9 Tricks for Tasty Wood-Fired Pizza Crust
If you’re a fan of wood-fired pizza, you already know there are many types of pizza crust. Popular versions include traditional Neapolitan which is thin, light and crisp, Sicilian which is heartier and thicker, New York-style which is sturdy, thin and crunchless, and Chicago-style which is often thick and chewy. To make these or any of the myriad variants as tasty as they can be, try these tricks:
- Weigh ingredients on a digital kitchen scale for the most precise approach. This will help you achieve the right consistency and control the ratio of the two primary ingredients, flour and water.
- Use all purpose flour for basic crust, but passionate pizza lovers prefer the finely ground Italian flour known as Tipo 00. Its high protein content promotes gluten formation, adds stretch and helps trap air in the dough. It produces a light, crispy crust typical of Neapolitan pizza.
- Opt for American bread flour if you can’t find Italian Tipo 00. The grind is coarser, but it has the high protein content you need. It produces a stretchy, chewier crust appropriate for Chicago-style pizzas, and as it cooks it tends to form a natural rim around the edge to contain sauce, cheese and toppings, so it’s suitable for Sicilian and New York styles as well.
- Remember pizza dough starts out sticky and acquires stretch as it’s worked. If it’s too sticky, add and knead in more flour one tablespoon at a time. If it feels too dry, cover it and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Handle the dough as little as possible and avoid overworking it. Overworked dough feels rubbery and produces a tough, overly chewy crust.
- Allow refrigerated dough to warm to room temperature before you begin working with it.
- Add a pinch of sugar to the dough recipe to promote even browning if you’re cooking at a lower temperature.
- Prepare dough ahead when time is at a premium. Mix the ingredients in a deep bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let the dough rise overnight on the counter. The next day, skip the kneading step and simply shape and proof the dough then form the crust.
- Elect for cold fermentation to produce crust with a fuller, richer taste. Place the dough in a deep bowl, cover it and allow it to sit in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. The slow process develops deeper flavors and promotes browning at cooking time.
Mix and match different techniques. Soon you’ll develop your own singular approach for scrumptious crust and the perfect wood-fired pizza.