The Pizza Therapy Forum and Pasta Therapy Forum

[CJ]

I see many people are having a problem stretching their dough out.

First I agree with Peter Reinhardt, make the dough the day before

Next I roll my dough into balls being careful to seal the under side, oil them and refrigerate over night.

When I am ready to make my pizzas I bring the dough out and allow them to warm to room temperature.

Flour my peal and put the dough on it.

Next I slightly flatten the dough becareful to keep the round shape. Next I form the lip of the crust , pushing my f ingers down around the inside edge of the dough with one hand while keeping my other hand on the outside of the dough keeping the round shape as I form the lip.

Now using my knuckles I stretch the dough while rotating it. With your knuckles you keep stretching to the outside of the dough until you get the size and thickness you desire. (I use to cheat and put marks on my peal so I knew the pizza would fit in the box) Thgis is also where the showmanship of throwing the dough in the air comes into play. Children and adults both love to see the dough spinning in the air. Good for business and puts people in a light hearted mood.

I do not believe in rolling dough as it will make it tough and leathery.

Also a dough rolled well into a ball will be less likely to tear when being stretched out by hand.
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Southern Yankee

[qiatsu]

Nothing like a well made pizza dough ball made by hand. Rolling out the dough for a ball or for a pizza crust is not allowed if one wants to produce true Napoletana.

[shipwreck]

Thanks for the tips! I have trouble with this as well so I need some practice. A friend of mine who used to work at an Italian restaurant says that if you add the water into your bread mixer gradually it helps the dough stretch for some reason.

I've made dough by machine and by hand and I don't really see a difference, though I still knead it by hand a bit even after using the machine.
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-D. Kamal