The best pizza crust I've ever made! Everyone had fun creating their own pizza and I really love the flavor of the sauce. The texture of this crust was perfect. I can't say enough how much we enjoyed this. I can't wait to experiment again...probably tomorrow.

Hi,
I tried the pizza dough today but it was a failure :(

I measured everything according to the recipe. However, the dough was a bit dry when I kneaded it. It didn't come as smooth as what's showed in the video. I put some to the freezer and left one piece of dough enough for a 12 inches pizza. I put peeled tomato with sliced garlic, salt and basil, pineapple, pepperoni and cheese. However the base was a bit soggy when it came out. The side is too dry. i just wonder why. I follow the instruction by putting the pizza in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes at 450F (approx 275 C). As I couldn't find semolina flour, I just used coarse semolina. Was that the reason why the dough is dry and didn't look smooth even I kneaded for 15 mins?

How did you measure the ingredients? Using a scale or using measuring cups? With measuring cups, sometimes there is a tendency to pack in the flour too much, which throws off the dry:liquid ratio. This is where you learn how to adjust the dough by adding a bit more liquid (see the lessons in the Bread section for in depth information). Next time, use fine semolina as opposed to coarse (or just omit it and substitute bread flour).

In regards to the sogginess, the ingredients you used were quite high in water content. As these cook, they will release their water and make the dough soggy. Be sure to really drain the pineapple and perhaps garnish with fresh tomato after cooking.

You can also brush the crust with olive oil before adding the toppings and placing it on the pizza stone to bake. It will be helpful to review the lessons in the cooking school on making bread. These pizzas are delicious so don't give up - it just takes practice. Hope this helps. Cheers!

Thanks Kimberley. I will definitely give it another go. I did drain the pineapple before putting on the pizza and I also used a pizza stone to bake the pizza. Next time after I drain the pineapples, perhaps I should use some paper towels to absorb any excess water from the pineapples. I will also revisit the lessons re making bread to see what I had missed. I will also omit the coarse semolina next time as I couldn't find fine semolina. I will let you know how I go after my second attempt. :)

Cheers
May May

Earlier in this forum, someone mentioned using exclusively semolina flour for his pizza. Is the crust flavor superior when using all semolina flour? Could you elaborate a bit more about the difference between combining the flour or not? Thanks! I am trying to understand the different crusts a bit better. I have tried pizza from Naples and I absolutely love its taste but I am not sure if its made from 100% semolina flour.

Semolina is a protein-rich flour that will make for a chewier and more structured crust once baked. Also, the higher the ratio of semolina, the more yellow the crust will be. Some also say that the crust has a nuttier flavor to it.

Semolina flour can be used in place of some or all of the all-purpose or bread flour. But ultimately, you will need to experiment, as every style and/or recipe for pizza varies. Many people prefer some sort of balance between the flours (semolina, bread flour and/or all-purpose flour). It really just comes down to personal preference and the flavor and texture you are going for. Hope that helps. Cheers!

Thank you Dawn! Your explanation gives me a better understanding to experiment. I just made a batch of pizza dough from a recipe from a different source and was not that pleased with the results - it did not call for semolina and was made in an electric machine-. Tomorrow I will play with this one. This time, I will omit the use of the standing mixer in order to know the dough better, as Kimberly suggested previously.

Keep up the good work Laura and let us know how your experimenting goes. And btw, I now can't stop thinking about eating pizza for dinner tonight, even though I have no dough made :)

Now if I wanted to add mushrooms or some chicken/beef/shrimps, should these ingredients be cooked before hand? for example slices of steak? should I saute the mushrooms before hand? Will be preparing the dough tonight (so I can let it rise in the fridge), and applying the tomato sauce lesson tomorrow so I can use it on the pizza.

Yes, in general toppings that can give off a good deal of water when cooking should be cooked first--so sauteing the mushrooms first would help keep the pizza dough from becoming soggy. Meat would be treated similarly. If you have sparse, thinly sliced ingredients and a very, very hot oven you may be able to achieve good results without the initial cooking. Enjoy!

I have had amazing success with this recipe over the last couple of years. The crust is amazing and so easy. So I was a little surprised lately when my crust was just not turning out the way it usually does. Too soft, didn't crisp up in the oven enough, and was just... a bit off somehow. It was passable but nothing spectacular like it usually is. I was almost going to look for another recipe to try and then figured out what happened to my tried and true recipe. Without realizing it, I had taken my bag of all-purpose flour from the pantry instead of the bread flour. Two consecutive times I did this without realizing it. Third time I used the Bread Flour and it came out perfectly! Just thought I'd mention my experience in case anyone is wondering whether the flour matters much. It definitely matters,,,

Thanks for sharing your story Terry. And glad to hear that you found out what had happened before you had to go to the trouble of finding another recipe. Like many others that this sort of thing has happened to, I am sure that this is a mistake that you likely won't make again :-) Cheers!

What a great experiment making these four pizzas. After making the dough the previous evening and letting it rise in the refrigerator overnight, my wife and I spent nearly the whole day making (and eating) pizzas. This is MY kind of homework assignment. What a great course!! The crunchy crust was fabulous.

I followed all the steps correctly and I put the dough in the refrigerator overnight. It seemed to rise beautifully. This morning, it was pushing the wrap, but still looked fine. However, now, when I got back home hoping I would go on with the recipe, the dough was sunk and it tasted off.

Seems like the yeast has something to do with this, but I don't know what. I used a pack intended for 500 grams of flour (that's how much I used).

Can you help me with this? I really wanna learn this…

Hi Sebastian- So you made dough, it rose overnight in the refrigerator. You checked in the morning and all was fine..but later that day something went wrong? A few questions: How long was the dough in your refrigerator? How much did it rise there (did it double in volume?) How was it wrapped?

When you say it tasted "off"- please elaborate. Was it tangy, yeasty and a bit fermented smelling or flat out rotten? Some more information may prove useful - please let me know.

I put it in the refrigerator at around 11 pm. The next morning it was already above the bowl level (I'd say it was double in volume already). When I got back from work, around 8 pm, the dough was below the bowl level, it had a different texture (flat), different smell (yeasty), and the taste was kind of bitter and yeasty. The bowl was covered in plastic wrap.

The yeast I've used read on the packet not to dissolve, but I assumed it was not necessary, not that I wasn't allowed to so I followed your instructions. Also, the measurement was a bit different as the pack I used weights 7 grams, but is recommended for 500 grams of flour and so I used only one.

Another thing I noticed this morning was that the dough had already been forming plenty of air bubbles on the surface.

Do you need any other information?

Thank you!

It sounds like the yeast was doing it's thing... and after nearly 24 hours, it lost some of its CO2 creating powers. This is normal, especially if the dough is kept cool (in the refrigerator) for that long. If it were to warm up (place the dough in the bowl on your kitchen counter for 90 minutes), it will likely rise a bit again and not be so flat.

The extra yeasty smell is actually desirable as it will give your dough a rich and full flavor when baked. A longer, slower fermentation is the key to many great artisan breads-so a quality pizza dough can benefit from this as well.

Try to make it again...and follow the instructions re: dissolving the the yeast. Let us know how the second attempt works for you. Enjoy!

In the video the dough is risen. Mine was flat. I assumed the dough is ruined. I did dissolve the yeast, as I followed your instructions, not the ones on the package. I would try again, only that I still dont kmow what was i doing wrong in order not to do it again. :(

You mean the dough was actually ok inspite of its smell/taste/structure and that I should have went on?

Yes, the dough will be flat. You are making thin-crust pizza, your dough was probably just fine.

Yes! On general, it's best to eat your "mistakes" as many times, there's nothing wrong (or not much wrong) at all! Of course, be safe and don't hurt yourself, but give it a try. We humans have been making bread for a long time- lots of variations will yield a useable dough.

My guess is that nothing went wrong. You smelled a very yeasty dough and it may have been surprising or off-putting. That is not all that unusual- as it does not smell like cooked bread, that's for sure. It was also deflated and flat, which is not unreasonable given the near 24 hours of total time it fermented. Next time just roll it out and use it.

I was working on the pizza four ways over the weekend and once i made my dough I realized (after kneading it) that i had used KA white whole wheat flour by accident. So, instead of throwing it away i decided to let it rise and try it anyway. I also made another batch using KA Bread flour. That turned out and rose beautifully. I had old yeast and so decided to test it and found that it did not react like some of the fresher yeast. Cool to experience the difference in new and old yeast (fast acting dry).

The white whole wheat dough pizza did not have the nice crispness once baked. We all decided that the bread flour made the best crust. It rolled out beautifully. I loved how the kneading developed the gluten so that the dough was elastic and smooth and supple. Thanks for a great lesson!

Hi Bonnie- What a great way to learn first-hand how different flours react and respond. I really like the white whole wheat product, but I'm sure the higher protein flour had more structure and chew.

Old yeast often times just needs more time to develop, so it will likely still work (as long as it is viable). Sometimes you have to coax it a bit, but I've seen bread recipes that use a tiny amount of yeast and a long, slow fermentation. Enjoy!

How long should the pizza be left in the fridge to rise? I realize the recipe suggests over night for the slow rise but don't want to have pizza for breakfast :) Any idea how many hours it should take? Once it has risen, can it be left in the fridge for a while? I made the dough this morning and am hoping to have it for dinner...it's been in the fridge for about four hours and has risen a bit.
thanks!

Not sure if this is 'gospel', but here is what I have done with great success.

1. I have left it rising in the fridge for as long as 24 hours with no adverse effects. Remove from fridge. Let it sit at room temperature for about an hour, punch down and work it as normal.
2. left it oiled, tightly wrapped in Saran wrap, inside a ZipLoc bag for as long as 48 hours. Remove from fridge, bring it to room temperature, (about an hour) remove plastic wrap, let it rise in a covered bowl for about two hours, punch down and work as normal.
3. made my dough in the AM, set in the fridge to rise while I head off to work, return in the PM. Bring to room temperature while I pre-heat the oven/pizza stone and prepare my ingredients. Punch down and work it.

In all cases... best Pizza ever!!

Hi there. I'm about to make a batch of dough and would like to freeze half of it. Would I put it in the freezer after the kneading stage?

When I thaw it out to use it, does it need to go through a proofing stage or would I just let it thaw out and come to room temperature before using it?