COOKING TECHNIQUES

Five tips for perfect homemade pizza: the tricks of the true Neapolitan masters

Craving a pizza but have no intention of going out and going to a restaurant in a crowd? No problem, cooking a pizza at home is much easier than it may seem. In fact, the ingredients are readily available, all you need is a little dexterity and good will. 

However, even if you follow the recipe to the letter, your pizza may not turn out exactly as you hoped. This is where we step in, revealing some tips and secrets used by Italy's master pizza makers.

From the dough to the cooking time, there are many aspects to consider, but it is much simpler than you might think.

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5 tips for perfect homemade pizza: the tricks of the true Neapolitan masters
Craving a pizza but don't want to go out and go to a restaurant in a crowd? No problem, cooking a pizza at home is much easier than it may seem. In fact, the ingredients are readily available, all you need is a little dexterity and good will. However, even if you follow the recipe to the letter, your pizza may not turn out exactly as you hoped. This is where we step in, revealing some tips and secrets used by Italy's master pizza makers. From the dough to the cooking time, there are many aspects to consider, but it is much simpler than you might think.
Freepik
For a perfect dough, it is not enough to just follow the recipe doses
Expert advice suggests using hard water, i.e. water with a lot of calcium and sodium, for the dough: the ideal is to use bottled natural mineral water, so as not to rely solely on the tap. Also, for good leavening, it is better to use iodized salt than normal salt. Finally, a real secret: choose fresh brewer's yeast in a loaf, crumble it in lukewarm water and add a teaspoon of sugar (which promotes yeast development). Let it rest for more or less 5 minutes (so that it activates) and then add it to the water and flour, mixing it well.
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Leavening is critical in a homemade pizza
When the dough has reached the consistency you want, then you need to let it rest to allow it to rise. So, what you need to do is divide the whole dough into balls, which must then be covered and left to rest away from draughts, in a warm place: the ideal is a switched-off oven, with only the light on.
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A secret to perfect leavening
How to realize when our dough has risen enough? Master pizza makers recommend a minimum wait of three hours. Remember that perfect leavening is without temperature changes, and that the longer your dough rests, the more it will come in the right way. In general, you can tell by eye: it will be ready when the final size is at least twice the initial size.
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How to roll out the dough the right way
A mistake that almost everyone makes: it is wrong to roll out pizza dough with a rolling pin. If you notice, in Italian restaurants, pizza makers always roll out and stretch the dough with their hands only. This is because using a rolling pin causes all the air in the dough to escape, which will not allow it to become light and fragrant. So, flatten it with the fingertips of your fingers, rolling it around and spreading it well and calmly. The finger holes will also be perfect for holding all the ingredients.
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What kind of baking sheet to use for the oven
Many people believe that, after all, once put in the oven, one container is worth the other, but this is not the case. Rely on a material that heats up very quickly and very easily, such as refractory stone or thin aluminium. Don't use the pans that are already inside the oven, because they are too thick and take too long to heat up properly. Better, if you must, those aluminium containers from the supermarket, although this is not the ideal choice.
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The correct way to bake pizza
Key thing: The oven should be preheated at least 15 minutes before putting in the pizza. The heat, should come mainly from below, and so it would be best to set this mode in the oven. Depending on the type of oven, these are the two recommended cooking modes: if you have a static oven, set the temperature to 250° and put the pizza in the lowest rack. If you have a fan oven (which produces more heat), set it to 220° and place the pizza at half height.
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