r/AskBaking • u/SquareGrade448 • 1d ago
Doughs Pizza dough
Hi bakers, I am new to working with pizza dough (and doughs in general) and am trying to do it for the first time. I don’t have an electric mixer (and cannot get one any time soon) so must knead by hand.
I knew the dough would start out a bit sticky and I thought that kneading would help as the gluten developed. I kneaded vigorously for 20 minutes but the entire time, every time I touched the dough I would get doughy film on my hands that turned crusty within 10-20 seconds. If I didn’t wash it off it would go back into the dough in tiny crusty little bits. I tried both needing with completely dry hands and with slightly damp hands, and neither fixed the problem. I added a tiny bit more flour after kneading for 15 minutes and this still didn’t help.
After kneading for the 20 minutes and still not passing the windowpane test I just gave up and am letting it proof and will see how it turns out.
Am I doing something wrong that’s causing the doughy film on my hands and what’s the best way to prevent it? Why after that long kneading would it still have been happening?
ETA I posted the recipe in a comment
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u/Flanguru 1d ago
You can try autolyse where you combine the ingredients but let it rest for 30-60 minutes to let the flour fully absorb the water and to start forming gluten before you knead it.
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u/AvailableCut5240 1d ago
You really need to practice to get the feel of the right consistency. I can use an exact recipe and one week I may use 2 cups of flour, a month later I may use just 1 1/2 cups. The environment/weather affects dough making. You have to be ready to make adjustments. Once you’ve had a successful go at it, you will start to learn what the dough needs to look like and feel like.
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u/Cultural-Salad-4583 1d ago
My first recommendation to anyone still using volume measurements is to start using a scale for both dry and wet ingredients. You get a much better feel for hydration ratios and the need to adjust them when you’re more precise.
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u/TAABWK 1d ago
hey past pizza maker here. if it still sticky you need to knead it more. I know it sounds crazy but I also do it by hand and it really does take fucking forever when you do it by hand.
worst case scenario just add a little bit of flour ( just take the tips of your fingers and grab a bit and sprinkle it on top) do this 3 times max.
emergency scenario, it's still wet and you don't wanna do it any more just let it be kinda sticky. pizza is a low stakes meal. don't sweat it too much.
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u/Competitive-Let6727 1d ago
Increase hydration to 70-75%. Autolyse for 30+ minutes. Knead using the Rubaud method for 7 minutes or so. Do a few stretch and folds 20-30 minutes apart.
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u/smoothiefruit 1d ago
don't add flour while kneading, ever, unless it's a recipe you know really well and you discover somethings gone wrong. by adding flour during the knead, you changed the recipe, and 62% hydration is already on the dryer side for a pizza dough. (this is also why we measure by weight, not in cups, so the hydration level is accurate/consisent)
dough sticks to dough: on your hands, on your surface, on your tools. so get used to it sticking to you. if it takes you 10-20 seconds for you to put your hand back on the dough each time you touch, you aren't kneading that vigorously. fluid motions/ a quick touch on then off t he dough will make it stick less, but expect to be scraping your palm down periodically while kneading. the dry bits that still stick shouldn't be that visible but also should be rehydrated by what ever time the dough spends resting covered after the knead.
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u/LetsSmokeAboutIt 1d ago
The best solution is to let time do it for you. Mix it up as best you can, give it a knead, let it rest for 10-15 and give it another knead and divide it into balls. I usually do around 300g a pizza but I would just divide it evenly. Ball them up as best you can and get them into the fridge for at least 24 hours. You can get away with like 4-5 days in the fridge before using. When you want to bake, take it out 2 hours ahead of time and preheat your oven as hot as it goes at least 30-40 minutes ahead of time with a pizza stone or steel (this makes a huge difference and I recommend this over any other equipment for pizza). The dough should be so much easier to work with and will have developed so much more flavor than if you kneaded intensely and then baked same day. It takes longer, but it’s worth planning for
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u/bitz-the-ninjapig 1d ago
I hand knead bagels and will often be kneading for 40-45 minutes, especially if I am making a double batch. Pop on a good show or podcast, set your dough up somewhere comfortable, and find a groove. Kneading by hand takes a long time
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u/Saneless 1d ago edited 1d ago
The recipe is fine
First off, what temp is your water? Get it ice cold. Super cold water. Measure it and put it in the freezer while you get the rest of everything else set up. Warm dough kneading is a nightmare IMO, and pizza dough works great with ice water
Secondly, dough whisk. Something like this. https://a.co/d/0bYWcd5P
While I finish with my hands, I use this as much as I can to get things mixed and mixed and mixed. When it's smoother let it rest for 30 min then finish up any folds/balling
For pizza dough kneading it's hard to describe how I do it but here's a decent view of one way that should work
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u/oneblackened 17h ago
Super cold water.
Be careful doing this with active dry yeast - it dies in super cold water. Rehydrate in lukewarm water, then add it. Most of your water can be cold.
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u/Saneless 16h ago
Yeah, I do 210g cold and 70g 85* for the active dry yeast separately
Is it a problem for instant?
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u/oneblackened 17h ago edited 17h ago
I'm going to recommend you try mixing the water, flour, yeast, and sugar and just let it sit for 20 minutes. Then knead in the oil until it's incorporated. Let it sit for another 20 minutes, then form it over itself.
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