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Dough Doesn't Stretch...

 
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pizza
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Joined: 19 Jun 2006
Posts: 701
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

PostPosted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 9:13 am    Post subject: Dough Doesn't Stretch... Reply with quote

Howard writes:


I make my own pizza dough and I use a recipe from a book called The
Bread Bible by Beth Hensberger. (I'm not sure about the spelling here.)

The recipe has me proof the yeast in a cup of water and a pinch of
sugar. I always make sure of the water temperature. In the mixer bowl
I add a cup of flour, some salt, two tablespoons of olive oil and I
start the mixer.


To the very wet batter I add another cup of flour and
then I add probably about another half cup of flour and I fiddle with it
slightly with water and flour until the dough just pulls away from the
sides of the bowl. Then I put the dough hook on and give it probably
about 8 to 10 minutes. Sometimes less. The dough goes into a large
oiled bowl and rises for 90 minutes or so.

Here's my real question. The dough usually doesn't want to stretch the
way I want it to. It thins out in spots and I get a hole in it that I
have to try to patch. Have you got any suggestions? Perhaps the dough
should be wetter or drier. I don't know. Any help would be greatly
appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

My Response:


Hi Howard.

I can't really comment on any dough recipe other than my own, so I can't
help you there. however, this pizza recipe really seeems like a good.

However: the question is...what kind of flour are you using?

I think you may want to try the dough recipe with a high gluten flour.

For example XXX or OOO Caputo flour. Kig Arthur makes an artisan bread
flour called Sir Lancelot Flour. Try using a high gluten flour and let me
know how you make out.

Anyone else have any suggestions for Howard?

thanks,

albert
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CJ



Joined: 28 Jul 2006
Posts: 21
Location: Ronda, North Carolina

PostPosted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 5:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Make sure you let the dough return to room temperature before you attempt to stretch it. Cold dough does not stretch well.
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GOOMBA



Joined: 03 Jul 2006
Posts: 18

PostPosted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 9:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

HOWARD:
Good afternoon. Howard, if you wish help simply post your recipe & directions. We then can help you in a meaningful way.
Good luck Howard & enjoy the rest of the day.

~GOOMBA. Wink
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dfandreatta
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Joined: 02 Jul 2006
Posts: 237
Location: Apollo Beach, Florida

PostPosted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 6:54 pm    Post subject: Re: Dough Doesn't Stretch... Reply with quote

[quote="pizza"] Howard writes:


Quote:
The recipe has me proof the yeast in a cup of water and a pinch of
sugar. I always make sure of the water temperature. In the mixer bowl
I add a cup of flour, some salt, two tablespoons of olive oil and I
start the mixer.


You mention "a pinch" of sugar and "some salt". I have taken to always measuring everything, on the odd chance that it might actually come out right and I can reproduce it. This is, after all, chemistry.

Two tablespoons of oil seems like quite a bit. I have left the oil out of the recipe I use the past few times and have been happier with the results. A recipe calling for one cup of water, in my experience, uses about 3 cups of flour - and the recipes I have seen in those quantities call for a single tablespoon of oil.

Quote:
To the very wet batter I add another cup of flour and
then I add probably about another half cup of flour and I fiddle with it
slightly with water and flour until the dough just pulls away from the
sides of the bowl. Then I put the dough hook on and give it probably
about 8 to 10 minutes. Sometimes less. The dough goes into a large
oiled bowl and rises for 90 minutes or so.

Do you "punch" it down and let it rise again?

Quote:
Here's my real question. The dough usually doesn't want to stretch the
way I want it to. It thins out in spots and I get a hole in it that I
have to try to patch. Have you got any suggestions? Perhaps the dough
should be wetter or drier. I don't know. Any help would be greatly
appreciated.

Albert mentioned using high-gluten flour. You can buy essential gluten and add that to the flour. Gluten helps elongate the strands so the dough stretches better. But I would toy with the amount of oil first.

Let us know what you find out.
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