pizza dough too springy?

[OahuAmateurChef]

Last week's pizza dough came out perfect. Yesterday, it did what it usually does. It is too "springy." The dough doesn't hold shape as well as it should. When I press it out into a round, it immediately shrinks up. It also doesn't like to keep my finger indentations when forming the crust. The dough seems too "elastic."

What am I doing wrong? Not enough flour? Not letting the mixer do it's thing long enough? Over mixing?

[Myplaceoryours]

There are several possibilities. I'm going to assume you haven't changed the type of flour your typically use. So we'll skip the possibililties of your flour having too much protein.
1. You may need to add a little more oil to the mix. Try weighing your ingredients rather than dip/level/pour and consider that about 5% oil to flour ration is about right.
2. Make certain that your dough doesn't get too cold. It should be at or above room temperature (65 - 70 degrees is what I'd try to maintain)
3. Let the dough rest a little longer. Sometime we start working with the dough before it's had a chance to relax enough - that cause it to be springy.

[mudbug]

Check this out too.

[Blueicus]

If you are using the same proportions as before, the biggest factor to the springiness is the amount of resting it had. Especially for a small amount of dough (such as for a pizza), a little bit of working on it can make it incredibly springy.

[OahuAmateurChef]

Thanks for all the advice! I will try 3 different things, but not at the same time.

1) Mix the dough longer. I usually mix it on my KitchenAid 5qt pro for 2 minutes or less.

2) More oil. I'll try 2 tbsp of olive oil instead of 1 tbsp.

3) Don't work the dough after it has rested. I have a habit of taking the dough after it has rested and then working it my hands for 30 seconds, ripping it apart and squishing it back together again. Then I immediately stretch it into a pizza. Don't know why I do that, but maybe that is the problem.

My mixing bowl is in the dishwasher right now so I will try 1 one of these in about 30 minutes.

[aguynamedrobert]

Good Advice from everyone...your problem lies in what everyone has said...you are probably working it to much after the rest period. The more you work it the more the "Gluten" in the dough toughens up and get horrible to work with and you have seen. You want to develop the gluten in the beginning but not over develop it as well so just look at your mixing paterns as well...

Robert
www.chocolateguild.com/vb

[OahuAmateurChef]

I might give it another go in a day or two. I have too many leftovers right now.

[Myplaceoryours]

Originally Posted by OahuAmateurChef

Thanks for all the advice! I will try 3 different things, but not at the same time.

My mixing bowl is in the dishwasher right now so I will try 1 one of these in about 30 minutes.

Hey, get that thing out of the dishwasher.
You gotta have it ready at all times. Leaving your mixing bowl in the dishwasher is like Marshal Dillon leaving his six shooter in his desk drawer.

[OahuAmateurChef]

The dishwasher was running at the time.


Oh, I made another batch of dough today. Not messing with the dough after it rested worked like a charm. I had pizzeria quality dough and a delicious sauce. Now if I can only figure out the cheese....I have a feeling that the taste and textures I'm looking for cannot be imitated.

[OahuAmateurChef]

Originally Posted by Myplaceoryours

Hey, get that thing out of the dishwasher.
You gotta have it ready at all times. Leaving your mixing bowl in the dishwasher is like Marshal Dillon leaving his six shooter in his desk drawer.

You're right though. Come to think about it, my first batch of both peanut butter cookies and then cheese crackers were late night, spur of the moment ventures, fueled by too much beer and Foodnetwork/Top Chef. I love that mixer.