When I make Neapolitan pizza dough, the dough is so soft and supple that I can hardly work it into a round shape before it is stretched far too large and overly thin in areas.
After I mix the dough(ingredients below), I let it sit on the counter for 24 hours, then refrigerated for another 48 hours. Finally, I pull the dough out of the refrigerator and let it warm for 45 minutes on the counter before using it.
At this point, the dough is so soft I only have mere seconds to form it over my knuckles before it droops into an oblong football shape. I oftentimes only work it in my hands for 2-3 seconds than transfer it to my work surface for a bit of stretching by pinch/pull. I still am not getting a round shape because it is so soft. What can I do to make the dough more workable but still achieve Neapolitan results?
Dough Recipe:
- 500g Antimo Caputo 00 Flour
- 383g Water
- 16g Sea Salt
- 1g Active Dry Yeast
- 900g Total / 76.6% hydration
Best Answer
It actually sounds like your dough is good, your description is just what I'd look for in a dough. It may be your technique which is the trouble. It's takes practice to hand stretch dough right, you could try using a rolling pin instead.
You should be able to stretch your dough very thin and still have it hold together. If your dough is breaking easily then you may not have enough gluten development. If you still want stiffer dough then you could go for a higher gluten content, or go for a lower hydration level, say 70%.
EDIT: One thing I've found with pizza dough is that if you try to stretch it too far too quickly it will be uneven and prone to breaking. I've found that if you stretch it part of the way then leave it a few minutes it will relax a bit and be easier to work with.