Pizza Dough Guide

The Art of making great Pizza!

Great pizza starts with great dough. Seriously, the quality of a pizza is only as good as the dough.

Of course, the quality of the ingredients you use will have a big impact on the flavour of your pizza, but without a solid foundation of great dough, you're just building a house on a sandcastle. At Bali Pizza Party, we've perfected our dough recipe through countless iterations, focusing on flavor development, texture, and bakability.

This guide shares some of the secrets we've learned over the years, and the best way to make great pizza at home.

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The Perfect Flour

The most important characteristic of your flour is its protein content. We recommend using a strong, high-protein flour (12-14% protein) which creates a dough with better structure and longer shelf life. While Caputo and other Italian "00" flours are nice for texture, the protein content is what truly matters for great pizza dough. For stretching your dough, a light dusting of semolina works wonders, preventing sticking while adding a pleasant texture to the crust.

High-protein flours make doughs that last longer in the refrigerator, with optimal flavor developing after at least 24 hours and remaining excellent for up to 4 days. Lower-protein flours will peak earlier and degrade faster.

Pro Tip: When dough feels sticky, it's tempting to add more flour. Don't do this! Instead, lightly wet your hands and be patient. The dough will come together with time and proper kneading. Extra flour will make your dough tough and dry.

Understanding Hydration

Hydration refers to the percentage of water relative to flour weight. Higher hydration produces a lighter, airier crust with larger bubbles, but it's also harder to handle.

We suggest starting with 65% hydration if you're new to pizza making. As you become more comfortable handling the dough, gradually work your way up to 68%. The higher hydration produces those beautiful airy pockets and a lighter, more delicate crust, but requires practice to handle effectively.

Remember that flour absorbs water differently based on type and even batch, so don't be afraid to make small adjustments as needed during the mixing process.

Dough Ball Weight

The weight of each dough ball directly affects your pizza's diameter and crust thickness. At Bali Pizza Party, we use 280 grams for our Neapolitan-style 14-inch pizzas with the classic crust profile. This size creates the perfect balance: a thin center that cooks quickly with a slightly puffier edge that has the characteristic leopard spotting when properly baked.

Whatever weight you choose, consistency is key. Using the same weight for each dough ball ensures that all your pizzas will cook evenly and have the same thickness and texture.

Fermentation and Resting

At Bali Pizza Party, we use a high-hydration dough that develops over 24-48 hours. This slow fermentation creates complex flavors and an airy, chewy crust with the perfect amount of crispness when baked. The long cold fermentation makes the dough easier to digest and brings out subtle sweet and nutty flavors that quick doughs simply don't develop.

Pro Tip: After your initial dough mixing and kneading, divide and form the dough into individual balls, then let them rest for at least 24 hours prior to use. This crucial step allows the gluten to relax and flavor to develop, making your dough balls stretch like perfect little pillows ready to be shaped into pizzas.

Forming and Storing Dough Balls

Creating consistent dough balls is crucial for evenly cooked pizzas:

  1. After the initial mixing and kneading, let the dough rest (bulk ferment) for 30-60 minutes.
  2. Gently divide the dough using a dough scraper or knife. For consistency, weigh each portion on a kitchen scale (our calculator recommends 280g per ball).
  3. Form each portion into a smooth ball by tucking the edges underneath and rotating until you have a tight surface.
  4. Place each ball seam-side down in lightly oiled individual containers or on a lightly floured tray with space between them.

For storage, either place each ball in its own small bowl covered with plastic wrap, or in a larger container with enough space between balls (they will expand). If using a container, use a dough scraper or silicone spatula to carefully remove the balls without deflating them when it's time to make pizza.

Baking At Home

Professional pizza ovens reach temperatures of 425-480°C (800-900°F), which is much hotter than a home oven's maximum of around 260°C (500°F). To achieve the best results at home:

  • Invest in a pizza stone or steel. These retain heat and provide the necessary thermal mass to quickly cook the bottom of your pizza.
  • Preheat your oven (with the stone/steel inside) for at least 45-60 minutes at the highest temperature.
  • Position your stone/steel 6-8 inches from the top broiler element for best results.
  • For extra browning, switch to the broiler setting for the last minute of baking.

Even without a professional oven, these techniques will produce a delicious crust with proper chew, airiness, and browning.

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