Pizza Dough Hydration Explained
When it comes to mastering the art of making pizza dough, hydration is a key factor which will determine both quality, & importantly, a point of difference. Hydration refers to the amount of water used in a recipe in relation to the amount of flour & is usually referred to as a percentage. For example, using a recipe that calls for 1000 grams of flour & 600 grams of water would result in pizza dough with 60% hydration.
The hydration percentage will have major effects on the resulting dough & crust—so different pizza styles have different hydration needs. For example, Detroit-style pizza has a fairly high moisture content between 70 to 80%, while Neapolitan-style generally sits at around the 60 to 65% mark. In addition to making your crust lighter, increasing the hydration produces a higher yield (more dough).
Depending on what you’re looking to get from your final dough, there are benefits to be had in all types of dough hydrations. We’ve taken some of the guesswork out of whether you should go for a lower to higher hydration dough so you can feel more confident in your pies.
Low-hydration dough—50–57%:
This hydration is pretty common in dough styles not typically associated with pizza like focaccia, ciabatta & brioche bread. However, some Sicilian-style doughs do tend to utilize low hydration.
This is the most common percentage in accessible recipes for beginners because the lower hydration makes the dough easier to work with.
Characteristics of low-hydration dough:
Slightly denser bread Not sticky
Moist, chewy crumb Requires more work when stretching your base
Firm enough to hold its toppings Crispier crust when baked
Recipes to try: Sicilian Pizza, Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza
Detroit-style pizza with pepperoni & tomato sauce.
Medium-hydration dough—65%:
The higher dough hydration means it will be slightly tacky & a little more difficult to work with. As you continue to increase the hydration, more practice will be required to handle the dough with ease.
Characteristics of medium-hydration dough:
• Relatively firm & dry dough • Tighter crumb structure
• Requires more kneading • Less flavor than higher-hydration doughs
• Requires more time for stretching your base
Recipes to try: Neapolitan Pizza, New York-style Pizza, Detroit-style Pizza
Higher-hydration dough—70%:
This dough will be stretchy, sticky & you’ll have to be very quick when it comes to balling it up. However, the result will be a pizza with a beautifully light, soft crust.
Characteristics of higher-hydration dough:
• Lightness • A relaxed gluten structure that spreads easily
• Sticky & loose, making it trickier to shape & handle for beginners • A stretchy dough that’s easy to stretch as long as you’re gentle
Baked high-hydration dough:
• Much lighter & softer than baked lower-hydration dough • Crispy base
• Open crumb structure (large, irregular internal holes)
Recipe to try: Neo-Neapolitan Pizza
High-hydration dough—75% & above:
Super high-hydration doughs are increasingly popular though daunting for beginners. If you’re interested in experimenting with high-hydration doughs, consider progressively increasing hydration rates in increments of 5% water to flour ratios. The more water you add, the higher the yield & the lighter the resulting dough.
Here are a few other tips:
• Make sure your work surface is well-floured & be prepared to use additional flour for dusting.
• Turn the bottom of any dough ball fresh from the proofing tray into the top of your pizza since the top will be drier, requiring less flour
• Flip your proofing container to easily release the dough.
• Try stretching & baking in a pan
Recipe to try: Gluten-free Pizza Dough, Sourdough Pizza Dough
What is autolyse?
Autolyse is a process in which a portion of (or total) water & flour in a bread formula are pre-blended & set to rest for a period of time.
This resting period gives the dough special processing characteristics & improves the overall quality of the baked goods.
A brief history of the autolyse method
French scientist & bread expert Prof. Raymond Calvel developed this technique in 1974, in response to what he saw as a deterioration in French bread production.
In the 1950s & ’60s two-speed electric mixers came into use in France, & bakers adopted more aggressive mixing practices. According to Calvel, this resulted in “very white & high in volume” bread — which to his dismay began to gain popularity in France.
This intensive mixing caused the dough to mature more quickly, which meant less fermentation time was required. Unfortunately, reducing fermentation resulted in bread with less flavour & keeping quality.
Excessive mixing also damaged the carotenoid pigments in the flour through over-oxidation. This caused a loss of crumb colour (whiter bread) & a reduction in aroma & flavour.
Calvel saw this as a grave degradation of traditional French bread, & sought to bring back the wonderful breads he’d known in his youth.
Why use an autolyse?
Calvel demonstrated that using the autolyse method affects dough development in many positive ways:
The flour fully hydrates. This is particularly useful when working with whole-grain flour because the bran softens as it hydrates, reducing its negative effect on gluten development.
Gluten bonds begin developing with no effort on the part of the baker, & kneading time is consequently reduced.
Carotenoid pigments remain intact, leading to better colour, aroma, & flavour.
Fermentation proceeds at a slower pace, allowing for full flavour development & better keeping quality.
The dough becomes more extensible (stretchy), which allows it to expand easily. This leads to easier shaping, greater loaf volume, a more open crumb structure, & cuts that open more fully.
What’s not to love?
The science behind the autolyse method
Two enzymes that are present in flour — protease & amylase — begin their work during the autolyse:
• The protease enzymes degrade the protein in the flour, which encourages extensibility.
• The amylase enzymes turn the flour’s starch into sugars that the yeast can consume.
Proper dough development requires a balance of both extensibility & elasticity. By delaying the addition of yeast, sourdough starter & salt (all of which can have a tightening effect on gluten), the extensibility of the dough has a better chance to develop. Once kneading begins, the dough develops elasticity, which is the quality that allows the dough to retain its shape.
Takeaways for using the autolyse method:
1. When mixing the autolyse be sure that all the flour is fully moistened; dry flour won’t incorporate well later in the process.
2. Don’t use an autolyse with sourdough rye bread. Because rye flour doesn’t develop gluten the way wheat flour does, & also ferments more quickly, adding an autolyse can cause the dough to deteriorate.
3. Liquid preferments & starters are always included in the autolyse.
4. To add instant yeast &/or a stiff sourdough starter after the autolyse is complete, dissolve them in a small amount of water (1 ounce) reserved from the autolyse. Mix gently until the ingredients are fully incorporated before beginning to knead.
5. Salt is fairly easy to incorporate after the autolyse, so delaying this ingredient isn’t difficult & can have a big impact. Just don’t forget to add it after the autolyse! Sprinkle the salt on top of the autolyse if you’re afraid you’ll forget to add it later.
6. If you plan to delay adding any ingredients — salt, yeast, &/or starter — measure them out & place them next to the autolyse. This will help prevent a potential disaster!
7. If you find a true autolyse inconvenient, you’ll still see benefits by adding a 30-minute rest between mixing all of the dough ingredients & kneading.
Whether you decide to use an autolyse in your bread baking & pizza doughs is entirely your prerogative; however, the above clearly offers you the ability & hopefully the intrigue to investigate further how to produce an exceptional quality dough while the below concentrates solely on your pizza making technique.
It doesn’t answer all the questions, but the aim of this fact sheet & training module is to open your eyes to the possibilities of what you can potentially achieve.
Pizza Making Techniques
1. When prepping the dough, time it so it’s ready right when you want to make your pizzas.
2. Preheat your oven & the baking stone to 260°C; use an infrared thermometer for a fast, accurate reading.
3. Choose which pizza(s) you want to make & prepare all of the necessary ingredients. Create a pizza station that includes bowls of olive oil, kosher salt, homemade pizza sauce, grilled eggplant, & any toppings you want on your pizzas.
4. Keep a bowl of flour at hand for dusting your countertop. Have a bowl of semolina ready to dust your pizza peel (the tool with a long handle & a large, flat surface for sliding pizzas in & out of the oven).
5. Once the dough is ready, generously flour your work surface & place one round of dough in the centre of the floured surface.
6. Use your fingertips as if you were playing piano keys to gently tap on the centre of the dough, flattening it slightly. Leave a 2.5cm ring around the rim untouched to create your crust.
7. Pick up the dough, then make fists with both hands & turn them toward your body. Place the top edge of the dough on your fists so the majority of the round dangles downward against the backs of your hands, away from your body.
8. Rotate the dough gently around your fists (kind of like the hands of a clock) so the dough continuously stretches downward into an even circle. Once the dough has stretched to 250mm in diameter, lay it down on the flour-dusted surface. Top your pizza according to the recipe you’ve chosen, making sure to leave a 10mm rim with no sauce or toppings around the edge.
9. Dust your peel with semolina & slide it under your pizza with one swift push. (You’re less likely to tear your dough with one solid push of the peel than you are with several tentative pushes).
10. Reshape it on the peel as needed. Shake your peel gently to check if the pizza will slide off easily into the oven. If it’s sticking to the peel, carefully lift one side of the dough & throw some more semolina under it; do this from a few different angles until you’re confident that semolina is under the entire base.
11. Place the pizza into your pizza oven. If using a conventional oven, open the door & slide the dough onto the preheated pizza stone, again moving decisively. Pull the peel toward you in one swift motion to leave the pizza on the stone.
12. Bake the pizza until golden brown & the rim, is crisp & blistered, about 1 to 2 minutes, or 8 to 12 minutes in a conventional oven. (Cooking times will vary depending on the power of your oven). While your pizza bakes, clear a space on a bamboo serving peel or clean, dry cutting board to set your baked pizza on.
13. Once the pizza is done, slide the peel under the crust, remove it from the oven & place it on the prepared serving peel or cutting board. Use a rolling pizza cutter to cut the pizza.
Pizza Dough #1
Ingredients
368gms lukewarm water
3 tsp 18gms salt
1 tsp 2.6 gms instant dried yeast
613gms Baker’s flour, plus extra for dusting
Fill a bowl with lukewarm water & add the active dry yeast, using a whisk to thoroughly mix until blended. In a separate bowl, mix the flour & salt together, then pour it into the water.
If using a mixer: Fit the mixer with the dough hook & pour the flour & yeast mixture into the mixer bowl. Turn the machine on at a low speed for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it’s firm & stretchy. Cover the dough with a dish towel & leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
If mixing by hand: Stir with a wooden spoon until a dough starts to form. Continue mixing by hand until the pizza dough comes together in a ball. Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface & knead with both hands for about 10 minutes, until it’s firm & stretchy. Return the dough to the bowl. Cover with a dish towel & leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
When the dough is ready, divide it into 3 or 4 equal pieces, depending on the size of pizza you’re making (either 12- or 16-inches wide). Place each piece of dough in a separate bowl or tray, cover with a dish towel & leave to rise in a warm place for another 30 to 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Always start with a perfectly rounded ball of dough. This helps to keep the shape of the base circular during the stretching process.
Before stretching & topping your dough, fire up your oven & allow it to preheat for 15 to 20 minutes. Aim for 450°C & 500 °C on your baking stone. You can check this quickly, accurately & from a safe distance with an infrared thermometer.
When the dough is ready, place the ball on a lightly floured surface, flour your hands & use your fingertips to press the dough into a small, flat disc. Working from the centre, push the dough outwards while spreading your fingers, making the disc slightly bigger. Pick up the dough & gently pinch it all around the edge, allowing gravity to pull it downwards into a circle. Neapolitan-style pizza bases are very thin, so you should be able to see through the base when you hold it up to the light. Take care when doing this, as you don’t want it to tear.
Once the dough is fully stretched, lightly flour your pizza peel & lay the base on it. If at this point you see any small holes in the dough, gently pinch them back together. Once you’re happy with the base, add your toppings.
When your oven is hot enough, launch your pizza & cook it for 1 to 2 minutes, turning every 20 seconds to ensure an even bake.
Remove from the oven, slice, serve & enjoy that pizza greatness!
Pizza Dough #2 - Sourdough
Ingredients
For the levain (an offshoot of your sourdough starter):
50gms mature sourdough starter
50gms bread flour
50gms whole-grain flour
100mls warm water
For the final mix:
10gms fine sea salt
310mls warm water
200gms levain mix
425gms bread flour
75gms whole-grain flour
flour, for dusting
Extra-virgin olive oil, for lining the proving container
For the levain:
1. To make the levain mix, take a tall jar & combine the 50gms of sourdough starter with your 2 types of flour & warm water, using a digital scale for accurate measurements. Mix until fully blended.
Build the final mix
1. Cover & leave to sit at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours, or until doubled in size. A nice trick is to put a rubber band around the jar where the line of the levain is when you first mix it, so you can check how much it’s growing & be sure that it’s doubled.
For the final mix:
1. Once the levain mix is ready, it’s time to make the final mix. In a large bowl, dissolve the salt in warm water. Stir it until it’s completely dissolved. Add the 200gms of levain mix, & stir until dissolved.
For the dough:
1. Once rested, dust your work surface with flour & knead the dough. If kneading by hand, use the palm of your hand & push the dough in a forward motion to the point that it’s almost tearing. Pull the dough back onto itself, rotate it, & push with your palm again. This will take 10 to 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can also knead the dough using a stand mixer. Mix the dough on a low speed for 10 minutes, then at medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. You can stop kneading the dough when it’s smooth & its shape bounces back after pressing into the dough with your fingers. This means the gluten structure has developed & the dough is giving some resistance. You should be able to squeeze & pull it without any tearing.
3. On your work surface, tighten up the dough by tucking the edge of your hand under the dough & pulling it towards you, moving your way around the edge of the dough to keep tucking the edges underneath. This helps smooth out the surface & ensures an even fermentation. Add a little olive oil to a large bowl or tub, spreading it around with your fingers to coat the container. Place the dough inside & cover with a cloth or lid, & leave to ferment at room temperature on your kitchen countertop for 3 hours. The dough has finished bulk fermenting when it has at least doubled in size, & lots of air bubbles appear under the surface.
4. Portion the dough into 3 or 4 equal pieces, depending on the size of your pizza. Shape each piece of dough into a ball using the same technique as tightening up the bulk dough. Place the dough piece on the countertop & pull it towards you from the edge furthest away from you, tucking the edge of your hand under the dough. Keep doing this around the edge of the dough & pulling it towards you, moving your way around the edge until it’s smooth & round.
5. Once shaped, dust a proving tray with flour or line a baking tray with parchment (baking) paper, & place the dough balls on the tray. Cover with a cloth or the tray’s lid & place inside the fridge to cold prove overnight for 24 hours.
6. Once the cold proof has finished, bring the pizza dough balls back up to room temperature by removing them from the fridge & leaving the tray on your kitchen countertop for around 2 hours. It’s important they’re at room temperature before you start stretching the pizza dough, or they will be too tight & impossible to stretch.
7. Fire up your oven, & aim for 950 ˚F (500 ˚C) on the stone baking board inside, using your thermometer to check the temperature.
8. Using a small amount of flour, dust your pizza peel. Stretch the pizza dough ball out to 12 inches (30cm or 41cm & lay it out on your pizza peel. Add your favourite toppings.
9. Slide the pizza off the peel & into your oven & cook for 1 to 2 minutes, making sure to rotate the pizza every 20 seconds or so for an even bake.
Pizza Dough #3 – Easy Pizza Dough
Ingredients
480gms lukewarm water
750gm) bread flour
1 tbsp (15 gms) active dried yeast / 10 gms instant dried yeast / 30 gms fresh yeast
1 tbsp (18 gms) fine sea salt
1 ½ tbsp (20 gms) extra-virgin olive oil
100gms semolina or rice flour for dusting
Whisk 3 heaped tablespoons of bread flour into a large bowl of lukewarm water. Once well-mixed, add the yeast & whisk again. Leave in a warm place for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is frothy.
If mixing by hand: in a large bowl, add half of the remaining flour & the yeast mixture & mix well. Then add the salt & remaining flour to the mix. Dump the mixture onto a lightly-floured surface & knead for 8 to 10 minutes. Drizzle the bottom of the bowl with olive oil, place the dough back into the bowl & drizzle more olive oil on top.
If using a stand mixer: dump the mixture into the bowl, turn the mixer on low & mix for 4 minutes, or until the dough is formed. Drizzle the bottom of a separate bowl with olive oil, place the dough into the bowl & drizzle more olive oil on top.
Cover the bowl with a dish cloth & set in the sun or another warm place for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size — whichever comes first.
Divide the bulk-proofed dough into five 250-gram pieces or four 330-gram pieces. Ball up the dough, ensuring the tops of the balls are smooth. Brush each ball with olive oil or warm water, cover with a dish cloth & in a warm place for 15 to 20 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Tip: Use your pizza dough scraper to divide the bulk-proofed dough into balls & always start with a perfectly rounded ball of dough as this helps to keep the shape of the base circular during the stretching process.
While the dough balls are resting, set up your toppings, then fire up your oven & let it preheat for 15 to 20 minutes, until it reaches between 450°C & 500°C. Use an infrared thermometer to quickly & accurately check the temperature of the baking stone.
Place the dough ball on a lightly floured surface, flour your hands & use your fingertips to press the dough into a small, flat disc. Work from the centre & push the dough outwards while spreading your fingers to make the disc slightly bigger. Pick up the dough & gently pinch it all around the edge, allowing gravity to pull it downwards into a circle.
Once the dough is fully stretched, lightly flour your pizza peel & lay the dough base on it. If you see any small holes or tears, gently pinch them back together. Once you’re happy with your base, add your toppings.9. Once the oven is hot enough, launch your pizza & cook it for 1 to 2 minutes, turning every 20 seconds to ensure an even bake.
Pizza Dough #4 – 70% Hydration
Ingredients
Dough ingredients:
• 700gms Baker’s flour
• 300gms semolina
• 10gms dry yeast
• 700gms Room Temperature water
• 35gms sea salt
• 50gms Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Step 1: In a bowl add the flours & mix until combined.
Step 2: Add half of the water & the yeast & mix until combined.
Step 3: Add the remainder of the water in small parts until it’s all absorbed.
Step 5: Let the dough rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. After this time, mix again to tighten the gluten.
Step 4: Add the olive oil & salt. Mix until the dough is smooth
Step 6: Cover it & let it bulk ferment for 12 hours or overnight in the refrigerator (or leave it at room temperature for 2-3 hours).
Step 7: Form the dough balls to 180gms each & let it proof for 4-6 hours.
Pizza Dough #5 (The Sponge or Autolyse Method)
Ingredients
624gms water
6gms active dry yeast
7gms rye flour
3.5gms wheat germ
737gms unbleached bread flour, or more as needed
7gms mild-flavoured honey
14gms kosher salt
extra-virgin olive oil, for greasing the bowl
flour, for dusting
To make the sponge, put 425gms of the water, yeast, rye flour, wheat germ & half your flour 368.5gms in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir with a wooden spoon or your hand to combine.
Wrap the bowl tightly in plastic wrap, then tie the perimeter with kitchen twine or another piece of plastic wrap to further seal the bowl. Set the dough aside & rest overnight in the fridge
Add the remaining 198gms of water to your sponge, plus the remaining half of the flour & the barley malt or honey. Fit the mixer with a dough hook, place the bowl on the mixer stand & mix the dough on low speed for 2 minutes.
When the dough is done mixing, use olive oil to lightly grease a large bowl (one big enough to hold the dough when it doubles in size).
Turn the dough out of the mixer & into the oiled bowl. Wrap the bowl tightly in plastic wrap & tie the perimeter with kitchen twine or another piece of plastic wrap to further seal. Let the dough rest at room temperature ideally 20 to 21°C for 45 minutes.
Lightly flour a work surface, then set your dough directly on it. Acting as if the round has four sides, fold the edges of the dough toward the centre. Turn the dough over & set it back in the bowl, folded side down. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap again & set it aside for 45 minutes. Repeat this step one more time for the second fold.
Lightly flour your work surface once more & set the dough on it. Divide it into 6 equal portions (each should weigh about 250gms using a pizza bench scraper. Alternatively, if you want smaller pizzettes (as in Nancy’s accompanying video), you can weigh out thirteen 115gm pieces.
Lightly flour your hands, then gather each portion of dough into a taut ball. Generously dust a baking sheet with flour, then dip the bottom of the ball in flour & place the dough round on the baking sheet.
To make the sponge, put 425gms of the water, yeast, rye flour, wheat germ & half your flour 368.5gms in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir with a wooden spoon or your hand to combine.
Wrap the bowl tightly in plastic wrap, then tie the perimeter with kitchen twine or another piece of plastic wrap to further seal the bowl. Set the dough aside & rest overnight in the fridge
Add the remaining 198gms of water to your sponge, plus the remaining half of the flour & the barley malt or honey. Fit the mixer with a dough hook, place the bowl on the mixer stand & mix the dough on low speed for 2 minutes.
Add the 14gms kosher salt & mix on high speed for 10 minutes, or until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Note that the dough won’t pull so much that it cleans the bowl, but if the dough isn’t pulling away from the sides, throw a small handful of flour into the bowl to make it less sticky.
When the dough is done mixing, use olive oil to lightly grease a large bowl (one big enough to hold the dough when it doubles in size).
Turn the dough out of the mixer & into the oiled bowl. Wrap the bowl tightly in plastic wrap & tie the perimeter with kitchen twine or another piece of plastic wrap to further seal. Let the dough rest at room temperature ideally 20 to 21°C for 45 minutes.
Lightly flour a work surface, then set your dough directly on it. Acting as if the round has four sides, fold the edges of the dough toward the centre. Turn the dough over & set it back in the bowl, folded side down. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap again & set it aside for 45 minutes. Repeat this step one more time for the second fold.
Lightly flour your work surface once more & set the dough on it. Divide it into 6 equal portions (each should weigh about 250gms using a pizza bench scraper. Alternatively, if you want smaller pizzettes (as in Nancy’s accompanying video), you can weigh out thirteen 115gm pieces.
Lightly flour your hands, then gather each portion of dough into a taut ball. Generously dust a baking sheet with flour, then dip the bottom of the ball in flour & place the dough round on the baking sheet.
Cover the baking sheet with a dishcloth & proof at moderate room temperature 20 to 21°C for an hour. Alternatively, you can skip transferring the dough to a baking sheet & leave it on the counter to proof instead.
There is tradition but then there is also innovation. It is important to respect the past but not to embrace the future would be remiss. The Tomato Passata below is basic but needs not adjustment at all
Long ferment time = more flavour: Take a slow approach; the longer you let to dough develop, you are encouraging structure & strength & importantly, developing flavour. Plan ahead & don’t rush. This alone is the most important part of what you want to achieve.
Work close to the bench: resist any inclination to show off & toss in the air, it’s not necessary, work closely to the bench, press, flip & flour; hold the dough on a clench fish & let it stretch by itself as it falls, the result is the same minus the fanfare
Rest Dough before shaping: resting is an integral part of dough development; the dough will simply contract if insufficient resting time is not given. It’s like going up hill on an empty fuel tank, it just doesn’t work.
Dust with semolina or rice flour, both are course & offer a unique flavour to your pizza, but apply lightly, no need to go heavy.