At LowBankTrail, we’re passionate about the belief that extraordinary pizzas are the result of extraordinary dough. Having honed our formula over thirty years, we’re thrilled to impart some insight into crafting quality dough at home. While our precise recipe is a cherished secret, these key principles will guide you in achieving pizzeria-style dough in your own kitchen.
Choosing the Right Flour
The base of any stellar pizza dough is premium flour. Our preference is for 00 flour, known for its fine texture and moderate protein composition, roughly 12%, which ensures that perfect blend of elasticity and delicateness in the dough. Should 00 flour be out of reach, a suitable alternative would be bread flour, noting that the final feel of the dough will vary mildly.
Optimal Water Temperatures and Hydration Levels
Water temperature is a pivotal factor in dough fermentation and its development. Utilizing cold water, approximately 45°F (7°C), encourages slow fermentation that enriches flavor, while warmer water, around 85°F (29°C), accelerates the fermentation. Hydration levels, the water to flour ratio, are optimally kept within 60-70% for typical domestic ovens.
Use Less Yeast and More Time
A crucial component to enriching dough flavor is minimizing yeast usage while maximizing fermentation time. Our technique incorporates a meager 0.2% fresh yeast by flour weight, letting the dough ferment for extensive periods ranging from 24-48 hours. Such an extended time frame facilitates the emergence of more intricate flavors and results in a dough that is easier for digestion.
Salt's Dual Role
More than a flavor enhancer, salt consolidates the gluten structure and regulates fermentation speed. A fine sea salt at a proportion of 2.5-3% to the flour is recommended. Introduce the salt after the flour and water have started amalgamating, avoiding any direct yeast contact.
Fermentation Mastery
Post-mixing, your dough should undergo a bulk fermentation at ambient temperature for a couple of hours, followed by division into separate balls which are then sealed in containers and refrigerated anywhere from 24-72 hours. It's during this refrigeration stage that real transformation occurs; enzymes decompose starches to sugars, enhancing flavor and accomplishing that appealing browning in our crusts.
Gentle Handling
Prior to pizza preparation, remove the dough from the cold about an hour or two before baking, to let it temper. Treating the dough with care is critical to maintaining the air clusters that formed during fermentation. Rather than rolling, which can deflate the dough, press and stretch it tenderly with your finger pads.
The Importance of Heat
Our bakery's wood-fired ovens can achieve 850°F (454°C), yet the majority of residential ovens top out around 550°F (288°C). To get around this limitation, preheat a pizza stone or steel for a minimum of one hour, mimicking the intense underside heat needed for a crust that's both crispy and light.
Perfecting pizza dough is an evolving process, each attempt bringing new insight. Note-taking and adjusting variables could lead to the discovery of the ideal method for your specific culinary setting.
For an opportunity to watch how we bring our dough to life, consider attending our monthly pizza workshops, where Chef Amelia will demonstrate these techniques comprehensively. For upcoming workshop dates, refer to our events schedule!