At Salvatore Pizza, our dough is the foundation of everything we do. It's what sets our pizzas apart and keeps our customers coming back for more. Today, I'm excited to share some of our carefully guarded secrets to creating the perfect pizza dough that achieves that ideal balance of crispy exterior and soft, chewy interior.
It All Starts with the Flour
The most crucial component of any pizza dough is the flour. We use a special blend of high-protein flour, specifically "00" flour imported from Italy, combined with a small percentage of finely milled semolina. This combination provides the perfect protein content (around 12-13%) to develop the right amount of gluten, which gives our dough its characteristic chew and structure.
The finely milled "00" flour creates a silky-smooth texture, while the semolina adds a subtle complexity and golden color to the crust when baked. For home bakers, bread flour can be a good substitute if you can't find authentic Italian "00" flour.
The Magic of Fermentation
Perhaps the biggest secret to our perfect dough is time. At Salvatore's, we never rush the fermentation process. Our dough undergoes a minimum 24-hour cold fermentation in the refrigerator, and sometimes up to 72 hours for special occasions.
This slow fermentation accomplishes several crucial things:
- It allows the yeast to produce complex flavors that simply can't be achieved with a quick rise
- The slow activity breaks down starches into simpler sugars, which creates better browning and flavor in the finished crust
- The gluten network relaxes while still developing, resulting in a dough that's both extensible (stretches easily) and elastic (holds its shape)
- It makes the dough more digestible by breaking down certain proteins that some people find difficult to process
Hydration Level Matters
The ratio of water to flour (hydration level) dramatically affects the final texture of your pizza crust. Our signature dough uses a relatively high hydration level of 65-68%, which helps create those beautiful air pockets in the crust.
Working with high-hydration dough can be challenging for beginners, as it's stickier and requires different handling techniques. If you're new to pizza making, start with a slightly lower hydration (around 60%) and gradually increase as you become more comfortable with the process.
Minimal Ingredients, Maximum Quality
Our basic dough recipe contains just five ingredients:
- Flour blend (as discussed above)
- Water (filtered to remove chlorine and other chemicals that can affect yeast activity)
- Salt (fine sea salt at 2.5% of flour weight)
- Yeast (we use a minimal amount due to our long fermentation)
- Extra virgin olive oil (just a touch, about 3% of flour weight)
The quality of each ingredient matters immensely. We don't add sugar, dough conditioners, or preservatives. The purity of our ingredients allows the natural flavors to shine through.
Technique Tips
Beyond ingredients, here are some technique tips that help us achieve consistent results:
- Temperature control: We precisely measure water temperature to achieve a final dough temperature of 75°F (24°C) before refrigeration
- Minimal kneading: Unlike bread, pizza dough benefits from less kneading. We use a technique called "folding" during the first few hours of fermentation instead of extended kneading
- Hand stretching only: We never use rolling pins, which can crush the delicate air bubbles that create a light, airy crust
- Proper heat: The final secret is cooking at extremely high temperatures—our ovens reach 750°F (400°C), which creates the perfect balance of exterior crispness and interior chewiness
Practice Makes Perfect
While we've shared our basic approach, remember that perfect pizza dough comes with practice. Every kitchen environment is different, and you'll need to make small adjustments based on your specific conditions, equipment, and preferences.
At Salvatore's, we believe that great pizza starts with great dough, and great dough comes from quality ingredients, proper technique, and—most importantly—patience. The extra time invested in creating a properly fermented dough is what separates good pizza from truly exceptional pizza.
Stay tuned for more blog posts where we'll share additional pizza-making tips, including our approach to sauce, cheese selection, and baking techniques!
