Learn from pizza dough-mixing mistakes
Does anyone still watch the TV show “America’s Funniest Home Videos?” I love a good blooper reel and laughing. Sometimes we need to break up the monotony and just laugh at ourselves – but not when it comes to dough, if we can help it.
Thankfully, I’ve never broken a mixer, but if the walls could talk, I’m sure they’d have a whole host of stories to tell you about the dumb things I’ve done, along with every kitchen staffer I’ve worked with. Bloopers are great to look back on, but when our livelihoods revolve around dough, sauce and cheese, we’d rather execute with as few problems as possible.
First things first: To avoid a few blunders, know your machine and create a detailed recipe for how to mix. We all learn muscle memory and habits, but those take time. You need to set the foundation first. If you have a new mixer, it most likely has a computer screen that can change speeds incrementally, as well as change which direction the hook rotates.
Older mixers will have up to four settings, with the highest usually reserved for cutting veggies and cheese (if there’s an attachment). Always resetting the speeds to the lowest will help prevent the flour rainstorm that happens when a mixer is turned to high with only flour inside.
Order of Operations
The next step is deciding what to add to the bowl first: flour or water. This will determine how you incorporate ingredients. If using a preferment (especially a biga), starting with water is great because the mixer will do the work for you when breaking down the stiff starter, so it more easily combines with the rest of your dough.
A mistake I see at times is adding your starter too late – or not breaking it down if it is stiff. If you try to add a starter into formed dough, it’s like trying to combine two pieces of taffy. It doesn’t work that well because gluten already has formed, and trying to force them together usually translates into overmixed dough that is extremely tight. Then, it turns into over fermented dough because the gluten has not relaxed enough to stretch within the timeframe you’ve designed for optimal flavor.
One of the biggest mistakes I see when it comes to mixing is how water gets added. It’s easy to watch videos of the pros making dough because it always happens quickly, and editing makes it look seamless. That’s far from the case. Mixing dough is a science that relies on a list of changing variables – sometimes hour to hour, depending on the season and location.
adobestock.com/ arinahabich
Do you have Pizza Dough Questions?
Whether it’s dough ingredients, process or recipes, we want to know what issues you are having with pizza dough. Are you interested in a new style or technique? Send your questions to Denise Greer at [email protected]. Put “Question for Knead to Know” in the subject line.
Flour Variability
Flour mills are trying to produce quality products that are consistent for their users, just as we are trying to make a consistently great product for our customers. Knowing that the grains inside the bag are agricultural products that are going to change from season to season is important. The bag you receive showcases the result of what each miller is trying to achieve, but how they get there can change. Wheat and its properties change based on the environment, climate, nutrients and (heaven forbid) chemical agents such as pesticides.
The easiest way to think about it is color theory, which offers a clear visual. If we are trying to make green, we know we need blue and yellow at 50% each to make 100% green. Sometimes, we don’t have enough of one color, so we’ll offset with more of the other. Using 75% blue and 25% yellow will still make green, but the result will be a different shade. Some millers use the same principle: They’ll use more or less of one grain and add others to equal 100%. The final bag is still the recipe, but the blend is different. This often impacts how water is absorbed.
We all build recipes that specify the exact amount of water we want for the flour we are using. But factors such as heat, humidity, friction and the wheat itself determine how well the flour absorbs water. This is especially true when we start to push the limits with high-hydration dough.
Slow Your Roll
My recommendation is always to add your water a bit at a time rather than all at once. After you’ve made enough dough – day over day and season over season – you instinctually know how to compensate for factors like heat and humidity. But until you’ve logged hundreds of batches, I recommend adding your water in stages. It’s OK to add 75%-80% of your water up front, but reserving 20%-25% for the second half of the mix time will ensure your batch comes out the same every time.
If your water isn’t absorbing the way you wanted and it’s loose, you may need to apply a rest period (or autolyze). This can give your flour enough time to absorb the water you’ve already added before it reaches full gluten development, meaning it will be better able to absorb the remainder during its final mix. If you’ve added all your water before the rest period and are using a higher hydration level, the dough might have a hard time forming gluten and will not ball well. Instead, it will flatten out in your dough box and be tackier to the touch. These doughs often do not rise or bake as well in the oven.
Most of the mistakes I see when it comes to mixing are related to rushing. The new mixers are great because you can change speeds more incrementally. Giving each ingredient enough time to incorporate before increasing speeds and developing full gluten is important to controlled fermentation and flavor development. Take the time to learn your mixer, environment and recipe. It can be tedious because it takes time and attention to detail, but letting go of your ego and learning the whys and whens of mixing can save you a lot of trouble – and maybe shorten your blooper reel.
LAURA MEYER is the owner of Pizzeria da Laura in Berkeley, California.
