Flour and a liquid mixed together to form a thick, malleable substance.
22
votes
4answers
2k views
Does resting the dough for a long time reduce the need to knead the bread?
In this article by Chef Michael Smith, he mentions a recipe where leaving the dough to rest for 18 hours removes the need to knead the bread. Is this a viable substitute? I've tried the recipe and ...
19
votes
5answers
35k views
What is the best flour to use for pizza dough?
I've been making pizza dough and the recipe says to use "good quality flour" but I'm not sure what it means? Are there differences in quality between different types of flour and how can I tell?
16
votes
3answers
3k views
What job is the fat doing when I prepare bread dough, and what to expect if I use the wrong amount?
I've been baking bread for years and no longer really measure the ingredients. But I'm no expert on the science of what I'm doing. I add fat (lard) because I've always added fat.
What job does the ...
15
votes
5answers
5k views
How warm must dough be in order to rise?
While making some focaccia this afternoon, my wife said, "sure the house is 'warm'; it'll be fine." One hour later, no rising. It may be worth noting that our house is 66F. So we stuck it in a warm ...
15
votes
4answers
2k views
How to prevent pizza dough from stretching back
I have a problem with my pizza dough. I start to shape it but it is somewhat difficult to make it bigger and thinner because the dough stretches back to its initial form.
Any ideas?
13
votes
9answers
66k views
How to defrost frozen pizza dough quickly?
Obviously, best practice for defrosting it to leave the pizza dough on the counter or in the fridge overnight, then let it rise before cooking it. However, I've got company coming tonight, and I ...
13
votes
8answers
6k views
Why does leftover pizza dough make terrible bread?
I like to make my own pizza dough. Usually I end up with some leftover dough, which I stick in the fridge and then try to make into buns or something for breakfast the next morning. It never turns ...
13
votes
2answers
580 views
Storing bread dough before baking
I'm looking to make a start in the world of baking bread, and have a quick question:
Once my dough is kneaded, proved and ready to go in the oven (i.e. in the tin) - does it need to be baked ...
12
votes
10answers
8k views
How do you raise your dough in cold seasons?
It is winter down here in Australia and I find it challenging to find a warm spot to raise my bread dough. What I have been doing is placing the dough in the oven (not switched on) with a pot of hot ...
12
votes
1answer
8k views
What are the impacts of common pizza dough errors?
I'm diving into the world of making pizzas from scratch, and I'd like to take a systematic approach to the possible mistakes I could make with regards to the dough.
What impact do each of the ...
12
votes
4answers
586 views
How to get threads in a yeast dough?
I think I may make some traditional food for Easter this year. What I love most is a type of rich sweet bread called kozunak. The perfect kozunak is defined by many qualities, but what I find hardest ...
12
votes
1answer
3k views
Defrosting pizza dough correctly?
Last time I made pizza dough I was a bit...generous with the ingredients - not a problem, I thought, as I'd read before somewhere that pizza dough is nicely freezable. So, I broke the dough in half, ...
11
votes
6answers
3k views
How to lighten (or make less dense) pizza dough
We're currently using
500g strong flour
1tsp salt
1tsp yeast
325ml water
This produces a usable / edible dough, but we're finding it very "dense" or "heavy". It's very filling when eaten, and has ...
11
votes
3answers
3k views
Tips To Make Pizza Dough Workable
I've used several recipes for making pizza dough, most recently one from Delfina Pizza. My issue is that regardless of the recipe I use it is very difficult to work the dough into the pizza crust. ...
10
votes
2answers
2k views
What is the importance of letting pizza dough sit?
I am relatively new to pizza making... I've made 10 pizzas or so. I am having trouble understanding the process the yeast makes it my dough...
I see recipes ranging from 1/2 TS to 2 TS of yeast, ...
10
votes
2answers
2k views
How much warm is warm water?
I'm following a recipe for making dough for a challah recipe, and the recipe calls for warm water. How warm should the water be (in degrees)? Do I need to heat it, or is room-temperature good enough?
...
10
votes
1answer
4k views
What does it mean when dough is referred to as “short”?
I saw this term pop up in a quiche recipe concerning the crust - How can you tell if the problem is too little/too much shortening, or too little/too much liquid? If it's out of proportion, can it be ...
10
votes
2answers
1k views
How to throw a pizza dough?
If there are different instructions for different sizes, those would be appreciated as well.
10
votes
2answers
472 views
How to prepare gnocchi dough for mixed ingredients?
After reading a recent post on incorporating vegetables into gnocchi (and presumably of potato/flour based pastas), I tried my own mixture of veggies and it came out great.
Here is where the ...
10
votes
3answers
553 views
Thick, moist, fluffy, flavorful pitas
Are there tricks for baking thick and fluffy pita bread?
The ones I make come out fine, with an even puff and nice pockets, but they are on the thin side. I would really love to be able to make ...
9
votes
4answers
7k views
What flour and technique do I need for hand pulled noodles?
I can't get the dough I tried to be good enough so that I can pulled it and make noodles out of it. What kind of flour exactly do I need? What are other things do I need?
I have used self raising ...
9
votes
2answers
3k views
Why does dough break when kneading, and how to prevent/ameliorate it?
I'm very new to bread-making in general; don't assume I'm necessarily doing anything right.
During my last attempt at making quick (baking-powder-based) flatbread, I was attempting to flatten and ...
9
votes
4answers
1k views
How can I prevent dough from wrapping around a dough hook?
I have a 5.5qt KitchenAid stand mixer with the burnished spiral ("pigtail") dough hook. This is not the C-hook. When I make a small amount (for example, using 250g of flour or approximately 2 cups) of ...
8
votes
4answers
2k views
How far in advance can I stage pizza?
We're having friends over and I'd like to make 3 or 4 pizzas. I'm considering stretching out the dough and put on the toppings ahead of time, say an hour ahead of when I pop them in the oven. How long ...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
How to judge the quality of pizza dough?
What are some good guidelines for judging the consistency and texture of a good pizza dough? I would like to know so I could make some corrections before it's too late!
Maybe some people have some ...
8
votes
1answer
830 views
Why do some pie crust recipes include vinegar?
I experiment some with pie crusts and have seen recipes that include vinegar as well as eggs. What does the vinegar do and what does the egg do. I have heard the vinegar promotes tenderness but have ...
8
votes
1answer
541 views
Uses for Old bread dough
I found some old bread dough that I had left, sealed in tupperware, in my fridge. It has a powerful fermented smell, but doesn't appear to be moldy or otherwise bad. Is there any use for this ...
8
votes
4answers
2k views
100% Rye Pizza Base Recipes?
I'm looking for a 100% rye pizza base recipe. The recipes I can find all combine the rye with other flours (typically wheat based). I know it is possible to create 100% rye based pizza bases as I know ...
8
votes
2answers
150 views
When multiplying in baking, should I follow directions all-at-once or batches?
If I am making pie dough, for instance, is there a reason to prefer doing things in batches, besides it being more manageable for my tools/hands? This would help answer this question (two good answers ...
7
votes
4answers
682 views
Sticky and unmanagable sourdough
I've recently started a sourdough starter culture (using equal parts water and spelt flour) and have used it in a sourdough bread recipe I got from the Telegraph. I've halved the recipe in the article ...
7
votes
4answers
3k views
My sourdough starter is bubbling but not rising, suggestions?
I've been trying to grow my own sourdough starter; I went with a 'pure' method, with 50g each of hard-wheat flour from a local mill and water. I've fed it once and it seems to be bubbling nicely ...
7
votes
2answers
809 views
Prevent thin pizza dough sticking
Last time I made Pizza I used the same recipe as always to make the dough, but this time I rolled out the dough really thin to get a nice thin pizza.
As I put the pizza in the over I thought, "this ...
7
votes
5answers
14k views
What should I cover bread dough with while it's rising?
If you let (bread) dough rise, the recipe always asks to cover it. Years ago, I read to cover it with a wet towel. Nowadays, I see more and more recipes that ask for plastic wrap (aka saran or cling ...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
Why does my pizza dough rise so inconsistently?
I've been trying to make pizza dough from scratch for a while now, but I have real problems getting it to rise...
Sometimes it works fine and the dough is good, but sometimes it never rises and is ...
7
votes
3answers
441 views
How to prepare pie dough in bulk at home?
Common knowledge dictates keeping the fats cool and the tools chilled. But when you are preparing more than 8X quantity, this poses some difficulties, or at least some stress. The ambient air, the ...
7
votes
3answers
25k views
How can I fix my dry crumbly cookie dough?
After following the recipe for sugar cookies, I chilled the dough wrapped in plastic for 2 days (recipe specified that I could chill anywhere from 2 hours to 2 days).
As I'm trying to kneed/roll the ...
7
votes
1answer
164 views
How to ship bread or bread dough?
I've been thinking about starting a boutique mail order dinner roll business.
Dough
While I'd really like to ship dough and allow customers to bake (per roll) at their leisure, I'm beginning to think ...
6
votes
6answers
2k views
Knife to Cut Dough
What's the best type of knife [and/or method] for cutting raw bread dough? Is a special dough blade necessary, or will any blade suffice?
6
votes
9answers
6k views
In my new mixer, my bread dough gets wrapped around the kneading hook. What should I do?
I just got a new stand mixer - a nice, heavy 500W mixer with a 5-liter bowl.
Until now, I'd been making bread by hand and kneading it on the countertop.
So the first thing I tried was using the mixer ...
6
votes
5answers
223 views
Dough(s) to hold moist oven dish contents
I have a recipe at home that creates an oven dish with fairly moist contents (curry sauce, creme fraiche, cherries from a can). This specific recipe calls for ready-to-use croissant dough, which I ...
6
votes
3answers
5k views
Can I let my bread dough rise in the mixer bowl?
When I bake bread, I often let the dough rise in the metal mixer bowl. I was wondering if this is a good idea, as the metal is probably colder than a regular bowl and may inhibit rising. Would it be ...
6
votes
6answers
858 views
Flaky pie crust for sweet fruit pie: butter, shortening, lard, or combination?
I specify sweet fruit here because I think there would different good answers for a savory or a custard based pie.
6
votes
2answers
519 views
How should I clean, or care for, a banneton (brotform, proofing basket)?
How should I care for a rattan (cane) banneton? It would seem that washing it in water would eventually warp or ruin the basket since the wood can easily absorb moisture. I've seen people suggest ...
6
votes
2answers
360 views
How careful do you have to be with adding flour for kneading?
When you're working a dough (kneading or rolling out), instructions often say to flour the surface you're working on and your rolling pin or hands. This helps the dough to stick less. However, I ...
6
votes
2answers
3k views
Can I store extra pizza dough in fridge?
I kneaded some pizza dough and it turned out that I have done this double the amount I wanted to. This is my first time. Can I store this dough in fridge? And for how many days?
6
votes
2answers
633 views
Shaping thick crust pizza dough
One of my favorite pizza styles is a nice thick, chewy crust around the outside - but of course thin enough crust under the toppings to cook properly. How does one work the dough into that shape?
6
votes
2answers
1k views
Techniques for mixing bread dough with stand mixer
Can anyone tell me what the best technique is for using a stand mixer to make bread dough?
I just got a stand mixer with a dough hook and have started using it for mixing and kneading bread dough. ...
5
votes
2answers
4k views
Does salt interfere with the yeast in the dough swelling process?
I was told by a friend that, when making pizza dough, I should add the salt at a later stage than the yeast, because it might disturbe the yeast from doing its thing...
I apologize for not having ...
5
votes
8answers
16k views
Why is my Pizza Dough always too sticky to knead?
I have tried to make pizza dough by hand a couple of times now but every time after mixing the ingredients the dough is far too sticky to knead, it is more like a batter than dough. I have watched ...
5
votes
4answers
3k views
Can you make pie crust from cookie dough?
I recently bought several packs of frozen cookie dough, sugar cookie, and I wanted to know if it's possible to reshape them and make a pie crust? If so what is the technique involved: cooking ...
