At BistroSupperFern, we hold the conviction that superior pizza is built on superior dough. With more than thirty years of refining our recipe, we are thrilled to impart some of our dough-making wisdom to you. While we hold on to our precise formula (some things are best kept a secret!), these outlined principles will aid you in crafting pizza dough of a restaurant's caliber within your own kitchen.
Flour Selection Is Key
High-quality flour is the cornerstone of excellent pizza dough. 00 flour is our recommended choice, as it is a finely milled Italian variety with a moderate protein content, approximately 12%, resulting in an optimal mix of strength and softness. Should 00 flour be unavailable, bread flour can serve as a reasonable alternative, though the outcome in texture may vary slightly.
The Role of Water Temperature and Hydration
The warmth of your water is pivotal in regulating the fermentation duration and dough structuring. For a protracted fermentation that enhances the taste profile, employ cold water near 45°F (7°C). For an expedited fermentation, warmer water around 85°F (29°C) is suitable. The hydration level, the proportion of water to flour, ought to be held within the range of 60-70% for optimal results in standard home ovens.
A Gentle Approach to Yeast
A deeply imbued flavor in the dough can be achieved by minimal yeast usage and an extended fermentation period. For doughs left to ferment over a span of 24-48 hours, we utilize a mere 0.2% fresh yeast in relation to our flour weight. This measured approach permits a flavor complexity to take shape while also rendering the dough more digestible.
Salt: A Functional Ingredient
While salt lends flavor to your dough, it also has a critical function in bolstering the gluten network and moderating fermentation. Fine sea salt is our salt of choice, to be used at a ratio of 2.5-3% of your flour weight. Introduce the salt once your flour and water have begun to merge, ensuring it does not come into direct contact with the yeast.
The Art of Fermentation
Following the mixture, allow your dough to undergo bulk fermentation at ambient temperature for about 2 hours. Subsequently, apportion it into balls for individual portions. Enclose these in lidded containers and place them in the refrigerator to ferment for 24-72 hours. The alchemy of cold fermentation unfolds here as enzymes decompose starches into simpler sugars, thus augmenting flavor and contributing to the golden-brown finish of our crusts.
Handling with Care
Prior to baking the pizza, bring the dough out of the cold for a period of 1-2 hours. When shaping the dough, maintain a delicate touch to sustain the air bubbles that have formed. Rather than rolling, use your fingertips to gently press and stretch the dough, preserving those vital air pockets.
Crucial Ingredient: Heat
While we utilize wood-fired ovens which reach upward of 850°F (454°C), conventional home ovens usually peak at about 550°F (288°C). To bridge this gap, we advise employing a pre-warmed pizza stone or steel, heated for at minimum one hour. Such a setup emulates the vigorous heat necessary to produce a crust that is at once crisp on the outside and porous within.
The craft of pizza dough perfection is indeed an odyssey, without a definitive end. Each dough iteration provides new insights into the crafting process. We urge you to keep records, tinker with variants, and ascertain what methodology is best suited for your particular culinary space.
For a glimpse into our dough creation methods, consider attending our monthly pizza workshops where Chef Luca will demonstrate these techniques in fine detail. Check our events calendar for the forthcoming session dates!