5 Essential Tips for Creating the Perfect Pizza Dough

With most Sandy Bay families currently in isolation and cooking at home more often, chances are that pizza is a regular feature on the menu. But does a store-bought pizza really stack up against delicious homemade pizza cooked with fresh ingredients and traditional techniques? Not a chance!

If you’re tired of pizza that simply doesn’t deliver, then why not experiment with making one from scratch? Before you start planning toppings, be sure to give the dough the time and attention it deserves. After all, it’s the base that delivers that one-of-a-kind, authentic experience!

1 - Choose the Right Flour

If you bake at home, you’ll know which flours are best suited to specific dishes. For pizza dough, it’s best to use bread flour. Bread flour has a higher gluten content than all-purpose flour, meaning it delivers a crunchier crust with a chewy centre.

Have a wood-fired oven at home? Check out “00 flour” which is perfectly suited to cooking in wood-fired ovens.

2 - Cold-Ferment The Dough

While you’ll need to bring the dough to room temperature before working it, be sure to cold-ferment it first. Once you’ve made the pizza dough and let it rise, put it in a plastic container or bag and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours or even better, overnight. Fermentation gives the dough flavour and helps the crust to brown nicely.

3 - Get the Shape Right

Your pizza doesn’t need to be an exact circle, so don’t worry if it isn’t perfectly round. It’s the initial shape that gives the pizza its final form. So, start by making round balls and pay more attention to getting the thickness even than creating a perfect circle.

4 - Your Crust, Your Way

To make even crunchier and more flavoursome pizza crusts, get creative by brushing on a little herb or garlic butter, sundried tomato, or chilli oil and spice up those crusts!

5 - Bake at High Heat for a Short Time

The hotter the oven, the better the contrast between the crust and centre. To get your homemade pizza just right, you want a crispy crust with a soft — but not undercooked — centre.

Whenever you fancy a real woodfired pizza experience in Sandy Bay, drop by Maning Reef Cafe. Our chefs are the local experts when it comes to crafting the perfect pizza! Reservations are welcome and takeaway orders are available. Explore our pizza menu and contact us on 0402 337 831.

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