Here at MeadowAnchor, our philosophy is that outstanding pizza is built on outstanding dough. With over thirty years of refinement, we’re eager to unveil a few of our dough secrets to you. While we hold back our precise recipe (keeping some secrets is a must!), these guidelines will set you on the path to making pizza dough of restaurant caliber in your own kitchen.
Flour is Fundamental
The cornerstone of superb pizza dough is top-notch flour. 00 flour is our go-to choice for its fine grind and moderate protein level, striking a harmonious balance between strength and suppleness. If 00 flour eludes you, bread flour can step in as an alternative, though the end result will be subtly different.
Hydration and Water Heat
The warmth of your water influences the fermentation duration and the dough's evolution. Opt for cooler water at around 45°F (7°C) for a sluggish fermentation that rounds out the flavor. To speed up fermentation, select water that is warm, approximately 85°F (29°C). As for hydration, maintain water-to-flour ratios from 60-70% to suit most domestic ovens.
A Pinch of Yeast and Patience
Tasty dough often relies on a smaller yeast quantity and a prolonged fermentation. We employ a mere 0.2% of fresh yeast by flour weight for doughs that ferment upwards of 24 hours. This prolonged fermentation cultivates intricate flavors and results in dough that’s more digestible.
Salt's Role Beyond Taste
Salt not only adds savor to your dough—it bolsters the gluten matrix and tempers fermentation. We suggest a proportion of fine sea salt at 2.5-3% of your flour volume. Introduce it once your flour and water commence combining, keeping it from making direct contact with the yeast.
Fermentation Mastery
Once mixed, let your dough undergo bulk fermentation at ambient temperature for 2 hours, then divide into balls. Stow these in secured containers and refrigerate for a 24-72 hour period. It's in this cold ferment that truly remarkable transformation occurs—enzymes transform starches into sugars, crafting both taste and the crust's enticing browning.
Delicate Handling
When the moment arises to craft your pizza, let the dough come to temperature for an hour or two before baking. Be gentle to keep the gas pockets within the dough intact. Use your fingertips for shaping and stretching the dough, as rolling out can deflate those essential air bubbles.
Heating Is Crucial
High heat is cardinal for the perfect finish—our wood-fired ovens escalate to 850°F (454°C), but home ovens usually peak around 550°F (288°C). Try preheating a pizza stone or steel for no less than an hour to mimic that fierce bottom heat, achieving that desirable crisp shell and fluffy interior.
Perfecting pizza dough is an evolving process. Each attempt teaches you about the art. We encourage documenting your findings, tweaking variables, and discovering your kitchen's unique capabilities.
Keen to witness our dough crafting up close? Attend our monthly pizza workshops where Chef Paolo delves into these techniques with detail. Visit our events calendar for the next available workshop!