harder to rip, and easier to throw into a pie shape. Also, the more you knead your dough, the chewier it will be when it comes out of the oven.

    It's pretty hard to overknead your dough if you are doing it by hand - you'll tire out faster than you can ruin the dough. Kneading your dough ball for about 15 minutes in all should give you decent results. Knead for 3-4 minutes at a time, letting the dough rest in between spurts for a couple of minutes. The dough ball should be smooth and slightly sticky when you are done.

  4. Chill the Dough Overnight

    If you want dough that doesn't taste like flour and nothing else, the single most important thing you can do is to let the yeast work its magic.

    Letting the dough sit overnight really allows the yeast enough time to do its magic. Keeping it in the fridge overnight doesn't just keep the dough from turning into a useless hot-air balloon - it also slows down and changes the way the yeast eats the carbohydrates in the flour.

    While you'll have to plan a day ahead before you make pizza, you'll be rewarded with a much tastier crust.

  5. Cook at a High Temperature

    Though in the Thorough Guide I indicate to cook the pizza somewhere around 425F, I usually cook at the highest temperature an oven will go before "broil." Cooking at a high temperature gets the cheese and crust cooked at a more consistent rate. I can't quite put my finger on it yet, but when I cook at a lower temperature, it seems like the crust does not cook as fast as the toppings, and consequently ends up undercooked.

    At any rate, it is important that when you cook at a high temperature to preheat the oven until it is at temperature, and to open the oven door as little and as infrequently as possible.