All of us, at least once in our lives, have thought about trying to make pizza at home: whether for an evening with friends or a family dinner, pizza always manages to please every palate. The good news is that, with a little practice and the right advice, you too can become a master pizza maker in your own kitchen!
The pizza dough is a blank canvas ready to welcome your imagination: flour, water, yeast and a pinch of salt are all you will need to create your base. But don't be fooled by their apparent simplicity: the difficulty lies in the way you combine and work them together to turn them into an elastic, soft dough, ready to puff up in the oven and become that base — crisp on the outside and soft on the inside — that we all love
With a little patience you will discover that making pizza dough at home is not only incredibly rewarding, but can also become a moment of pure fun and sharing with the people you love. So, are you ready to dive into the wonderful world of pizza dough? Let's begin!
Direct dough for pizza: what is it?
The direct pizza dough is a preparation technique that involves working all the ingredients in a single stage and is often preferred for its simplicity and its relatively short preparation times. The main characteristics of this method are:
- Simplicity of preparation. Direct dough requires a single working stage, in which all the ingredients are mixed together following a precise order: this makes it simpler and quicker to prepare than indirect methods, which have several stages.
- Shorter rising times. Although rising times may vary, direct dough tends to need less time to rise than indirect methods. Read our article on rising!
- Digestibility. Although indirect methods are often praised for their digestibility, direct dough, if handled correctly with suitable rising times and the use of quality flours, can be just as digestible.
- Less yeast. Although indirect methods may require less yeast, direct dough can still be prepared with moderate amounts of yeast, helping to achieve good rising without excess.
- Convenience for pizzeria production. For pizzerias that need to handle large volumes of dough and require efficient production, direct dough can be more convenient and manageable.
Ingredients for making pizza (recipe for 4-5 pizzas)
- 500 g of 300W (strong) flour
- 0,5–0,6 g of fresh baker's yeast
- 300 ml of water (60% based on the weight of the flour)
- 3 ml of extra virgin olive oil
- 10 g of salt
Procedure (with mixer)
- Pour the 500g of flour into the mixer.
- Crumble the yeast into the flour: knead to oxygenate the flour and to mix in the yeast.
- Pour 80% of the total water into the bowl, in a thin stream and slowly so that the dough absorbs the water well.
- When there is no longer any flour at the bottom of the bowl, start pouring the salt into the dough.
- Once you have done this, increase the speed and pour in the remaining water, still in a thin stream. 2–3 minutes before the end, add the oil.
- When the dough is smooth and homogeneous, it is ready to be worked. Remember that temperature is very important for a good pizza; it should be between 22 and 24 °C.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp cloth or cling film and leave to rise in a warm place, away from draughts, for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume.
- After rising, divide the dough into 4 equal parts.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough with your hands or a rolling pin, forming disks.
- Top the pizzas as you like and bake them in a preheated oven at 250°C for about 10–15 minutes (or until the edges turn golden and crisp). To help you move the pizzas in and out of the oven without breaking them, you can use a household pizza peel.
Procedure (without mixer)
- In a small bowl, dissolve the baker's yeast in 50 ml of water (taken from the total) and leave to rest for about 10 minutes.
- Pour the flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the dissolved yeast.
- Start adding the rest of the water in a thin stream, stirring with one hand or a wooden spoon. Don't add all the water at once! Assess the consistency of the dough.
- When the dough starts to come together, add the salt and the extra virgin olive oil.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and start kneading with your hands for about 10–15 minutes: the dough should be smooth and elastic.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp cloth or cling film and leave to rise in a warm place, away from draughts, for about 2 hours (or until doubled in volume).
- After rising, divide the dough into 4 equal parts.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough with your hands or a rolling pin, forming disks.
- Top the pizzas as you like and bake them in a preheated oven at 250°C for about 10–15 minutes (or until the edges turn golden and crisp). To help you move the pizzas in and out of the oven without breaking them, you can use a household pizza peel.
By following these steps, you will get homemade pizzas that are soft and tasty, perfect for an evening in good company! And now, with our hands still floured, we say goodbye: but before we go, we ask you to share with us a few photos of your creations — we are always curious to see your masterpieces. Enjoy your meal, and see you on the next culinary adventure!
