5 Pro Chef Secrets to the Perfect Pizza

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Hi Bold Bakers!

It’s with great pleasure that I can say my Best Ever Pizza Dough is a fan favorite on my website. I love seeing all the photos of the lovely pizza made at home. A lot of you have told me it’s your go-to pizza dough! So, I invite you to read exhibit A, B, and C:

Kym on April 23, 2019: “This recipe for no-knead dough is amazing……meat lovers for the boys and mushroom for me….no sauce just sliced fresh mushrooms, olive oil, garlic, fresh thyme and equal quantities of smoked cheese and Parmesan OMG & that base was to die for”

Sandi Waldor on March 12, 2019: “OMG, so good. Look no further, this is the best pizza crust, not to mention the easiest recipe I have ever used.”

AND

David on Feb 21, 2018: “Hi Gemma, great recipe which has become my gold standard for pizza doughs!”

However, I do know that some people (just a few) also can find it tricky. Sometimes I would get comments like exhibit D …..

Joan J on Sep 16 2018: “Hi Gemma, I followed the instructions exactly but my dough ended up very wet. It was almost impossible to handle and shape, what did I do wrong?”

First off, you didn’t do anything wrong, Joan! I’m going to answer all your questions and clear up any queries so by the end of this post everyone out there will be professional perfect pizza makers when using my Best Ever Pizza Dough.

5 Pro Chef Secrets to the Perfect Pizza

1. When adding the liquid just add 3/4 and hold the rest back. You only need to add enough liquid to clean your bowl and form a ball of dough. Everyone’s flour is different, you might not need all the liquid OR you might need a little more (watch the video to see my example).
2. Crank up that oven as high as it will go! No fan needed. Place a baking tray or cast iron grill on the bottom shelf to pre-heat and to get that direct heat from the oven.
3. How to shape pizza dough: Flour your work surface and place down your dough. First, form the crust around the edges and then using your knuckles pull the dough over your hands stretching it gently as it gets bigger. Pull into roughly a 10-inch circle. Don’t worry if holes appear, just pinch them closed. (watch the above video for a step by step)
4. Dust a flat baking tray with fine semolina and lay your dough on top. The semolina will give your pizza traction so you can gently slide it into the oven with ease. Flour will work as a backup. Note: Go light with your toppings or your pizza won’t slide off the tray.
5. Slide your pizza onto your pre-heated tray in the oven and shut the door. Using a pre-heated tray like this Reversible Grill Griddle to bake your pizza will ensure a crisp crust AND you will get will a lovely bubbly pop on your crust. P.S Keep that door closed as the pizza is baking for a better crispier, crust.

Why Was My Dough Was So Sticky and Almost Impossible To Handle?

This happened because too much liquid was added to the dough. When making bread and pastries ALWAYS hold back some of the liquid until you have mixed your dough and gauged if you need more or not. Sometimes you need the exact amount stated in the recipe, BUT all flour is different and you might need less. (I recommend watching the above video for more details.)

Can I Freeze the Raw Dough?

If you are wondering if you can freeze any leftover dough for later use, the answer is simply ‘no.’ You will not get the same results you will get from baking the dough off fresh. The result will be a flat, bubble-less pizza. Best to use all the dough OR see the question below.

Can I Freeze a Whole Pizza Toppings Included?

YES, you can actually do this, but not with raw dough. You need a pizza base that has been par-cooked. Simply shape your crust like you would for any pizza and pop it into the oven without any topping (watch the above video for more details). Bake at the normal temp BUT only for 3 minutes or so. You want the dough to get cooked but you don’t really want any color at this point. Top your pizza as desired and pop into the freezer to be baked at a later date.

Make What You Need!

• Best-Ever Pizza Dough Recipe
• 5-Minute Pizza Sauce Recipe

And don’t forget to follow Bigger Bolder Baking on Pinterest!

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