Ok, making pizzas

I have a pizza stone that I use for making hearth bread. It does a lovely job.  I whupped out my King Arthur Flour Cookbook this evening and tried to make pizza using the pizza stone. Hard wheat flour, yeast, olive oil, salt, a tinch of sugar, water.

What I got was a very nice-tasting thin bread with yummy toppings. Not a kind-of-elastic-textured-that-you-can-bend-in-half-to-eat pizza crust.  Granted, this time it was only about 1/2 inch thick instead of like a wonking big hunk of bread with some stuff stuck on it that I tend to end up with. And it was lovely tasting. Just not pizza crust.  I was REALLY hoping for a nice bendy NY-style crust.  I followed the directions to the letter - but they were a little vague once it got to the kneading the dough part. Not sure what I did wrong?

I have a pizza stone that I use for making hearth bread. It does a lovely job.  I whupped out my King Arthur Flour Cookbook this evening and tried to make pizza using the pizza stone. Hard wheat flour, yeast, olive oil, salt, a tinch of sugar, water.

What I got was a very nice-tasting thin bread with yummy toppings. Not a kind-of-elastic-textured-that-you-can-bend-in-half-to-eat pizza crust.  Granted, this time it was only about 1/2 inch thick instead of like a wonking big hunk of bread with some stuff stuck on it that I tend to end up with. And it was lovely tasting. Just not pizza crust.  I was REALLY hoping for a nice bendy NY-style crust.  I followed the directions to the letter - but they were a little vague once it got to the kneading the dough part. Not sure what I did wrong?

Too much gluten or protein in your chosen flour? I know that differs over here vs american flours.

Yep... What kind of flour did you use?

Go to the Asian market and get the dumpling flour. It is more like US flour.

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I think it was Canadian hard wheat. I thought you NEED gluten to make the crust bendy? When I used to try to make pizzas in the States they came out as big blocks of bread - at least this one was closer! Hmmm. I have some of that "regular" flour from Waitrose that comes in the stripey box. Maybe I'll try that one next time.

I eventually need to get to Dobbie's Loan, to the oriental grocery store, but it's been too cold to hike it lately. Will try dumpling flour when I can get it.

I think it was Canadian hard wheat. I thought you NEED gluten to make the crust bendy? When I used to try to make pizzas in the States they came out as big blocks of bread - at least this one was closer! Hmmm. I have some of that "regular" flour from Waitrose that comes in the stripey box. Maybe I'll try that one next time.

I eventually need to get to Dobbie's Loan, to the oriental grocery store, but it's been too cold to hike it lately. Will try dumpling flour when I can get it.

The gluten actually gives it structure ehich affects the chewiness. And I don't think that's what you want with pizza dough.

Useful article I'd you're interested.
https://www.thespruce.com/best-flour-for-making-pizza-dough-2708766

It is American, but it tells you what gluten percentage you want. The amounts differ over here to American flours.

Cool. The article appears to say I actually want bread flour, for the gluten. I think I didn't knead it properly.

https://www.thespruce.com/new-york-style-pizza-dough-recipe-101630

Cool. The article appears to say I actually want bread flour, for the gluten. I think I didn't knead it properly.

https://www.thespruce.com/new-york-style-pizza-dough-recipe-101630

I use strong flour (bread) for pizza dough but I like mine crispy so I can't comment on bendy crust.

Use Paul Hollywood's pizza dough recipe and kneading procedures.

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hmmmmm

I use type 00 flour (for pasta).  The recipe I use is:

250g type 00 flour
150ml lukewarm water
10g (1/2 T) of olive oil
5g (1 tsp) salt
1 sachet of dry yeast

This makes about 420g of dough.  This gives me two ~210g dough balls that each make a pizza the size of our dinner plates or a calzone.

After I get all the ingredients incorporated, I knead the dough for about ten minutes (I have to knead by hand as we don't have a mixer or bread machine, so I keep going until the dough looks smooth and elastic).  Then I let it cold prove in the 'fridge for 24 to 48 hours.

I've found that kneading sufficiently is the key to a good crust.  Our best pizzas have been when I take the time with it.  But a nice long cold prove can help to somewhat make up for insufficient kneading.

There's a photo of my result in the Friday Five thread... that was achieved using the ratios and method above (24 hours cold prove).

ok, my problem was definitely the lack of kneading then!  Thanks for the recipe!