Making pizza at home can be practical and exciting if you understand what to do. The key is following the recipe and ensuring the ingredients are at the required temperature. Here are some practical hints for making the perfect pizza at home.
Measure the ingredients correctly.
The most common cause of difficulties in making decent dough is inaccurate flour measurement, and using a cup measure is the worst possible method. The best pizza (and bread) recipes will utilize weight-based measurements rather than volume measurements. Using a scale will guarantee the exact amount of pizza flour, regardless of how compressed it is.
Think in baker’s percentages.
Learn to read and think in baker’s percentages, the standard notation used by experienced bakers, if you’re serious about your pizza game. When using baker’s percentages, each component in a recipe is represented by its weighted ratio to the flour. You can break free from recipes with the metric system and its comprehensible base-ten measurements.
Decide on the flavor.
Make sure you know what pizza style you want before you mix the dough or turn on the oven. Do you desire authentic Neapolitan pizza with fresh mozzarella and a flaky, crunchy crust? Do you like New York-style pizza with a thicker crispness and a coating of grated, dry mozzarella instead? Your style of pizza will determine the ingredients you will use, and you need to prepare them beforehand.
Cold ferment the dough
As the yeast gradually begins to break down the carbs, cold-fermenting your dough—that is, keeping it in the refrigerator after you form it—can help improve its flavor and browning properties.
Stretch your dough
Stretching a dough ball into a perfect circle with a slightly elevated crust requires practice. But newbies should understand two things: First, even a flawed pizza dough will still taste pretty darn good, and second, even without proper stretching, you can still make good pizza. Some people may laugh at a rolling pin, but it will work perfectly and be convenient if you intend to make grilled pizza.
Top it up wisely
The impulse to do it all with additional toppings might be strong, but the best pizza gurus keep them simple and well-balanced. Try to make it two or three. As you add each ingredient, consider whether it complements the ones you’ve already added and whether the combination brings a more effective total than the sum of its parts.
Maintain high heat.
A hotter oven will give you a superior oven spring. During this early stage of baking, air and vapor bubbles within the dough rapidly expand, causing the dough to become airy and full of holes. Additionally, the contrast between the delicate, cloud-like interior and the crisp, gently charred exterior is improved in a hot oven.
If you want to boost your game, consider using a higher-heat technique. At the very least, you should be baking your pizzas in a hot oven —typically in the 550°F region. And that is how you make your perfect pizza at home.
