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7 Tips and Tricks from Experts to Make the Best Pizza at Home
Are you thinking of bringing your homemade pizza to another level? If yes, then you probably have looked into more ways than one on how to achieve this goal. Although making the best pizza sounds like a lot of time and effort, it is worth trying.
Preparing pizza dough is one thing that brings hesitations to try to make pizza at home. On top of that, the overwhelming red sauce and different toppings, too, cause people to shy away from giving this Italian masterpiece a try making.
The truth is, the dough only requires a few ingredients and a bit of rising and rest time. Moreover, pizza toppings are not as hard to choose as you think. Get this; whatever you have in your fridge will be fine, or what flavour your taste buds prefer is okay.
But do you really want to know what makes the best pizza? Here is some advice: Pizza-making should not be complicated, but rather, it should be fun and fulfilling. Italian cuisine is known for utilising ingredients that are readily available—because of that, cooking pizza in your kitchen with your friends and family or by yourself is not hard.
While getting your ingredients ready, below are useful tips and tricks from experts to make the best pizza at home. Whether you are a beginner or not, the list below is helpful in cooking restaurant-quality pizza. Let us get a closer look at each one of them.
1. Take Time to Proof the Dough in the Fridge
When talking about the best pizzas in town, many will point out the ones with the best crusts. That is why a variety of crust types are invented depending on where you are eating pizza in the world. Some prefer thick crusts, while others like them thin. Nevertheless, the crusts remain one of the contributing factors of great pizzas.
Believe it or not, slowly proofing your dough is the most crucial part of creating the best pizza. This step slows down the fermentation process and allows the dough to develop the right flavour and texture. It involves lowering the temperature without over proofing. During this process, the yeast in the dough will break down more starches, improving the texture and flavour of the crust. When your dough is rested, move it inside the fridge to ferment in bulk.
2. Stretching Cold Dough Is Not Necessary
Your dough should ferment for at least 24 hours or over the next one to two days, and the dough will start to overproof beyond that timeframe. Take note that proofing your dough overnight is better than nothing. So, take time to let it rest as much as possible if you want the best results.
Once out of the fridge, do not directly knead the dough. The cold temperature makes the gluten contract, which tightens the dough. As a result, your dough will be hard to roll out. Aside from that, cooking cold dough in your oven does not make the best pizza you imagine. In doing so, the crust will double its size. However, this move is beneficial to those who prefer thick crusts. Don’t you think?
3. Invest in a High-Quality Pizza Stone or Steel
Unfortunately, the bad news is that the common ovens in your kitchen are not designed to cook pizza because they are either not hot enough or do not have a hot surface to cook pizza on. The best way around this is investing in a pizza stone, and it is the closest you could get when it comes to cooking pizza in a traditional way. A pizza stone has a surface hot enough to cook pizza on. It draws the moisture out of the crust, making it crispy and flavourful.
On the other hand, there is the pizza steel. It is easy to say that this is an alternative for a pizza stone. By standard, pizza steel is made of quarter-inch-thick steel that works similarly to a pizza stone. But the advantage of pizza steel is it conducts heat faster and better than a pizza stone, cooking your pizza quicker and resulting in a crispier base.
4. Give Enough Time for Your Pizza to be Cooked
Take note, beginners, because this mistake is common among you. Many people cooking pizza for the first time quickly become worried that their pizza has been inside the oven for too long. Because of this misconception, they take it out too early. If you take a good bite into it, you will find out that the pizza crust is still doughy in the middle. This is the last thing every pizza lover would want to happen.
To avoid doughy crust and uncooked middle, leave your pizza a bit longer inside the oven before taking it out. It is fine as long as the toppings and crust are not burned. Lower the temperature to ensure that your pizza does not get too little or too much heat. Extra cooking will leave your crust extra crispy and more delectable.
Getting the perfect crust for the best pizza takes time and practice. For now, keep an eye on your pizza’s crust and do not take it out when it is still white.
5. Proper Portions of Ingredients Yield the Best Results
Many pizza recipes claim to be the best, which makes selecting the right one a lot harder than expected. But there is no right or wrong in making your pizza dough. After all, it is only made up of four ingredients, including flour, water, yeast, and salt. Some cookbooks would instruct adding some sugar and oil.
Knowing the right portions of the basic ingredients for your pizza dough makes the difference. For every 100% of flour, there should be 65% of water, 2% salt, and 1% yeast. If you master this concept, you will be able to compare recipes from many sources. What is remarkable is that you can come up with your own way of cooking pizza.
6. Over Kneading Will Make Bread-Like Dough
Light and airy crusts are a good sign, and these should be your goal if you are attempting to make the best pizza. The first thing you should remember is not over kneading the pizza dough; otherwise, you will come up with a bread-like crust, which is not what you should be ending up with. Pizza and bread might be delicious together, but they are not the same thing.
To avoid an over-kneaded dough, work on your dough for at least two and a maximum of six minutes. You may also try the ‘windowpane test’ in which you will stretch out a portion of your dough and see through it. Bread makers commonly use this method, and if you can see through your pizza dough, it means that the dough is over-kneaded.
7. Utilise What You Already Know
If you are starting to find your way towards baking, particularly making pizza, there are basic things that you should learn beforehand. These things are significantly helpful in baking pizza and other delicacies like bread and pastries.
Besides learning how to stretch the dough by hand, preheating your oven, using the right flour quality, and incorporating fresh ingredients play an essential role in preparing the best pizza. Even though cooking could get too scientific and mathematical, passion for this craft remains the best weapon that leads to amazing dishes.
At the end of the day, the best pizza does not happen overnight. It is actually a product of hard work, dedication, and passion for what you do. Additionally, your willingness to create an excellent product will pay off when you find the right footings to build the foundation of the best pizza.
Ready to Dig in Cucina Dolce’s Gourmet Pizza?
Craving for an authentic pizza within Chelsea? Cucina Dolce is a place you must visit. Our menu board is full of Italian favourites. And, of course, pizza will not be missing. Find out more about us on our website. You may also call us on (+61) 03 9772 9091 or send us a message through fred@cucinadolce.com.au.
