When making Neapolitan pizza, you often hear experienced pizzaioli talk about the point of dough, or “punto di pasta” in Italian. But what does this term mean?
What exactly is the point of dough?
The “point of dough” or “punto di pasta” refers to the point in the dough-making process where the dough is ready for fermentation, and has reached the ideal balance of elasticity and extensibility.
This balance is important because it helps create a crust with the proper texture. It also makes a dough that’s easy to handle and will ferment well to create the perfect Neapolitan pizza.
To achieve the point of dough, you knead the dough while gradually adding flour until you reach the right hydration level and gluten development. When the dough feels smooth and slightly tacky but not sticky, you’ve reached the right point. And it’s ready for fermentation.
Why it’s important to understand the point of dough
Understanding the point of dough will instantly allow you to make better pizza with the right dough consistency, optimal fermentation, and the perfect crust after baking. It will also help you adjust the dough according to seasons and weather so you can achieve consistent dough every time.
The point of dough simply tells you when the dough is right. When you have reached the optimal balance of water content and kneading, elasticity, and extensibility. It requires some experience to fully understand when you’ve reached the right consistency, but when you do understand, you’ll notice improved and more consistent pizza dough.
Dough consistency
Understanding the point of dough is essential to create consistent dough. This is when the gluten in your dough has developed enough to give it strength and structure. This will. help your dough hold its shape during shaping, stretching, and baking, and result in a pizza with a uniform crust and an open crumb structure.
Handling the dough
A dough that has reached the point of dough is also easy to handle and work with. It strikes the balance where it’s not too sticky, but at the same time not too stiff. This will make it easier to stretch the dough into perfectly shaped Neapolitan pizzas.
Fermentation and final crust
When you’ve reached the point, your dough will also ferment well to ensure better flavor, texture, and oven spring (when the dough puffs up in the oven). It also helps create a pizza crust with the right balance of crispiness, and chewiness.
Making the optimal dough during different seasons
It’s hard to make consistent Neapolitan pizza because there are so many factors that affect the result. Even if you follow the same recipe every single time, your pizza will not turn out the same. The time of the year, the temperature, and the humidity are all factors that affect your dough, and you need to account for this if you want to make perfect Neapoiltan pizza.
Understanding the point of dough is essential to adjust the hydration (water content) of your dough according to the seasons. It tells you exactly when the dough has reached the perfect amount of water and gluten development.
How the point of dough relates to flour and hydration levels
Different flours absorb different amounts of water. This means if you have two types of flour with different absorption rates, they can have the same consistency at different hydration levels.
Hydration is the amount of water compared to the amount of flour in the dough, usually expressed as a percentage. E.g. a dough with 1000 g of flour and 600 g of water would have a hydration level of 60%.
If two doughs have different absorption rates, one dough might have a hydration of 58% and another 62% and still have the same consistency. This means that the two doughs would also need different amounts of flour (if we assume you start with the same amount of water for both doughs) to reach the point of dough.
If you change your flour, the amount you need to reach the point of dough will also change. And that’s important to understand to create consistent pizza dough.
Another factor you need to consider is the humidity. Humidity changes with season and weather, and will also affect the hydration of your dough. On a humid day, you need to add less water to reach the same hydration, or more flour to reach the point of dough compared to a dry day.
How to tell if your pizza dough has reached the point of dough
To determine when your dough has reached the point of dough, look for the following signs:
- The dough should not stick to your hands
- The surface should get smoother
- The dough should be elastic and spring back
The easiest test to check if you’ve reached it is to check if it’s sticking to your hand. It should be tacky, but not sticky.
If it’s still sticking you keep slowly adding more flour while kneading until it stops sticking. But it’s important that you don’t continue adding flour after you’ve reached the point of dough, as this will result in a drier, denser crust.
The surface of your dough should start to get smoother and more uniform. The dough should also feel elastic. And if you press the dough with your finger, the dent should spring back.
Keep in mind that factors like the type of flour, hydration level, and ambient temperature can impact the dough’s development, so it may take some practice and adjustments to achieve the ideal consistently.
Final words
Knowing and understanding the point of dough is crucial to create a consistent Neapolitan pizza. It allows you to find the perfect balance between elasticity and extensibility, which contributes to a better dough consistency, a dough that’s easier to handle, and optimal fermentation. It also helps you achieve consistent dough when changing flour, and baking pizza in different seasons of the year.
The only way to master the point of dough is to get your hands dirty, and make a few pizza doughs, and equipped with that knowledge, you’re ready to take your pizza to the next level.
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