Dough tossing advice

[rjdirienzo]

I need some advice/tips on hand tossing my dough. Generally one of two things happens, 1. if I let the dough rise for less than about two hours before tossing only one toss is needed to make a nice circular 12" pie, but the center becomes too thin compared to the outer edge of the pie, or 2. if I let my dough rise for longer than a couple of hours I have a much tougher time forming a nice circular shaped pie. Usually when I make my dough tosses the dough expands in one direction forming an oblong football shaped pizza pie.

If anyone has any tips on how to become better at hand tossing please share them!

[edschmidt]

Re: Dough tossing advice

How do you get to broadway you ask, practice, besides that easters coming up, the egg shaped pizza's will be a hit, woulda been great for superbowl as well.

[Inishta]

Re: Dough tossing advice

Hi rj..............who said pizza has to be round anyway.............

Stick with it.

[dmun]

Re: Dough tossing advice

I cold retard my dough balls, ideally for three days, so they are cold when they come out of the fridge. I find the ability to stretch the dough depends a lot on the temperature. I find they work best when cool but not cold, about 45 minutes out of the fridge. When they are room temperature or warmer, it's pretty much free-form shapes. Once they reach the ball stage, you want to handle the dough gently, and quickly to stretch it out.

The thin center can be helped by starting to press your dough out into a disk at the edges, leaving a thicker part in the center. That way, when you stretch the skin there's more dough in the center to start with.

[asudavew]

Re: Dough tossing advice

Hard to explain...
But I'll post a video this weekend.
I have a nifty little technique for keeping the dough round and thicker in the middle.


Dave

[rjdirienzo]

Re: Dough tossing advice

Funny.... I was making the football shaped pizza the day of the big game. Maybe that is what caused the football shaped pie!

dmum, are you saying that you form the dough balls and then move them right into the refridgerator for three days? I'll have to give that a try.

I look forward to seeing asudavew's video!

[dmun]

Re: Dough tossing advice

dmum, are you saying that you form the dough balls and then move them right into the refridgerator for three days? I'll have to give that a try.

I hate to kneed, so I let time do the work. I stir together my ingredients until everything is wet, I let it sit for 20 minutes, then I kneed it on a floured surface, maybe 6 times, only a few seconds, just enough to form it into a ball. I let it rise at room temperature under cling wrap until doubled, then flatten it out gently, and use a bowl scraper to divide it into sections, which I form into balls, put in individual plastic storage bowls with holes poked in the covers, and into the fridge for three days. I pull them out 45 - 60 minutes before they are needed, and freeze any that aren't.

500 grams of caputo makes four small balls, or three big ones.

[RTflorida]

Re: Dough tossing advice

dmun, the dough balls don't "skin" putting them in containers with holes? interesting...I'm going to have to try it.

RT

[dmun]

Re: Dough tossing advice

No, they don't "skin", the important thing is how big the container is. I use the "disposable" containers rubbermaid makes for carrying lunch. (It's amazing what we think of as disposable) The container should be about twice the size of the ball - that keeps the air (and the dough) damp enough to avoid skinning. The hole is small, just poked through with a small screwdriver or icepick.

[RTflorida]

Re: Dough tossing advice

Got it, will give it a try....we have about a dozen of those "disposable" containers. Thanks

[DrakeRemoray]

Re: Dough tossing advice

I don't even allow that primary rise/fermentation that Dmun mentions. For me it is mix, then rest 20 mins (autolyse) then add salt and knead (all in my mixer), then divide and shape and into the fridge overnight at least. I too take them out of the fridge about 1 hour before I plan to use them. I use cold water during the mixing so it really never starts fermenting quickly...always slowly...
That technique is from Peter Reinhardt's Bread Baker's apprentice...works for me mostly based on the simplicity of it...

Drake

[Richard]

Re: Dough tossing advice

Drake

Hopw do you store the balls in fridge, do you simply put them on a floured baking sheet covered with plastic film; in a ziploc bag sprayed with oil; container, other?

[DrakeRemoray]

Re: Dough tossing advice

Drake

Hopw do you store the balls in fridge, do you simply put them on a floured baking sheet covered with plastic film; in a ziploc bag sprayed with oil; container, other?

I have mainly used ziploc bags sprayed with olive oil, but I am going to switch over to the "disposable" tupperware. I tried it once, and my lids all blew off and subsequently the dough skinned over. I think with Dmun's method of a small air hole in the top, this problem would go away. I probably need to get slightly larger containers too, since the dough balls do rise, even in the fridge. My oven is currenly buried in snow, but all this talk has me wanting to fire it up!

Drake

[jwnorris]

Re: Dough tossing advice

<snip> ...but I am going to switch over to the "disposable" tupperware. I tried it once, and my lids all blew off and subsequently the dough skinned over.<snip>Drake

I use the same basic method of storage. I got some hard, clear, plastic to-go containers at one of the big box stores. The base and lid are a single piece with the lid hinged on one side.

I mostly build a 10" or so pie and a ball of dough fits into these containers well. They seal reasonable air tight but do tend to 'puff up' after a couple of days in the 'frig. And they do not skin over.

J W

[telehort]

Re: Dough tossing advice

I used to use ziplocks, but went to a restaurant supply store and picked up a sleeve of 50 - 16oz deli containers/lids for under $5. Works great..they stack in the fridge..you can run through dishwasher. Much easier to work with than trying to get dough out of a ziplock in my opinion.