At CedarBloomHaven, we hold the conviction that extraordinary pizza begins with extraordinary dough. With over thirty years dedicated to honing our mix, we're thrilled to impart a few of our dough-making insights. Keeping our precise blend a secret (as some customs must remain enigmatic!), these guidelines will aid you in producing pizzeria-level pizza dough within the comfort of your kitchen.
Flour Quality is Key
The backbone of impressive pizza dough is premium flour. We propose utilizing 00 flour, an ultra-fine Italian variety that boasts a moderate protein ratio (approximately 12%), delivering an ideal mix of elasticity and softness. In the absence of 00 flour, bread flour presents a viable alternative, though it will alter the texture somewhat.
Hydration and Water Temperatures
The heat of your water fundamentally influences dough rise and texture. Utilize chilly water at about 45°F (7°C) for drawn-out fermentation, enhancing the taste, or tepid water around 85°F (29°C) for a hastier rise. The hydration percentage, the volume of water compared to flour, is best set between 60-70% for the average domestic oven.
Yeast in Moderation, Time in Plenty
A crucial element to savory dough is the minimal employment of yeast and the maximization of fermentation duration. We deploy a mere 0.2% fresh yeast in proportion to the mass of our flour, enabling doughs to mature over 24-48 hours. This extended period permits the emergence of intricate flavors while also yielding a dough that’s gentler on digestion.
Salting Beyond Taste
Salt serves not solely to add taste but also to fortify the gluten framework and modulate fermentation. Our suggestion is to blend fine sea salt at 2.5-3% of your flour mass. Introduce it once your flour and water have begun amalgamating, distancing it from direct contact with the yeast.
Fermentation - A Mastery
Subsequent to stirring, let your dough undergo bulk fermentation at ambient temperature for a couple of hours; then it should be apportioned into balls. Encase these in lidded containers and refrigerate for 24-72 hours. It's during this cool fermentation process that the alchemy occurs—enzymes convert starches to sugars, augmenting flavor and contributing to the crust’s aesthetically pleasing browning.
Delicate Handling
When the occasion arises to craft your pizza, extract the dough from the cooler 1-2 hours prior to baking to temper it. Carefully manipulate the dough to retain the air bubbles. Make use of your fingertips to depress and widen the dough instead of flattening it with a rolling pin, which would diminish those essential pockets of air.
Intense Heat - the Concluding Element
Our wood-fueled kilns reach soaring temperatures of 850°F (454°C), but a typical house oven will top out at around 550°F (288°C). To make up for this, employ a pre-heated pizza stone or steel for no less than an hour, ensuring that fierce base heat needed for a crispy outer crust and a soft inner body.
Mastering the intricacies of pizza dough is an evolving path. Each preparation imparts novel insights into the art. It’s beneficial to jot down observations, amend factors, and explore what yields the best outcomes in your personal cooking area.
For an in-person observation of our dough prep methods, attend one of our monthly pizza-making classes, where Chef Luca exhibits these skills meticulously. Look to our event schedule for upcoming occasions!