Perfect Neapolitan Pizza Dough?!

[southpaw]

Hi all,

Ive been trying to make the perfect pizza dough, but still struggeling!!

I have a few Q!

The recipe ive been using is:

- 1 ltr of water
- 1.7 - 1.8 kg of flower "all purpose"
- 5 gr of fresh yeast or 10 gr of active dry yeast
- 5o gr salt

i mix the salt then the yeast, when i make sure everything is mixed well i add the flower gradualy, i use a mixer.

after that i make the dough balls and let them rest for about 4 hours.

but the dough i get in the end, compared to the dough in napoli is a bit hard and dry! why is that?

Q.1- what does the salt do? if you increse or dicrease the amount?
Q.2- what happens to the dough if you add olive oil, sugar?
Q.3- what do you mean by fully hydrating your dough? how do you do it when using for example all purpose flower?
Q.4- what is the real secret behinde getting the crispy napoli taste?!

[dmun]

Re: Perfect Neapolitan Pizza Dough?!

Question - is your brick oven up and running, or are you making pizza in a domestic oven? There is a world of difference between 500 degree metal oven pizza and 700 degree brick oven pizza.

All purpose flour, coupled with 55.5-58 percent hydration range you've quoted will give you a pretty stiff dough. Napoli pizza is hydrated in the 63 per cent range, and is pretty sticky and soft. It's also made from a special 00 pizza flour that's selected and milled to withstand the high temperatures. This combination will not do you much good in a home oven, however.

Sugar, honey, malt, oil are added in an attempt to get pizza to brown up crust in not-hot-enough ovens. They really aren't used in neapolitan style pizza, as they would blacken in the intense heat of the wood oven.

[tgm]

Re: Perfect Neapolitan Pizza Dough?!

southpaw,

Your on the right track, but get rid of that AP flour crap and spring for Caputo 00. You will not be disappointed, I guarantee it. If you have trouble finding it I will send you some to try. It's kind of like drugs, once you use it you get hooked on that perfect tasting crust.

We use 1.78K of flour to 1 liter of water. Divide the water in half and mix the fresh yeast in one and the salt in the other, but never together.
4-5g of fresh yeast is the correct amount for a 1.78k batch. Measure the flour into a container and pour in the 500ml water/yeast mixture and mix thoroughly before adding the remaining water/salt combination.
Knead by hand for 20 minutes and divide into 9.5oz balls. Proof for 4 hours as you are doing. Now you are ready.

Let me know if you want some 00 to try.

Good Luck,

Tom in PA

[wlively]

Re: Perfect Neapolitan Pizza Dough?!

I know I have posted this before, but thoroughly read FornoBravos pizza pdf and then thoroughly read Jeff Varazano's webpage. Both are very detailed and will give you a good foundation to learn. The best way to learn is by doing.

Dmun is right, I assume we are talking brick ovens here. Pizza stone and conventional oven is a whole different animal.

Just a few things I have learned.
I use 50% King Arthur and 50% Caputo. It gives basically the same texture as 100% Caputo but increases the workability (for me anyway) and extends my Caputo supply.

Have made 50% whole wheat, 40% Caputo, 10% AP and used small amounts of honey and oil without any issues with burning. For wheat pizza, at the moment, I prefer 33% whole wheat, 33% KA AP, and 33% Caputo.

The overnight refrigerated retarded rise provides the best flavor.

High hydration is very important for brick ovens.

I am not even close to being considered a proffesional (despite what my family and neighbors say ) but just an experienced beginner still learning alot and enjoying every minute of it.