Making Better Bakes™
Master Pizzeria-Style Pizza Dough
Engineered with Vital Wheat Gluten and Bread Improver for elite stretch and crust texture.
Transform standard flour into high-performance pizzeria dough. By incorporating our Vital Wheat Gluten and Bread Improver, you get incredible tensile strength, beautiful leopard-spotted oven spring, and a wonderfully tender, airy cornicione (crust).
Ingredients
Makes 3 large (12-inch) pizza bases (~250g dough balls each).
- 500g Standard Plain or Strong White Flour
- 15g Vital Wheat Gluten (to boost protein & stretch)
- 5g (~1 tsp) Bread Improver (for softness & gas retention)
- 325ml Lukewarm water (approx. 65% hydration)
- 7g Instant dried yeast (1 sachet)
- 10g Fine sea salt
- 10g (2 tsp) Olive oil or honey (for crust browning)
Why This Combination Works
Standard household flours often lack the structural protein needed for professional stretching and high-heat baking. Here is how our professional ingredients transform your pizza:
- Vital Wheat Gluten: Recreates high-gluten pizzeria flour, allowing you to stretch the dough paper-thin without tearing.
- Bread Improver: Conditions the dough matrix, helping trap fermentation gases for a lighter, puffier outer crust.
- Hydration Control: Because gluten absorbs extra liquid, the 65% hydration ratio keeps the dough supple and easy to handle.
Step-by-Step Method
Step 1 – Dry Blend
In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together your dry flour, Vital Wheat Gluten, Bread Improver, and instant yeast. This ensures even distribution and prevents lumps.
Step 2 – Hydrate & Mix
Dissolve the sea salt into your lukewarm water, then add the water and olive oil to the dry mixture. Mix until a cohesive, shaggy dough forms with no dry flour remaining.
Step 3 – Knead
Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and knead for 8–10 minutes (or use a stand mixer with a dough hook for 6 minutes) until the gluten develops and the surface becomes smooth and elastic.
Step 4 – Bulk Fermentation
Lightly oil a bowl, place the dough inside, cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature for 1.5 to 2 hours until doubled in size.
Step 5 – Ball & Cold Ferment
Divide the dough into 3 equal portions (approx. 250g each). Round each into tight balls. For maximum flavor and chew, place them in a covered container in the fridge for 24 hours (or proceed after 2 hours at room temp).
Step 6 – Stretch & Bake
Bring chilled dough balls to room temperature (about 45 mins). Gently press from the center out to push air into the crust edge. Stretch by hand, top with your favorite ingredients, and bake at your oven's maximum temperature (or on a pre-heated pizza stone).
Master Baker's Pizzeria Tip
Because Vital Wheat Gluten absorbs moisture much faster than ordinary flour, do not hesitate to wet your hands slightly if the dough feels tight during shaping.
Bake your pizza on the highest possible heat setting—ideally on a pre-heated steel or stone—to let the Bread Improver do its work and give you that incredible, professional puffed crust! 🍕