Is pizza making as simple to make as most people think? The ingredients for making pizza dough are flour, water, salt and yeast. These simple ingredients were used for centuries for baking breads of all sizes and shapes throughout the world.
Pizza dough is simply bread dough with sauce and toppings on it. When you buy bread at the supermarket there are many different kinds to choose. There is white bread (my least favorite), which I call air bread. Then there are different grains, seed and nut breads that are full of flavor and healthy for you.
Bread Maker
The Sourdough, Italian and French breads are also very tasty. You can enhance the flavor of your pizza dough by using one simple technique that many of the bread bakers around the world use. Prepare a poolish before you start making your dough.
What is a poolish you may ask yourself? A poolish is a baker's term for a pre-ferment or sponge. This is simply a starter like you would use when making sourdough bread. It is made with one part-flour-to-one-part-water. I put a very small amount of yeast in it (a pinch). Mix it around and let it sit overnight on the counter. When it starts to bubble and rise it is ready to use. This usually takes about 12-16 hours or more depending on the temperature of the room.
What is happening with the poolish is a complex chemical reaction with bacteria, yeast and gluten. This slow fermentation process creates a flavor enhancer for your pizza dough. Just add this poolish to your recipe and you will have pizza dough that is very tasty like the many artisan breads that are available.
This is only one way to improve your pizza making skills. There are many more techniques that I have learned over the years. Check out my article "Tips for Making Great Pizza" at Ezine Articles.
©Vincent DiLeo. All Rights Reserved Worldwide
One Pizza Making Secret
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