The general rule of thumb is to knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic; you can test it by gently pressing your finger into the dough. If the indentation so you love pizza? Who doesn’t, right? It’s one of the most popular foods in the world. But what makes a perfect pizza? That’s up for debate. Some people like their pizza with lots of cheese, others like it with pepperoni or sausage. And then some prefer a more Mediterranean-style pizza, with olives and feta cheese. No matter what your preference is, some tips will help you make the perfect pizza every time!
Weigh Ingredients Accurately
If you don’t have too much experience in the kitchen, measuring ingredients can be tricky. But when it comes to baking (and cooking in general), accuracy is key. So, make sure you measure out your flour, water, yeast, and salt before you start making your dough. For the best results, use a digital scale for weighing ingredients.
If you don’t weigh your ingredients accurately, your pizza dough will be too wet or too dry, which will affect the texture and taste of your pizza. Why leave it to chance when you can measure ingredients and get it perfect each time?
Don’t Overwork the Dough
Once you’ve measured out all your ingredients and mixed them, it’s time to knead the dough. Kneading helps to develop the gluten in the flour, which gives pizza dough its characteristic chewy texture. However, you don’t want to overwork the dough, or else it will become tough.
tays, the dough is ready. If the dough springs back, it needs more kneading.
Once the dough is ready, shape it into a ball and place it in a bowl that has been lightly coated with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for about an hour – this is called ‘proving’.
Top the Pizza Carefully
Next, pizzas are all about the toppings. Be sure to use high-quality ingredients, and don’t overload the pizza with too many toppings. Unfortunately, too much weight will make it harder for the dough to cook through properly. Put the toppings on the pizza in this order: sauce, cheese, and then meats/veggies. This way, both the sauce and cheese will help to hold the toppings in place.
Bake at a High Temperature
Pizza should be cooked at a high temperature, between 450-500 degrees F. This allows the dough to cook through while also giving the cheese that nice, bubbly texture. If you’re using a pizza stone, be sure to preheat it in the oven for at least 30 minutes before cooking the pizza.
How do you know when your pizza is cooked? While the cheese should melt, the crust should have a golden brown appearance. If you’re using a pizza stone, you can also slide a spatula under the pizza to check if the bottom is crispy.
Let it Rest
Once your pizza comes out of the oven, it’s important to let it rest for a few minutes before cutting into it. We know that you’re probably salivating at this point, ready to tuck into the delicious meal. However, this allows the cheese to set and prevents all of the toppings from sliding off when you cut into it.
Now that you know how to make the perfect pizza, it’s time to get cooking – have fun and experiment with lots of different toppings!
