The secret to a chewy crust lies in how long you mix your dough
In short: Achieving the perfect pizza crust is a balance of temperature and timing. While many assume dough is a simple mixture, the way you handle your yeast and the duration of your mixing can determine whether you end up with a supple, chewy crust or something closer to a dry cracker.
Creating high-quality pizza dough requires precise management of ingredients and temperature. To begin, combine flour, yeast, honey, and salt in a food processor using a steel blade. It is critical to add salt to the flour rather than the yeast mixture, as salt has a tendency to kill the yeast. For the liquid, use warm water heated to between 110 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit—slightly warmer than a 104-degree hot tub. Adding honey is an optional step that can provide a subtle caramel-like sweetness to the final product.
Once the ingredients are combined, the mixing process dictates the final texture. Using a machine like a Kitchen Aid with a dough hook, you should process the mixture until a ball forms. The texture of the dough serves as a visual and auditory guide; it is ready when it begins to stick to the hook and makes a slapping noise against the side of the bowl. The duration of this process is vital: if you stop the mixing process early, the crust will be more like a cracker, whereas longer mixing results in a more chewy texture.
After mixing, the dough can be shaped into a ball using a stretch, fold, and turn motion. For professional results, you can refrigerate the dough in an airtight plastic bag for up to 48 hours. If you allow the dough to rise at room temperature, it should approximately triple in size over about two hours before it is ready for the oven. This method typically yields two 13-inch pizzas.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: How to Make Pizza Dough with a Mixer | Homemade Pizza
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