Basic pizza dough / Indirect method

The indirect method uses two (or more) phases for producing the dough. More time and labour are involved, but the results are great in terms of flavour, texture and digestibility. Ambient, or room, temperature affects the living dough. If it is cold, the dough takes time to develop and if it’s warm, it moves quickly. Resting dough outside the refrigerator requires judgment, experience and practice. In this recipe the first dough must be kept at 16–20°C (60–68°F), which may be tricky during warmer parts of the year. At Pizzaperta, we have a purpose-built cabinet that sits at around 16°C (60°F). If you have a wine cabinet, they are also excellent. Otherwise, a cellar or insulated room in the house can be used. I’ve even successfully improvised a portable cool box with a couple of large ice cooler bricks.

Temperature

The temperature of the final dough produced by the indirect method is important. It should be less than 24°C (75°F).

Temperature is key in controlling the activity of yeast and influencing dough structure. It prevents the formation of large air bubbles and promotes the elasticity of the dough. It can be achieved by controlling the temperature (T) of the water added to the final dough by using a simple formula:

Twater = 3Tdough – (Tambient + Tflour + Tmachine bowl)

So, to find out the correct water temperature (Twater), multiply the dough temperature by 3 (3Tdough). Now add together the temperature of the room, of the flour and of the mixer machine bowl (Tambient + Tflour + Tmachine bowl). Take this number away from the 3Tdough and you’ll have the temperature of the water to be added.

To measure these temperatures we use a combination of a normal thermometer, a probe thermometer (for the dough and flour) and an infrared gun thermometer. This last one is used for the machine bowl, though if the mixer is kept in the kitchen it’s probably ambient temperature.

As an example, if the dough temperature required is 22°C, ambient 24°C, flour 18°C and machine bowl 20°C, the formula would look like this:

Twater = 3 x 22°C – (24°C + 18°C + 20°C) or Twater = 66°C – 62°C

Therefore the water temperature needs to be 4°C when added. This will be the temperature of water kept in a refrigerator. If lower temperatures are required, then ice added to a little refrigerated water is fine.