Pizza Dough Question

[southernchalet]

I made pizza dough in my bread machine and all seemed fine. I took it out after the alloted amount of time and placed in an oiled bowl to rise. It rose beautifully. My problem...it was very elastic. It did not want to stretch or even adhere to itself. It was not sticky at all. Any suggestions as to what may have gone wrong?
Thanks!

[southernchalet]

I thought that I should add the recipe that I am using:
3 c bread flour
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 c water
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
I did make sure the water was the correct temp.
HELP!

[Jock]

I'm a bit confused?? If the dough is elastic how can it not want to stretch?

Anyway, if I were using this formula I would add more water. You have barely 50% hydration here and I would recommend 65%.

Jock

[southernchalet]

Thanks for the advice and the correction. It was not elastic and would not stretch. I will try adding a bit more water.

[Jeffaliscous]

I would also add apinch of sugar,and maybe some honey.

i have a pizza douch recipe that we used at the pizzeria i used to work at, which containted sugar and also semolina flour. no honey tho, thats a recent addition made by me.

[southernchalet]

Honey, that is interesting. I will give it a try. How much do you suggest for the above recipe. Thanks for the advice.

[kuan]

That looks like the correct proportion of water to flour. I don't see why it's not elastic.

Do this:

Take it out of the bread machine before it raises.

Portion it out according to how many pizzas you want to make out of the dough.

Hand knead it quickly and form it into a ball.

Let it raise directly on the counter. Oil the tops and cover with plastic wrap.

When they're raised, nice and soft, form your pizza crust.

The key is that is waiting until it's time to make your pizza. It'll be hard as a rock if it's not raised or if it's cold.

[Ma Facon]

Originally Posted by kuan

That looks like the correct proportion of water to flour. I don't see why it's not elastic.

Do this:

Take it out of the bread machine before it raises.

Portion it out according to how many pizzas you want to make out of the dough.

Hand knead it quickly and form it into a ball.

Let it raise directly on the counter. Oil the tops and cover with plastic wrap.

When they're raised, nice and soft, form your pizza crust.

The key is that is waiting until it's time to make your pizza. It'll be hard as a rock if it's not raised or if it's cold.

Bingo

[southernchalet]

Thanks guys, I did take it out of the bread machine once it was done and it had risen some it is a 50 minute cycle and then let it rise on the counter according to my recipe before kneading. I will keep the same ratio of ingredients and knead once I take it out. Anything to keep me from having to fight with it.

[Jeffaliscous]

For that amount of dough, Id say around a tablespoon. You can add more or less to your taste, it brings a suttle sweetness to the finished dough which i do like. A friend of mine at work also uses honey in his pizza dough, but he puts way more in then i do, and u can really taste the honey instead of the dough, which in my opinion, defeats the purpose lol.

to each his own i guess right?

Enjoy, pizza is like the best food ever

[kuan]

Originally Posted by southernchalet

Thanks guys, I did take it out of the bread machine once it was done and it had risen some it is a 50 minute cycle and then let it rise on the counter according to my recipe before kneading. I will keep the same ratio of ingredients and knead once I take it out. Anything to keep me from having to fight with it.

You know, all the bread machine is doing is kneading it. Why don't you just knead it by hand?

Here's a sorta OK look at how to knead bread dough.

Illustrated Version of: How To Knead Bread Dough

Instead of 50 minutes you're done in 15. Pizza dough really only needs one raise. Remember to proof your yeast first using warm water.

[Montelago]

Best pizza dough recipe ever.

12.5# high gluten flour
3.5 qt water
.5 qt olive oil
1 oz fresh cake yeast
1 oz salt
3 oz sugar
put it all in a mixing bowl and mix with a dough hook until it pulls away from the sides. Take it out, knead it 10 times and ball it. cover with plastic wrap and let it rest/proof for 20 minutes. Scale it and you are ready to go. You do not need to soak your yeast first.

[Sailor]

I add 1 tsp. sugar to my dough, & use yogurt cheese instead of oil. I used to let it mix in a bread machine (until it commited suicide by flinging itself off the counter); however, I didn't let it rise in the machine--just in the pizza pan.

[stir it up]

southern, that dough recipe definitely has too little water. kuan, I'm going to have to disagree with you on that. It's the underhydration.

jock, add me to your paintball team. So far, it's me and you against kuan and Ma Facon.

I didn't check jock's figures, but I agree that less than 50% hydration for a pizza dough is very underhydrated. That is the main source of your problems, southern. There could be other smaller factors in your gluten development, but that dough is way dry.

Montelago's is 56% hydration, a little better, but that's still dry to my preference, though there's another 8% in oil.

Southern, I would say definitely use a recipe with a wetter ratio of water to flour than the one you're using. If you have a kitchen scale, use a recipe that's by weight, the flour will weigh out more accurately for you also.

Southern, isn't it nice when it's the recipe's fault and not yours!

[southernchalet]

I must agree that the dough did not seem wet enough. I will try another recipe utilizing the advice that I have received. This is one that I found off of the internet anyway. I am trying again this week and will post the turnout.
I hope that my machine will not commit suicide as I do like it for for making bread. I will not use the machine and will hand mix and knead my dough.
Thanks to all of you for your help, I may need it again if this one does not turnout.